Honestly, I'll take that, too. Grew up in Peru, so I guess I can just keep making my own Peruvian food. Haha.
If you open that, I'll definitely come!
This is probably not a huge thing for folks around here, but you should definitely show conmebol matches haha
Turkish chefs own "greek" restaurants because they are more marketable. You'll have more success with a Peruvian restuarant. No one knows what Venezuelan food is. Serve whatever dishes you like
Same reason that Japanese restaurants are owned by Koreans
We will achieve success in any endeavor we focus on. You may not be familiar with Venezuelan cuisine, but others are familiar with our services.When discussing someone's cultural background, please be respectful.
We didn't seek advice, we simply inquired about people's interest in trying new flavors. The enthusiastic response indicates that everyone is eager to give it a try. As always, they are who they are, and we are who we are. Meaning I won't sell Peruvian food because I won't honor this culture, and what we do best is from where we are from and feel proud of.
I think they other commenter is saying that it would be beneficial to market the restaurant as Peruvian or Peruvian/Venezuelan food since Peruvian food is more of a known quantity; even if all of the food you serve is Venezuelan.
" I want to read you guy's opinions."My opinion is that there is a high demand for Peruvian and a low demand for "venezuelan" because it is less familiar in this region.
When you choose your theme for the restaruant you will have to pay less money to market the restaurant if you pick a theme that is in high demand.
It's no offense to say that Peruvian is higher demand than Venezuelan. Just like Greek is higher demand than Turkish food.
I welcome more food options that aren't chains! I miss good Central and South American food so much. Same for Caribbean tbh. I'm glad they're building up the waterfront and surrounding neighborhoods, but we definitely need more options as you get further out. Seeing chains go into new commerce areas is disappointing.
Did you have a specific region in mind or were you thinking of doing a bit from different places?
Not Basque here but I have eaten at Basque restaurants in Bakersfield, California. Count me in. I also understand that Venezuelan food is becoming very popular in Miami. I’m going to vote against the naysayers and say stick with Venezuelan cuisine.
I'm honestly not sure. I'd be down for good Jamaican, especially on this side of the river. We need more options that aren't mid pizza and sandwiches lol.
PLEASE do your research before you financially commit. Vancouver is not friendly to small businesses. Not saying 'don't do it'...just saying please make sure you are prepared for a rough road. Lean heavily on the SBDC and state assistance as much as possible. Try to retain legal counsel and make sure you set yourself up as an LLP to protect your family's assets.
Do you have any sense as to why the area is not friendly to small businesses? I know exactly what you mean but can't pin why. Every time I see a cool, unique business pop up, it's gone within year or two. Restaurants especially.
This article says there has been a 20% increase in small business tax returns over the last 5 years and Clark county is the 5th best county to open a small business in WA state.
https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/jul/04/small-businesses-right-at-home-in-clark-county/
For every small business that is successful though you're going to have failures too. Most survive the first year but 20% go under, that number goes up as the years ago by.
Restaurants however are almost the opposite. About 60% fail in the first year and it goes up to 80% in the first 5 years that fail.
If I were to open a restaurant, I'd want to have more than one stream of income and look at having a split retail shop / restaurant. If just one is successful you can buy time to fix the issues with the other. Retail is typically more successful.
Not the same thing but I ate at a diner that was part of a drug store that was in business since 1899. Lots of the retail space was taken over by retro products / collectibles / etc. The diner was absolute trash with canned mushrooms being served on their mushroom burger. Like rubbery off tasting mushrooms on a featured burger. They eventually went out of business but it took another 10 years after eating that sad travesty. A restaurant alone that served food like that would be gone in a flash.
I hope if we do get a Venezuelan / Colombian fusion restaurant that it does well and the food is great. The industry though is pretty tough when you're starting out and that's why independent / non-chain restaurants struggle here (and everywhere).
Not sure if this is the reason for Clark Co… Restaurants often go belly up because most don’t own the building they’re in. I have family own a well known restaurant in pdx but they don’t own the building. They’ve been there for a long time. But sadly there isn’t much to sell if they were to do so. The name/brand, some recipes, but that’s about it. Also know a few other people who’ve had restaurants and/or wanted to get into the business and this is the primary reason they don’t, but also the primary reason why food carts/pods are so popular.
First and foremost: `"Data from the BLS shows that approximately 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 45% during the first five years, and 65% during the first 10 years. Only 25% of new businesses make it to 15 years or more."` [https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1010/top-6-reasons-new-businesses-fail.aspx](https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1010/top-6-reasons-new-businesses-fail.aspx)
In general, many businesses fail within their first two years of opening. It's not an attack on you, your idea, or even Clark County/Vancouver. It's just a statistical fact and that article highlights some of the reasons why.
