Forums > Food & Drink > Western-run places in KM too expensive? @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?
Eating bugs for health and environment
Posted bySo in my opinion.....Go beetle, go! But I think there are dangers as well. When it becomes a big business then all the people in life stock would change and let it become the same rotten business. And I think a few escaped colonies of something after a healthy amount of mutation can kill the same amount of vegetation as they saved....but in minutes.
Is it a great way to balance diet and help nature? ..Sure! but it needs to be handled with care.
Eating bugs for health and environment
Posted byAbout transportation versus life stock fart. It's true (in terms of tons in relation to efficiency) but also because car combustion engine produce greenhouse gas in a quite small amounts (comparitively).
But considering the waste or resources just to produce on damn kilo of meat, is unbelievable and doesn't make sense. From the soil to the chemicals we feed those poor creatures. To mega tax, non-green food would be a good option. There si a lot of fake green food but that is still better than the best non-green food.
Some insects taste good, if you don't eat them in those touristy spots. I had some insects in a proper (local) food place and it wasn't too bad. If you overcome you creeps.
The whole problem is so far progresed that is needs help everywhere, soiltreatment, farming, water treatment, animal food, and most important a change in our minds. If you buy a burger for a US$ (&the prices we expect), you can figure that everything in it is from exploitation of others and the environment.
Kunming battling Chinglish
Posted byno!...please...
I love Chinglish! Nothing better on a crappy day, than walking down the streets,
-reading what sort of plants are being raped=park signs,
-what cuelty has been shown to food-in menues,
-or whoever designed those roadsign being drunk and just throwing letters together that looked the most appealing.
I blame it on the baijiu.
I say save Kunming's Chinglish.
Fog shuts down Kunming airport, strands thousands
Posted byYou have to love China for it's inefficinecy and stupidety, sometimes.
When I entered Changshui airport the first time I sensed that it's below any international standards,
(hence..not even soap in the washrooms).
Even the old AP was better managed and designed. Like most things in China the package looks great and what you find inside, is rubbish or crappy knockoffs.
Sorry guys you had to go through this, I'm not a fan of airports but I always enjoy Chinese prestige object failing....because there is the only consistency, the only efficiency... efficiency in sucking, with a 99.9% failure rate. :)
bluppfisk
you are absolutely right fog is generally no problem (wind is...as with humans).
There is a CAT scale measuring the fog density and only the CATIIIc requires certain equipment and experience by the pilot and crew. CATIIIc needs autoland sytems (not autopilot) guessing Chinese Airlines don't invest in it...it's quite expensive.
All others are ok to approach and land with ILS... I wasn't there but I sincerely doubt it was CATIIIc that day. Plus usually normal airports have weather reports and are able to reroute in time to avoid what happend to you guys.
Also NORMAL airports have emergency staff...handing out free tea/coffee, soups, blankets, ticket returns and have a relation officer walking around making sure you are, as well as possible. Well, NORMAL airports.
For the cats at China Air Traffic...even rain, the least of all weather problems, brings the new Beijing airport to a complete shutdown. They literally closed all air traffic for as little as heavy rain.
They even have the regulation that there has to be 10 minutes space inbetween take offs in rain.
I guess Chinese airline pilots fly with a compass in their lap and wind speed is measured by licking the finger and hold it out of the window...
Again sorry guys but man I love China for that stuff. Welcome China to the 21st Century and Changshui airport to the 19th, if lucky. Was even reported on CCTV..Great job Kunming!