Hello,
I am chef was wondering what does it take to open a restaurant in china, specifically Yunnan. As well if i wanted to work in Chinese kitchens. to gain experience in cooking local cuisine. would i need a specialized visa? ive heard that china has something like the american green card. if i was to find a establishment in need of what i can offer as a chef/baker/brewer mad scientist ect. what does it take to get such a permit. Thanks
Takes a whole lot of money and connections. Once you have opened the restaurant it takes knowing what the people want. Many have tried and failed.
your chances of getting a green card are as close to zero as it is possible to imagine. You are about as likely to get it as you are to marry Scarlett Johansson.
China doesn't make it easy to open up any business. If you want a green card you have to invest a lot of money.
Opening a restaurant or opening a succesful restaurant?
For the latter, obviously first and foremost location, location and location.
Secondly, to open a restaurant does not necesssarily mean working in that restaurant, though I understand that in your case that might be exactly what you want to do - otherwise, you could just invest in one and let locals do the work. Less hassle with work permit and visa issues for you.
It is not terribly difficult or even costly to open a business here nowadays, but I don't know about specifics for restaurants - probably need some additional permits.
If you meet formal qualifications (as chef), then getting work permit and work visa shouldn't be too difficult either.
But unless you just want to lose money and gain experience doing it, the initial location issue will always be there and to solve that you probably need more money than for any permits or paperwork.
Investing in a restaurant and "let(ting) locals do the work" is a bad idea.
Sounds like you've never been here, in which case you are simply not going to make any right choices about what you want to do. Welcome to Kunming - but you MUST experience it on the ground a bit before you go jumping into a restaurant.
I'm not trying to discourage you - there are a number of foreign-run restaurants here and we could use another foreign chef from anywhere.
Allot of interesting points of view. my inquiry was more a theoretical question. I'm not planning on opening a restaurant, i'm just curious about the requirements. If i was to work in a Chinese kitchen without being paid as a learning experience. would i still need a work visa. It does seem like there are some successful western restaurateurs in Kunming. Any one know what are the formal qualifications of being a chef in china visa wise. I appreciate the input.
The idea that location is key flies out the window if your restaraunt attracts new customers to the area. It’s guaranteed that competition will turn up on your doorstep to take a share.
At this stage your best bet is to:
1. Come to Kunming to check out the industry, meet local owners and relevant authorities (in the relevant area of Kunming - important)
2. Get an invitation from a legitimate restaurant owner for your visa.
3. Work there whilst gaining further knowledge of the local catering industry and building relationships
4. Offer a partnership and/or aim towards your own business.
There is the faster track option of marrying a local. Preferably a rich one that’s good at cooking.
To get a visa - you can go the investment route and invest aka buy a dying restaurant - they're bountiful - which should be a warning.
As an investor - you're eligible for a work visa - but you should thoroughly investigate this before you make the leap.
There was an ad on here quite some time ago about a retiree wanting to sell his hotel/bar in a remote thailand island/beach locale - but ...
On a more hopeful note - there are many single female company owners who have difficulties finding romantic partners. Local men tend to be intimidated and they also prefer more domesticated wives.
As long as you're kind, gentle, caring, attentive, courteous, (maybe good in bed), etc - and you can both get past the cross cultural/racial issue(s) - good to go.