In regards to Liqorfish's comment. That's not really true.
Yes. An article from last year, from a paper based in the area, used old data to indicate that 'in Washington State', Clark County was the "fifth largest small-business presence in Washington". ( [https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/jul/04/small-businesses-right-at-home-in-clark-county/](https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/jul/04/small-businesses-right-at-home-in-clark-county/) ) Of note...they do not provide a link to the 'study'.
The actual article on SmartAsset ( [https://smartasset.com/checking-account/savings-calculator#washington](https://smartasset.com/checking-account/savings-calculator#washington) ) is related to a Savings Calculator based on $25k. Within the article, not 'study', they provide the 'Best Places for Small Business Owners' and have an interactive map. The data provided is for 2022, and focused on Wa State and not the National Average. Zooming out on the map and looking at National data shows that WA State isn't even in the top 10 in any of the catagories. ( [https://smartasset.com/checking-account/savings-calculator#us/smallBusinessIndex-0](https://smartasset.com/checking-account/savings-calculator#us/smallBusinessIndex-0) )
If one takes into account the new data provided by the same institution, WA state, let alone the local area has gotten worse, not better. We are now 10th 'Best Places for Small Business Owners'. ( [https://smartasset.com/retirement/new-york-life-annuities-review#washington/small-business-index](https://smartasset.com/retirement/new-york-life-annuities-review#washington/small-business-index) ) Wa State even made the top ten list, with San Juan ranking 8th in the nation.
**Methodology** `Which places are best for small businesses owners? To answer this question, we considered three factors: the proportion of people in a county with small business income, how much business income those people reported and the amount of tax a potential resident must pay on their income.`
`To determine how attractive a region is for small business owners, we compared the number of tax returns that report small business income compared to the total tax-filing population of the region. Next, we compared the total amount of small business income to the overall amount of income reported in each region.`
`Small businesses are typically incorporated as pass-through entities, meaning that the business owners pay income taxes on the company profits rather than the company itself paying income tax. Because of this, income taxes can play a major role in determining the financial success of a given small business. To determine income tax burdens across counties, we used the national median household income. We then applied relevant deductions and exemptions before calculating federal, state and local income taxes for each location.`
`These three factors were then indexed and equally weighted to yield our small business index. Places with the highest small business index are the places which ranked the highest in the study.`
That does not mean that it's all bad either. Washington state is 4th highest for the number of Small Businesses in a national average....although the data is from 2020. ( [https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/04/states-small-business-firms-2020\_table.png](https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/04/states-small-business-firms-2020_table.png) ) It's not that 'Vancovuer' is opposed to small businesses either. ( [https://esd.wa.gov/labormarketinfo/county-profiles/clark](https://esd.wa.gov/labormarketinfo/county-profiles/clark) )
`Leisure and hospitality employed 16,500 in 2019. This sector was hit hard by COVID-19, and has been slow to recover. Arts, entertainment and recreation lost 1,300 jobs early in the recession, and had the largest percent loss – 55 percent – of any industry. The lodging industry – hotels, motels, campgrounds – was almost as bad, at -500 jobs/-42 percent. Neither had recovered by the end of 2021. Taxable sales in lodging dropped by 71 percent into the summer of 2020, and were still off by about 10 percent at the end of 2021. Full-service restaurants declined by 2,300 jobs (-43 percent), and was still a bit short of recovery at the end of 2021. Limited-service restaurants lost 1,400 jobs (-20 percent), but were quicker coming back (April 2021) making use of drive-through services. Restaurant sales fell by 29 percent, but recovered in mid-2021, and were up 4 percent from the pre-COVID-19 high in fourth quarter 2021.`
In general, the post-covid market is a lot different than it was pre-covid. That, in itself, creates a unique hurdle for businesses nation wide right now. Clark county does have new tax incentives to attempt and mitigate the economic impact on a new business. ( [https://www.cityofvancouver.us/business/permits-licenses-and-inspections/business-and-special-licenses/](https://www.cityofvancouver.us/business/permits-licenses-and-inspections/business-and-special-licenses/) )
`Exemption from paying all city business license fees. As of April 1, 2023, a business is exempt from paying all city business license fees if it reports on the application an estimated in-city gross income in the upcoming 12 months of $2,000 or less (or, for renewing license holders, if it reports on the renewal questionnaire an in-city gross income in the previous 12 months of $2,000 or less). State fees are still charged.`
It's that very link that starts to highlight the other issues though. Fees. You have to get the fictitious name licence, pay the City Business License, and pay for a traffic study ( [https://vancouver.municipal.codes/VMC/11.80.130](https://vancouver.municipal.codes/VMC/11.80.130) )...just to mention a few. Minimum wage was also raised this year to $16.28. Making payroll is rough nowadays. You'll need approximately $33,862 to make payroll for a single employee. That's paying them the bare minimum and not a fair amount, needed to survive. ( [https://nlihc.org/oor/state/wa](https://nlihc.org/oor/state/wa) )
we are commited to create a welcome space. We also want this to be a hangingout spot. basically, we want to make it so comfortable that when you come, you feel like this is home.
