I wasn't going to comment on this, but let's look at some numbers, because, let's face it, at the end of the day, that's what it comes down to.
Using a hypothetical model in dollars:
1. you will be renting, i suppose? let's say you're rent is a modest $1500 Dollars a month.
2. Electricity is very expensive here...i mean like ungodly expensive. Let's say you have a modest place and your electricity bill is only $1200 dollars a month (that's less then half of our monthly bill.
3. Initially, employee wages may seem small, but what no one tells you here is that you have to pay everyone double pay for the month of December. plus you have to set aside 10% of everyone's annual pay just in case you lay them off or fire them. NO ONE HERE QUITS!! That'slike them kissing 10% of there annual pay away. Nt going to happen. Period. Plus, you have to provide insurance for them once they are a full time employee. Ok, so lets say you have a very modest staff of only 10 people and each one of these is full time and makes roughly $200 a month (7800 pesos): $200 x 10 employees. Now each one of these employees has to be provided a basic insurance coverage--lets say just $40 a month per employee $40 x 10 employees. each employee gets double pay in december: $400 x 10 employees.
4. Do you have your own generator for the electrcity shortage? If not, you'll have to buy it from someone. lets say this is a very modest $500 a month. this will be true if you are buying diesel fuel for you own generator (plus upkeep and maintenance--they break down all the time) or purchasing it from someone else.
5. does the place need remodeled at all? chances are that its yes, even if its just a modest make-over. are you going to have internet and cable and satellites? Whew...if you are goin to have satellites and NFL, NHL, MLB, PPV packages, you better sit down and get ready for the shock of your life. if, however, you are just going to have cable tv, then that's affordable.
There's many, many things here that i'm leaving out, because, well, i'm sitting at the bar right now at work, and i dont have time to go through them all--i.e, are you on the beach? It costs money for every chair that you have on the beach...you got to pay the city. Do me a favor, and do the math above and get back to me with a rough, monthly estimate in operating cost. After that, we can more specific and you can get a better idea. I have a lot of horror stories but, among those, there are a few good examples that where things worked out fabulously...I.E Gorditos and Mohitos in Cabarete.
Sorry... i got to get back to work
Frank