Every human being has this moment when he or she finally comes up with a special idea. From this exact moment, their life changes track. Today, you are handling a restaurant business in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and tomorrow you are flying to Goa to launch your own nightclub. An adventurous offer turned into a real experience and a strong business project.
When I got an offer to launch an establishment in Goa, I remembered the quote of Sergey Lapchevsky about a coffee business, but it is appropriate for a nightlife business as well.
“A successful coffee shop is not necessarily a trendy designed spot downtown. Sometimes you see a lovely coffee shop with an interesting concept but there is not a soul inside and vice versa — you can see a decent space with a simple idea — and it has a full house. Well, the paradox is not just about the coffee quality. Both cafes have exact top-quality coffee. Two coffee shops are in a same house side by side. One’s window faces one street, another one’s faces another street. One has a full house, another has no visitors at all. Why is that? The only reason that matters in this case is the entrepreneur’s disregard to the major rule — to analyze target audience. This is the most important point that should come first before signing a lease in the opening of any café. You need to keep in mind that your visitors are 5-6% (maximum) of the gross target audience. In major cities, it may be less”.
Goa has a rush of nightclubs, bars and restaurants these days. After all, there are so many tourists there. However, some places were closed in half of a year, and others have existed for years with every day being a full house. We chose to launch the second version establishment.
The major rule of a restaurant launch is to realize what else is around — knowing competitors and creating the product or the service that is favorably different from market supply. That was hard to do; we had no idea how the nightlife business worked in Goa. We did some web research, but it turned out different from the reality.
Lost in translation
The most difficult part in foreign projects is linguistic social and cultural barriers. If it is clear in Europe and the USA, Asia seems like working in the dark. This space is full of cunning people that long for investments. They have white sand and warm seas, but they do not have the technologies and experts to launch a European-level nightclub. That is why they usually invite foreigners to create a miracle in the middle of the ocean in three months.
It was November 25 in Saint Petersburg; it was snowing outside. Our flight was in two weeks. Two weeks for getting a visa, packing and getting in the work mood for sunny Goa. In such moments, you just need to do everything you are supposed to do. Do not judge your move; do not try to find reasons to stay (because you would find them anyway). Do not be scared. India is another country with its own laws, religion, and business standing. What is important is that some Indians don’t speak English well, and so you will need a full-time interpreter. After several months of the project, I learned how to communicate through third parties, how to bring information though the interpreter, and even how to communicate with gestures.
The first rule is a strong resident partner
If you want to launch a bar in Goa, you cannot do this without local support. India has a very strong clan hierarchy. In each instance, you need to have “an insider”. A resident partner is needed so that you can understand these people. He is a kind of a filter between you and the local society.
The resident helps to prepare documents for obtaining a work visa — it is a necessity for those who are going to work in India legally. People can wait to get the cherished stamps on the ID for months; however, the resident can shorten this process to several days.
The same situation could happen with providers and workers. In Goa, you can forget about everything you knew about business and negotiation before. People there have a different business system. No one is in a hurry; fixing internet in a bar could take three weeks or even more. At the same time, you would call the provider company every single day and you would get the response that someone would come today.
This includes everything. Only a local businessman can influence the speed of orders execution, to negotiate with suppliers, workers, chefs, farmers and support staff.
Rule number two is a strong crew
Several experts flew from Saint Petersburg for our project: a financial officer, a chef, a hookah-maker, and a bartender. It was important to assemble a team of people that would understand each other. We were not able to agree with the locals often, but we always understood each other. It helped to work smoothly. If something did not work out, we would get together and brainstorm.
On December 11, we arrived in Goa. A week later, we found out that the opening night should be December 31 — a time when the founders and investors would come to the island. It was decided that we’d celebrate New Years in the new nightclub. At that moment, it seemed unreal. We drew a construction plan without a table, we solved issues with ice delivery on the run, and we developed the menu and ran lights indoors.
The place had guest staff, since it was important for us not just to build a European class nightclub, but also to provide appropriate service. After all, tourists were our visitors, and tourists usually pay attention to service and the professionalism of waiters, administrators, cooks and other staff. We had to make a work visa and provide housing and insurance for each invited worker. Local people worked on the building stage. Later, they helped us with place maintenance and guests delivering. We managed to find a certain balance and create jobs for both sides: residents and nonresidents.
“A talented chef should not only be able to make delicious and various dishes promptly, but to decorate them as well. A bartender must clearly navigate the range of drinks and prices; he must be able to prepare cocktails immediately. Waiters should look neat and aesthetic, be attentive and polite. In addition, the service staff is appreciated for the ability to diplomatically resolve conflicts that arise daily in crowded places”.
We hired people who wanted to get this job. They were required to understand the purpose of being there and to enjoy the work process. Creating a strong team is the most important successful launch condition.
Since we had the team of professionals, we managed to launch the project in record time. We had to work round the clock, but it made sense. Probably this experience will never happen again in my life.
Rule number three – Goa changes people
Of course, we had difficulties. First of all, it was not always easy with the people. Goa is one of the most famous resorts worldwide. This is the place where time stops. Sun, sea, beaches, beautiful people, freedom and a sense of happiness surround you. At the same time, it could be a specious illusion. In fact, it ended at times with people losing their jobs because of constant parties.
We could not afford to lose anyone from the team, because deadlines were very tight, and the project was global. For example, the chef was into the nightlife too much — he was ready to give up work in favor of clubbing. We had to help him to get over this mess.
Due to my experience, I will say that working on the island is not instant happiness, as many people think, but a challenge. First, it is a test of temptations. It is necessary to control yourself, to refuse parties in favor of work, to not agree to dubious proposals that come all the time. Locals are ready to sell you whatever you want.
December 31 was the nightclub opening
Initially, the owner wanted to make three bars in one, but we managed to convince him that it was enough to make one major location. As a result, we opened a club, a bar and a restaurant. The project was carried out according to European standards and it was the best place on the coast at that time.
Great investment and a strong team helped in this case. If there are money and people around who can wisely invest, then even two weeks is enough to open a full-fledged establishment. Just be ready to work 24 hours a day and to solve emergency issues while the establishment is already working its first days.
It is not enough to just open it – now try to keep it
India is a land of contrasts. Today, people are smiling at you, because you have money and skills. Tomorrow you are doing a project and the attitude is changing dramatically. Now you are simply trying to survive, so that the establishment will not be taken by a local businessman.
Whether it is worth fighting with the police and bureaucratic system is a personal decision to make. As a result, be prepared for the fact that your successful project can simply be confiscated and given to locals. It happened with our establishment, but, in fact, that does not matter. What does matter is that it had worked for several seasons and it became famous in Goa.
You need to keep in mind that in Goa there is a very short tourist season, when a big nightclub can pay off. On average, it is one and a half to two months. During this time, you need to manage to earn money for the entire year, because the rest of the year, there are not many tourists and the profit is minimal.
A few months after the nightclub launch, we were glad to come back home. The place worked smoothly, and the profits went regularly. Despite all the difficulties, this experience was one of the brightest in my life and it showed that with a strong desire and a strong team you can achieve a lot.