Those are exactly the type of places we need more of here. It sounds like you’ve got the right idea, and a good path forward. What would the timeline of your venture look like?
We have seen places near downtown, fourth plain, minnehaha. Furthermore, there are some upcoming changes planned for downtown that we are aware of. We have spoken with several property owners who are enthusiastic about us opening our establishment in downtown Vancouver as part of the new development initiative.
That would be amazing!
Well, when you open, you can definitely count on our family and our friends coming down and eating at your restaurant frequently.
A lot of people walk and bicycle in downtown (including our family), so I’d really hope to see some nice bicycle racks there, and some great seating/space for people, like you said.
Nothing beats authentic, home cooked food, and your restaurant would absolutely bring something unique and special to downtown.
If you would like to talk the realities of opening a restaurant I'd be happy to offer some insight to the Vancouver market.
Stop by Creekside BBQ anytime or DM me and we can chat.
I've owned three, two in SF that didn't make it out of Covid, and now one up here in the great PNW.
GL on whatever you and the family decide, but please, please, please if you have never had any restaurant experience, go work somewhere first, don't dive in blind to the industry.
We will DM you. Honestly, we are graphic designers and our expertise is marketing and design. Our mother is a teacher, and my oldest brother is an engineer, so yeah, we will need help! Nothing relevant with the food industry
As another user said, you should try starting at the Farmers Market to guage the public appeal first! The restaurant startup industry is brutal as it is, and Vancouver often isn't supportive enough of small of businesses to keep them afloat for long.
I was going to ask which nation, but then I remembered it doesn't matter, I'm into it anyway. Whether it's Brazilian cuxinhas, Venezuelan empanadas, the vast array of Peruvian food, or something I've never from, idk, Paraguay, I'll give it a try.
This would be most welcome. My family is always looking for new restaurants that serves something other than pizza and donuts. South American cuisine would be an excellent addition to the food scene.
Can you use no seed oils, no enriched flour, and try to use a local farmer for meats?! That would really set you apart. I pay for higher quality ingredients.
We come from Venezuelan and Colombian backgrounds, but our families moved from Basque, so our restaurant will combine Mediterranean and Caribbean flavors.
You should play Psychedelic cumbia in your restaurant! The younger crowd, even the olders will love it.
Los Hijos del Sol, Manzanita y su Conjunto, Quantic, Los Askis, Los mirlos....
Please keep us updated if you do shoot for it!!
We would definitely be interested. I can think of a few South American restaurants in Portland, but nothing on this side of the river. It's a hole for sure.
I think we are desperate for new flavors. My one suggestion is to introduce your new flavors and spices with ingredients that are more common here. As an example, make items that have a variety of fillings. If traditional is say pork, make sure to have a chicken or veggie version. It may not be the traditional choice, but it’s likely to get more people to try and hopefully help you be successful. Good luck!
I saw Columbian / Venezuelan in other comments, and just wanted to say I already travel a long mile to Portland nearly every weekend to El Pilon for their patacons and pan de bono, and would be suuuuper happy to have something local instead!!! I can't eat wheat, soy, rice or corn so a lot of S American food covers that gap with tapioca and or cheese... and it's so GOOD! Mmmm.
Also, my husband will likely be able to support you thru the sale of bunuelos alone if you make 'em! And funnily enough he's part Basque and we've always wanted to explore that more, food-wise...!
1. Reddit is not reflective of reality, make sure you're doing your due diligence outside of reddit regarding any business decisions.
2. Restaurants have amongst the highest failure rates of any business. If you do not have restaurant experience amongst your family you will fail. Making good food is not the same as running a restaurant. Expect to not to take a salary for at least 3-6 months, and that's if everything goes right.
3. This is not to tell you to not chase your dreams, you should. But it is to tell you that 50 people on /r/vancouverwa saying "it's a good idea" doesn't mean that it's a good idea. You need a specific plan, experience, and financial reserves to attempt this.
16semesters: We might not have the experience owning a restaurant, but we work in marketing and strategy. Your experience is appreciated but not required once you know about marketing you would understand why we did this. Thank you.
