@Goldie122
You've mentioned Chinese with expensive cars a few times on here.
It's something that clearly gets your goat.
@Goldie122
You've mentioned Chinese with expensive cars a few times on here.
It's something that clearly gets your goat.
They may not be as daft or as poor as you may think they look Goldie.
"Because we know better."
@Goldie Not a good looking statement!
Get over yourself ;o)
Everything you said about cars I could turn it around and say exactly the same about "us" lol.
I know plenty of Chinese driving reasonably priced cars and also know plenty of foreigners who like a big car.
The reason you see less foreigners here in their flashy cars is due to the hassle of getting one legally sorted.
Have I Napoleon?
Keeping track?
Vic... I didn't say anyone was poor.
Living beyond your means has nothing to do with
being poor.
Red... sorry, are you offended?
i know plenty of foreigners who like a big car too, but you don't see any here, in China, driving one.
It's not difficult to legally drive a car here. And I'll edit my post to "I" know better so people like you aren't offended.
Just a little Salvador's perspective...
Over the last ten years our happy hour cocktails have gone up from 10 yuan to 12 yuan and other menu options have gone up on average about the same rate. Our coffee prices haven't changed since we started even though the costs are substantially higher. That being said, we have added many higher end options and things like avocados and smoked salmon aren't cheap in China.
Over the same period of time, food costs have more than doubled (beef has tripled), rent has increased seven-fold and starting salaries are nearly five times what they were way back when we started in Dali.
Restaurant profit margins in China have dropped substantially which is why when my wife and I go out for local food the bill often runs higher than 100 yuan for a meat dish and two veg dishes. Manna's prices next door are two to four times what they were when Sal's first opened up. Hell, we used to pay 2 yuan for a bowl of noodles here in Kunming.
@Colinflahive
I've been here 10 years and I've seen the prices rise faster then the people's salary. Kunming is not Beijing yet they seem to want to be like a first tier city. Rents, food, entertainment have skyrocketed. In America going to the movies use to be a 'cheap' date. Not anymore. The ticket price, popcorn, soda, etc. has gone up so much that people only go on occasion. It's the same with eating out. I applaud you guys at Salvador's for surviving the 'jungle' here in Kunming.
Whenever I've popped in Salvador's (bit of a distance so not to many times) I always get the smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel precisely because it's not something you'll get elsewhere in Kunming.
If people can't take that they're going to have to pay a bit more for that here than they'd want to then skip round the corner and find the local mixian delight :o).
Mixian ain't to bad once in a while, just gets you down when it's all the time lol.
@Goldie Not offended, just sounds a bit pompous to say "because we (foreigner) know better (than Chinese)".
I just assumed it would be a more difficult choice to drive a car here as the test you take would be in written mandarin.
Speakings one thing, reading and writing is a whole other level.
Maybe I'm wrong, it has been known to happen lol.
@Colinflahive
First, you don't have to justify your business idea or costs calculations.
For all you should care you could charge 1000 RMB for a Coke. It's your successful business and how much profit you make, or how you make it, is as you please.
But you are
comparing 2 different things.
The local food market price vs. bulk and F&B supplier prices.
I am sure that your bulk purchase costs have not changed.
The same goes for staff salaries, unless you hire experienced, already trained staff.
The local staff we hired was had an increase of 500RMB from 10 years ago. Without experience and training in the restaurant business 1500 RMB - 2000RMB [the years ago] to nowadays 2500 RMB to 3000 RMB. All depending on skill and experience. A good staff manager or bar manager, of course can ask for more.
And I am sure that the prices you pay for coffee, booze and food ingredients have not changed a lot in the last ten years, -when buying large quantities.
Smoked salmon is very cheap, from what I remember at METRO. A bit over 100RMB for 700gram of already smoked salmon. 139RMB for a kilo of uncured salmon, if you want to trouble yourself or fry it.
Burmese avocados are also rather cheap when bought in bulk through the right suppliers, same goes with vegetables and even meat [including beef].
There have been increases in prices but in my calculations, it doesn't justify what many owners do. To link their overall prices to single market items, or just raise whenever they feel like, when the news report tofu prices
to increase.
Plus, you cannot just add RMB's on all items. A restaurant lives from crowds of customers and talking about what a bowl of noodles costs has little to do with the business concept of a bar or restaurant
Well of course you can all do that and I don't have a problem with that, at all. It is a business and it shall thrive, but you have to expect complaints from customers and them argue about increases of prices.
And they are right. It cannot be that Kunming is more expansive, or at least on the same price level with Beijing or Shanghai.
that just doesn't add up
The only agreeable point is rent, but many have dodged that bullet by moving to a cost friendlier location.
I understand the frustration of some customers, I only visit two foreign owned joints in Kunming, because all others are overpriced for the quality and portions.
In short having a foreign restaurant is still a very good business with very large profit margins.
You guys seem to have a very good life, otherwise you wouldn't run the café and expand. Right?
Seems I'm in the wrong market, better open that English cafe as quick as poss ;o)
Pie and mash please, and a cuppa rosy.