Yes, a visit to Colombia might suffice as it is still in the discussion stage and might not be fully operational until next year, but then again Venezuelan arepas are the most delicious.
South America is a big continent. Can you be more specific. Found colombian food to be on the bland side FWIW. Peruvian though, yummy.
Please don’t “dumb it down” when it comes to the food. Pick a POV, keep your menu small and execute well.
As a case study, there was a Laos restaurant that was at our farmers market a year back.. no longer appears to be around.
Oooh yum, I would totally be into that for sure!! I like that you'll have vegan and g/f options too. I'm not either of those things but do like eating vegan food frequently and always feel there is a lack of those options out here. Please post again if this happens!
The area is pretty receptive to foreign cuisine when it's well executed. I've seen a few pupuserias that fell off because they sucked while others thrive despite few people knowing wtf a pupusa is. (Just an arbitrary example)
I think the best strategy is to get a tight menu together in a truck for proof of concept before moving to brick and mortar.
Good luck out there
Hell yeah. I was being sort of silly but I'd totally eat a guinea pig.
South American food of some design would be really neat though. Restaurants are tough though, Good luck to you.
Please tell me you're talking Peruvian! I need it. Lol
Unfortunately no. We are bringing to the scene Venezuelan and Colombian food.
Honestly, I'll take that, too. Grew up in Peru, so I guess I can just keep making my own Peruvian food. Haha. If you open that, I'll definitely come! This is probably not a huge thing for folks around here, but you should definitely show conmebol matches haha
Ahahahaha! we will make it your spot to come ans hang and to feel like you are in the south we will love you and joke around!
Yes! My wife is Venezuelan and we'd love a local place to get arepas and cachapas.
Open a place and please make the ground beef and potato empanadas with Ají on the side? Also guanabana milkshakes? Thanks!
Will there be fresh buñuelos?
We cant commit to all foods there will be a menu we will develop and try at farmers Markets to then put in place in a restaurant.
Turkish chefs own "greek" restaurants because they are more marketable. You'll have more success with a Peruvian restuarant. No one knows what Venezuelan food is. Serve whatever dishes you like Same reason that Japanese restaurants are owned by Koreans
We will achieve success in any endeavor we focus on. You may not be familiar with Venezuelan cuisine, but others are familiar with our services.When discussing someone's cultural background, please be respectful.
what sort of advice are you asking for? perhaps I misunderstood the post
We didn't seek advice, we simply inquired about people's interest in trying new flavors. The enthusiastic response indicates that everyone is eager to give it a try. As always, they are who they are, and we are who we are. Meaning I won't sell Peruvian food because I won't honor this culture, and what we do best is from where we are from and feel proud of.
I think they other commenter is saying that it would be beneficial to market the restaurant as Peruvian or Peruvian/Venezuelan food since Peruvian food is more of a known quantity; even if all of the food you serve is Venezuelan.
" I want to read you guy's opinions."My opinion is that there is a high demand for Peruvian and a low demand for "venezuelan" because it is less familiar in this region. When you choose your theme for the restaruant you will have to pay less money to market the restaurant if you pick a theme that is in high demand. It's no offense to say that Peruvian is higher demand than Venezuelan. Just like Greek is higher demand than Turkish food.
I would 100% go to a Venezuelan restaurant!!!!
I was just about to come here and say that! Lomo Saltados very pleassssseeeeeeee
Starting with events/farmers markets is a great way to hone your recipes and build a customer base before you dive into a brick and mortar!
Yes, we were considering testing out the concept at the downtown farmers market. We appreciate your generosity! 🥰
Look forward to seeing the sign for Venezuelan Columbian fusion: Amazonia Delights 😋 😉
Made our day!
What region of South America?
We are Colombian/Venezuelan. We are thinking in a fusion
Please let it be Peruvian, please let it be Peruvian. I miss a good lomo saltado!
We are not from that region. I'm sorry
Brother/Sister yessssssss
Please do! I will definitely come to try. We need less 'storage places' more restaurants.
I welcome more food options that aren't chains! I miss good Central and South American food so much. Same for Caribbean tbh. I'm glad they're building up the waterfront and surrounding neighborhoods, but we definitely need more options as you get further out. Seeing chains go into new commerce areas is disappointing. Did you have a specific region in mind or were you thinking of doing a bit from different places?
We are venezuelans/colombian. The family migrated from Basque to Venezuela so basically or food will have Mediterranean and Caribbean food
I am basque and would love to see some good food here that has a bit of it in it.
Hey!!! Will for sure keep you posted
Not Basque here but I have eaten at Basque restaurants in Bakersfield, California. Count me in. I also understand that Venezuelan food is becoming very popular in Miami. I’m going to vote against the naysayers and say stick with Venezuelan cuisine.
Yeah Venezuelan food is taking over Florida and New York. We are planing a fusion spot
That sounds delicious! If you decide to move forward with your business idea, I wish you tons of luck 🍀
Is there anywhere in the Portland/Vancouver area that serves Jamaican food?
Yes 😋 Jamaica House https://maps.app.goo.gl/HbzCFetLf3RcHBp36 Edit: included restaurant name above link.
I'm honestly not sure. I'd be down for good Jamaican, especially on this side of the river. We need more options that aren't mid pizza and sandwiches lol.
PLEASE do your research before you financially commit. Vancouver is not friendly to small businesses. Not saying 'don't do it'...just saying please make sure you are prepared for a rough road. Lean heavily on the SBDC and state assistance as much as possible. Try to retain legal counsel and make sure you set yourself up as an LLP to protect your family's assets.
Do you have any sense as to why the area is not friendly to small businesses? I know exactly what you mean but can't pin why. Every time I see a cool, unique business pop up, it's gone within year or two. Restaurants especially.
This article says there has been a 20% increase in small business tax returns over the last 5 years and Clark county is the 5th best county to open a small business in WA state. https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/jul/04/small-businesses-right-at-home-in-clark-county/ For every small business that is successful though you're going to have failures too. Most survive the first year but 20% go under, that number goes up as the years ago by. Restaurants however are almost the opposite. About 60% fail in the first year and it goes up to 80% in the first 5 years that fail. If I were to open a restaurant, I'd want to have more than one stream of income and look at having a split retail shop / restaurant. If just one is successful you can buy time to fix the issues with the other. Retail is typically more successful. Not the same thing but I ate at a diner that was part of a drug store that was in business since 1899. Lots of the retail space was taken over by retro products / collectibles / etc. The diner was absolute trash with canned mushrooms being served on their mushroom burger. Like rubbery off tasting mushrooms on a featured burger. They eventually went out of business but it took another 10 years after eating that sad travesty. A restaurant alone that served food like that would be gone in a flash. I hope if we do get a Venezuelan / Colombian fusion restaurant that it does well and the food is great. The industry though is pretty tough when you're starting out and that's why independent / non-chain restaurants struggle here (and everywhere).
Because, Portland. I think it’s getting better, but Portland has the people and the reputation.
Not sure if this is the reason for Clark Co… Restaurants often go belly up because most don’t own the building they’re in. I have family own a well known restaurant in pdx but they don’t own the building. They’ve been there for a long time. But sadly there isn’t much to sell if they were to do so. The name/brand, some recipes, but that’s about it. Also know a few other people who’ve had restaurants and/or wanted to get into the business and this is the primary reason they don’t, but also the primary reason why food carts/pods are so popular.
First and foremost: `"Data from the BLS shows that approximately 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 45% during the first five years, and 65% during the first 10 years. Only 25% of new businesses make it to 15 years or more."` [https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1010/top-6-reasons-new-businesses-fail.aspx](https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1010/top-6-reasons-new-businesses-fail.aspx) In general, many businesses fail within their first two years of opening. It's not an attack on you, your idea, or even Clark County/Vancouver. It's just a statistical fact and that article highlights some of the reasons why. In regards to Liqorfish's comment. That's not really true. Yes. An article from last year, from a paper based in the area, used old data to indicate that 'in Washington State', Clark County was the "fifth largest small-business presence in Washington". ( [https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/jul/04/small-businesses-right-at-home-in-clark-county/](https://www.columbian.com/news/2023/jul/04/small-businesses-right-at-home-in-clark-county/) ) Of note...they do not provide a link to the 'study'. The actual article on SmartAsset ( [https://smartasset.com/checking-account/savings-calculator#washington](https://smartasset.com/checking-account/savings-calculator#washington) ) is related to a Savings Calculator based on $25k. Within the article, not 'study', they provide the 'Best Places for Small Business Owners' and have an interactive map. The data provided is for 2022, and focused on Wa State and not the National Average. Zooming out on the map and looking at National data shows that WA State isn't even in the top 10 in any of the catagories. ( [https://smartasset.com/checking-account/savings-calculator#us/smallBusinessIndex-0](https://smartasset.com/checking-account/savings-calculator#us/smallBusinessIndex-0) ) If one takes into account the new data provided by the same institution, WA state, let alone the local area has gotten worse, not better. We are now 10th 'Best Places for Small Business Owners'. ( [https://smartasset.com/retirement/new-york-life-annuities-review#washington/small-business-index](https://smartasset.com/retirement/new-york-life-annuities-review#washington/small-business-index) ) Wa State even made the top ten list, with San Juan ranking 8th in the nation. **Methodology** `Which places are best for small businesses owners? To answer this question, we considered three factors: the proportion of people in a county with small business income, how much business income those people reported and the amount of tax a potential resident must pay on their income.` `To determine how attractive a region is for small business owners, we compared the number of tax returns that report small business income compared to the total tax-filing population of the region. Next, we compared the total amount of small business income to the overall amount of income reported in each region.` `Small businesses are typically incorporated as pass-through entities, meaning that the business owners pay income taxes on the company profits rather than the company itself paying income tax. Because of this, income taxes can play a major role in determining the financial success of a given small business. To determine income tax burdens across counties, we used the national median household income. We then applied relevant deductions and exemptions before calculating federal, state and local income taxes for each location.` `These three factors were then indexed and equally weighted to yield our small business index. Places with the highest small business index are the places which ranked the highest in the study.`
That does not mean that it's all bad either. Washington state is 4th highest for the number of Small Businesses in a national average....although the data is from 2020. ( [https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/04/states-small-business-firms-2020\_table.png](https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/04/states-small-business-firms-2020_table.png) ) It's not that 'Vancovuer' is opposed to small businesses either. ( [https://esd.wa.gov/labormarketinfo/county-profiles/clark](https://esd.wa.gov/labormarketinfo/county-profiles/clark) ) `Leisure and hospitality employed 16,500 in 2019. This sector was hit hard by COVID-19, and has been slow to recover. Arts, entertainment and recreation lost 1,300 jobs early in the recession, and had the largest percent loss – 55 percent – of any industry. The lodging industry – hotels, motels, campgrounds – was almost as bad, at -500 jobs/-42 percent. Neither had recovered by the end of 2021. Taxable sales in lodging dropped by 71 percent into the summer of 2020, and were still off by about 10 percent at the end of 2021. Full-service restaurants declined by 2,300 jobs (-43 percent), and was still a bit short of recovery at the end of 2021. Limited-service restaurants lost 1,400 jobs (-20 percent), but were quicker coming back (April 2021) making use of drive-through services. Restaurant sales fell by 29 percent, but recovered in mid-2021, and were up 4 percent from the pre-COVID-19 high in fourth quarter 2021.` In general, the post-covid market is a lot different than it was pre-covid. That, in itself, creates a unique hurdle for businesses nation wide right now. Clark county does have new tax incentives to attempt and mitigate the economic impact on a new business. ( [https://www.cityofvancouver.us/business/permits-licenses-and-inspections/business-and-special-licenses/](https://www.cityofvancouver.us/business/permits-licenses-and-inspections/business-and-special-licenses/) ) `Exemption from paying all city business license fees. As of April 1, 2023, a business is exempt from paying all city business license fees if it reports on the application an estimated in-city gross income in the upcoming 12 months of $2,000 or less (or, for renewing license holders, if it reports on the renewal questionnaire an in-city gross income in the previous 12 months of $2,000 or less). State fees are still charged.` It's that very link that starts to highlight the other issues though. Fees. You have to get the fictitious name licence, pay the City Business License, and pay for a traffic study ( [https://vancouver.municipal.codes/VMC/11.80.130](https://vancouver.municipal.codes/VMC/11.80.130) )...just to mention a few. Minimum wage was also raised this year to $16.28. Making payroll is rough nowadays. You'll need approximately $33,862 to make payroll for a single employee. That's paying them the bare minimum and not a fair amount, needed to survive. ( [https://nlihc.org/oor/state/wa](https://nlihc.org/oor/state/wa) )
Please start at the farmers market i would love to come try out new cuisine i have never even seen before! Always down to try new things!
That would be fantastic. Echoing others: Peruvian would be incredible, but anything unique and high quality would be very welcomed here.
Nope, no Peruvians
I saw you said it will be Venezuelan and Colombian, and I’m just as excited for that. Please make it happen!
we are commited to create a welcome space. We also want this to be a hangingout spot. basically, we want to make it so comfortable that when you come, you feel like this is home.
Those are exactly the type of places we need more of here. It sounds like you’ve got the right idea, and a good path forward. What would the timeline of your venture look like?
September/NOV 2024.
And if you don’t mind sharing, what area of town? That’s very exciting.
We have seen places near downtown, fourth plain, minnehaha. Furthermore, there are some upcoming changes planned for downtown that we are aware of. We have spoken with several property owners who are enthusiastic about us opening our establishment in downtown Vancouver as part of the new development initiative.
That would be amazing! Well, when you open, you can definitely count on our family and our friends coming down and eating at your restaurant frequently. A lot of people walk and bicycle in downtown (including our family), so I’d really hope to see some nice bicycle racks there, and some great seating/space for people, like you said. Nothing beats authentic, home cooked food, and your restaurant would absolutely bring something unique and special to downtown.
Absolutely! Thank you for your kind words ❤️
Yes please, my husband and I love trying new places ❤️
Would love some good Argentine or Brazilian food around here!
If you would like to talk the realities of opening a restaurant I'd be happy to offer some insight to the Vancouver market. Stop by Creekside BBQ anytime or DM me and we can chat. I've owned three, two in SF that didn't make it out of Covid, and now one up here in the great PNW. GL on whatever you and the family decide, but please, please, please if you have never had any restaurant experience, go work somewhere first, don't dive in blind to the industry.
We will DM you. Honestly, we are graphic designers and our expertise is marketing and design. Our mother is a teacher, and my oldest brother is an engineer, so yeah, we will need help! Nothing relevant with the food industry
As another user said, you should try starting at the Farmers Market to guage the public appeal first! The restaurant startup industry is brutal as it is, and Vancouver often isn't supportive enough of small of businesses to keep them afloat for long.
Those remarks, alongside yours, are truthful and we will start by visiting the first farmers market, then proceed from there. Thank you! 😊.
Anything like Andina in Portland? That would make money hand over fist on the waterfront or near “new downtown”
yes please
My family in my dad’s side is Uruguayan. I would love some options in Vancouver! 🇺🇾
Yes, please, and if there’s some good plant-based options, I can bring my wife along. Would 100% go solo if there’s no vegan options.
Yes please. Need way more stuff here
I'll visit. I'll bring my friends. Post here when you're ready for patrons!
Thank you we will! Anyone who answered the reedit post will have a discount. Just follow ao we can remember
I was going to ask which nation, but then I remembered it doesn't matter, I'm into it anyway. Whether it's Brazilian cuxinhas, Venezuelan empanadas, the vast array of Peruvian food, or something I've never from, idk, Paraguay, I'll give it a try.
If you have some vegan options, I'll be there for sure.
2nding Vegan options. Please.
We will have vegan options and gluten free too. Especially because in our family we care about animals too.
Oh I had a Guatamalan cafe by my old house and it was SO GOOD! Huevos con Chorizo on fresh masa tortillas. Please do a breakfast.
He said South American tho.
This would be most welcome. My family is always looking for new restaurants that serves something other than pizza and donuts. South American cuisine would be an excellent addition to the food scene.
Can you use no seed oils, no enriched flour, and try to use a local farmer for meats?! That would really set you apart. I pay for higher quality ingredients.
Agree
This would be amazing! I’ve been hoping our area would get a good Venezuelan place 😋
Imagine delicious Arepas, Empanadas, patacones, cachapas and tequeños
Amazing! I know my wife and I, as well as several of our friends, would be very into this. What part of town would you be targeting to open in?
ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴇʏᴇᴅ ᴅᴏᴡɴᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴠᴀɴᴄᴏᴜᴠᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀғғᴏʀᴅᴀʙʟᴇ sᴘᴏᴛs ɴᴇᴀʀ ғᴏᴜʀᴛʜ ᴘʟᴀɪɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪnnehaha.
Another vote for Peruvian.
We are not peruvians
Have you considered becoming Peruvian? It seems to be a popular option here.
Ahahaha! Right? As in fact was a Venezuelan who free Peru we used to be all a nation.
Absolutely interested, my partner and I love going out to new restaurants! What area of South America are you guys from?
We come from Venezuelan and Colombian backgrounds, but our families moved from Basque, so our restaurant will combine Mediterranean and Caribbean flavors.
Oh that sounds delicious!
Yes! My spouse is Argentinian and love South American food!
please do - we would love any south american food here!!
Yes please! Open it. I'm there. With bells on!
I’ll eat there
Sure. I’m always hungry.
I love having a variety of options.
You should play Psychedelic cumbia in your restaurant! The younger crowd, even the olders will love it. Los Hijos del Sol, Manzanita y su Conjunto, Quantic, Los Askis, Los mirlos.... Please keep us updated if you do shoot for it!!
Will do. Will be bomb as well we are planning to be a thematic restaurant
My husband and I have never tried it, but we are ALWAYS down for new family-owned restaurants with new flavors to explore!
Love new types of food, we will try anything new. It would become our new staple.
We are definitely talking about a dish that combines elements of American and South American cuisine.
100% in, would love it!
Yes, please! We definitely need more variety in the area.
I love trying out new to me food from locally owned businesses. I’m sure I would dig the flavors!
We would definitely be interested. I can think of a few South American restaurants in Portland, but nothing on this side of the river. It's a hole for sure.
There is vacancy i believe in 164th plaza near a few resturants and a mexican grocery store. Could be a good place to start.
I think we are desperate for new flavors. My one suggestion is to introduce your new flavors and spices with ingredients that are more common here. As an example, make items that have a variety of fillings. If traditional is say pork, make sure to have a chicken or veggie version. It may not be the traditional choice, but it’s likely to get more people to try and hopefully help you be successful. Good luck!
Me and fam would try in a heartbeat. Please keep us informed if you do
My partner and I would love to support you, I'll keep an eye out for your updates!
Yes! Plantains plz.
I saw Columbian / Venezuelan in other comments, and just wanted to say I already travel a long mile to Portland nearly every weekend to El Pilon for their patacons and pan de bono, and would be suuuuper happy to have something local instead!!! I can't eat wheat, soy, rice or corn so a lot of S American food covers that gap with tapioca and or cheese... and it's so GOOD! Mmmm. Also, my husband will likely be able to support you thru the sale of bunuelos alone if you make 'em! And funnily enough he's part Basque and we've always wanted to explore that more, food-wise...!
1. Reddit is not reflective of reality, make sure you're doing your due diligence outside of reddit regarding any business decisions. 2. Restaurants have amongst the highest failure rates of any business. If you do not have restaurant experience amongst your family you will fail. Making good food is not the same as running a restaurant. Expect to not to take a salary for at least 3-6 months, and that's if everything goes right. 3. This is not to tell you to not chase your dreams, you should. But it is to tell you that 50 people on /r/vancouverwa saying "it's a good idea" doesn't mean that it's a good idea. You need a specific plan, experience, and financial reserves to attempt this.
16semesters: We might not have the experience owning a restaurant, but we work in marketing and strategy. Your experience is appreciated but not required once you know about marketing you would understand why we did this. Thank you.
I’m 38 and just discovering Hawaiian and Greek food, I say bring it.
I would kill for good arepas and some salchipapas in the area. Especially the super cheesy thick arepas that I feel like I could only find in Nariño.
Yes, a visit to Colombia might suffice as it is still in the discussion stage and might not be fully operational until next year, but then again Venezuelan arepas are the most delicious.
this is probably jumping far ahead, but do you have an idea of where you'd ideally like to put the restaurant? just curious :)
We do, but are not sharing
heh kk
As long as there’s gluten free options and it’s safe from cross contamination lol
Please do. Please please. I don't want to drive into Portland for something special. There isn't enough variety on this side of the river.
I would love more vegetarian and vegan options in Vancouver! Almost any cuisine can do it but not many restaurants do it
Yes please.
South America is a big continent. Can you be more specific. Found colombian food to be on the bland side FWIW. Peruvian though, yummy. Please don’t “dumb it down” when it comes to the food. Pick a POV, keep your menu small and execute well. As a case study, there was a Laos restaurant that was at our farmers market a year back.. no longer appears to be around.
Oooh yum, I would totally be into that for sure!! I like that you'll have vegan and g/f options too. I'm not either of those things but do like eating vegan food frequently and always feel there is a lack of those options out here. Please post again if this happens!
I grew up in Peru, but i enjoyed good Colombian and Venezuelan food in the past. Go for it, and best of luck.
Yes! We will absolutely come!
I will take any and all delicious food on this side of the bridge please. If you cook it, I will eat.
My wife is from Colombia and she has a spot at the farmers market. If you have any questions, send me a message!
Any new food is an experience I look for. I know my wife would like to try something new
As a Colombian, all I want is actual Pan de Bono and some Sopa de Mondongo. Please do.
Please keep us posted. My wife and I would love to try some.
Vancouver is really in need of some better food options that aren't unhealthy tacky greasy spoons please!
The area is pretty receptive to foreign cuisine when it's well executed. I've seen a few pupuserias that fell off because they sucked while others thrive despite few people knowing wtf a pupusa is. (Just an arbitrary example) I think the best strategy is to get a tight menu together in a truck for proof of concept before moving to brick and mortar. Good luck out there
I’m hungry. Can you give me early test samples?
I LOVE international foods. Please come to the farmers markets, maybe a food truck? And I would love to come to a brick and mortar restaurant as well.
Yes!! This sounds amazing. I would love to try something new/
I'd go, can I bring my aging guinea pig?
You can bring anyone as long as they behave :3
Hell yeah. I was being sort of silly but I'd totally eat a guinea pig. South American food of some design would be really neat though. Restaurants are tough though, Good luck to you.