They say that the fatter you are the happier you are lol double edged sword. Guess I was pretty damn happy in 2012.
- Thread starter cjewell
- Start date
Feedback Please - Those who currently live in DR most of the year
They say that the fatter you are the happier you are lol double edged sword. Guess I was pretty damn happy in 2012.
I saw a a sign today in Gordito's -- Rogue something -- about eating healthy and exercise
right up your alley........
"Rogue suggests ---- blabla
right up your alley........
"Rogue suggests ---- blabla
Your idea sounds interesting. If your restaurant is tied into a program of diet, excersise and education than perhaps it might do ok. Just remember that restaurants by themselves are very risky, especially in a tourist area that is seasonal but if you are appealing more to the locals you might have something there.
in my post i forgot to address your questions.
walking: no and no. we walk every day as it is, with our dogs. not many people would be happy to join two energetic rotties. as for your chances with others... i don't know about sosua but in POP people walk on the malecon and it is a social occasion. you may be able to create a group but i think people would not likely pay for it as walking outside is generally free
but why not make t-shirts with your logo saying "walking club" or something. you can sell them and make some cash and people who walk alone could join someone if they see their tee.
prepared food: no. i have flexible job and i can cook fresh every day. but lots of folks cannot so maybe they would. there is more choice of health foods in shops but many have no idea how to prepare those. i bought quinoa once and it was nasty. so there were leftovers from lunch. for my dinner i decided to eat that damn quinoa cold, adding cucumbers and onions. it was delicious! so maybe you can prepare those weird foods in different ways so that people can try different dishes.
dietitian and nutritionist: no. i am 125 pounds, i really do not have to change a diet. but miesposo went to endocrinologist for his diet advice. so there is a great chance that people will be interested in solid advice from a specialist that is individually catered to their needs and tastes.
ps, when i say "people" i mean mainly dominicans because i think it is important to direct the business at them as well. this is their country and they live here full time. if dominican middle class is interested and becomes a core of your business you will have clients all year round. just a thought.
walking: no and no. we walk every day as it is, with our dogs. not many people would be happy to join two energetic rotties. as for your chances with others... i don't know about sosua but in POP people walk on the malecon and it is a social occasion. you may be able to create a group but i think people would not likely pay for it as walking outside is generally free
but why not make t-shirts with your logo saying "walking club" or something. you can sell them and make some cash and people who walk alone could join someone if they see their tee.prepared food: no. i have flexible job and i can cook fresh every day. but lots of folks cannot so maybe they would. there is more choice of health foods in shops but many have no idea how to prepare those. i bought quinoa once and it was nasty. so there were leftovers from lunch. for my dinner i decided to eat that damn quinoa cold, adding cucumbers and onions. it was delicious! so maybe you can prepare those weird foods in different ways so that people can try different dishes.
dietitian and nutritionist: no. i am 125 pounds, i really do not have to change a diet. but miesposo went to endocrinologist for his diet advice. so there is a great chance that people will be interested in solid advice from a specialist that is individually catered to their needs and tastes.
ps, when i say "people" i mean mainly dominicans because i think it is important to direct the business at them as well. this is their country and they live here full time. if dominican middle class is interested and becomes a core of your business you will have clients all year round. just a thought.
in my post i forgot to address your questions.
walking: no and no. we walk every day as it is, with our dogs. not many people would be happy to join two energetic rotties. as for your chances with others... i don't know about sosua but in POP people walk on the malecon and it is a social occasion. you may be able to create a group but i think people would not likely pay for it as walking outside is generally free
prepared food: no. i have flexible job and i can cook fresh every day. but lots of folks cannot so maybe they would. there is more choice of health foods in shops but many have no idea how to prepare those. i bought quinoa once and it was nasty. so there were leftovers from lunch. for my dinner i decided to eat that damn quinoa cold, adding cucumbers and onions. it was delicious! so maybe you can prepare those weird foods in different ways so that people can try different dishes.
dietitian and nutritionist: no. i am 125 pounds, i really do not have to change a diet. but miesposo went to endocrinologist for his diet advice. so there is a great chance that people will be interested in solid advice from a specialist that is individually catered to their needs and tastes.
ps, when i say "people" i mean mainly dominicans because i think it is important to direct the business at them as well. this is their country and they live here full time. if dominican middle class is interested and becomes a core of your business you will have clients all year round. just a thought.
On the topic of Dominicans (and this is going to invite a **** storm... maybe) but do you think I should consider a discount for those with Cedula (Dominicans or bonified residents) or over 65 (seniors discount which are very popular here)? I don't want to focus my business on the Casa Marina tourist. My business will be geared to people who live in and around Sosua (Dominican or ex-pat). I am really interested in building out ideas that are priced so that Dominicans can be clients - )... even lower on the income sale. There will actually be some Dominican Food (just prepared differently not fried, different oil, far less salt) We were also thinking of taking what we have left over at the end of the day to some of the poorer barrios that we know and just distributing it. Would you be open to getting together when I am in town so I can bounce some ideas off of you that I don't want to share publicly? You know a lot and that aspect of the biz is very important to me.
i think that at this point it would not be a good idea to offer discounts to those with cedula. i have heard complains about dominican price versus dominican price often enough. and you will be running a business in a touristy town. it is a good idea to incentivize the membership, thou. if you decide to start walking/exercise club you can offer discount to the members. this way both tourist and locals will be happy.
i would be very careful catering to poorer dominicans. i have noticed they are less likely to believe in diets and more likely to believe in medicine when it comes to weight loss. healthier version of plato del dia may not sell that well. but supplements may.
also, do not distribute left over food in poor barrios. first: your goal is not to have any leftovers. second: you do not want people to accuse you of serving them "old and rotten food". i would strike a deal with an orphanage or other institution and take the food there. just as needed but less likely to cause problems.
finally, no problem in meeting up. i will show you where jose luis is and we can check ever expanding healthy food section in la sirena for some ideas.
i would be very careful catering to poorer dominicans. i have noticed they are less likely to believe in diets and more likely to believe in medicine when it comes to weight loss. healthier version of plato del dia may not sell that well. but supplements may.
also, do not distribute left over food in poor barrios. first: your goal is not to have any leftovers. second: you do not want people to accuse you of serving them "old and rotten food". i would strike a deal with an orphanage or other institution and take the food there. just as needed but less likely to cause problems.
finally, no problem in meeting up. i will show you where jose luis is and we can check ever expanding healthy food section in la sirena for some ideas.
Please don't open anything in this country. You will regret it. The foreigners here are broke, and are trying to survive. No one
Will buy your healthy food. If you do open a restaurant, the cops will be at your door daily asking for bribes. They are worse than beggars. Become a health coach online, you will make much more money, and you won't be location
Dependent.
Will buy your healthy food. If you do open a restaurant, the cops will be at your door daily asking for bribes. They are worse than beggars. Become a health coach online, you will make much more money, and you won't be location
Dependent.
Seems to me that Cabarete would be the place to be for this type of endeavour. A much greater variety of sports and enthusiasts who are into a healthy lifestyle. I personally would not use the type of services you talk about offering. I'm a fairly healthy and active 65+ senior. I enjoy the relaxed lifestyle, healthy fresh local food diet, beach walking, yoga and happy hour. All the best if you do decide to open your business.
I drink too much beer and coke. I drink 6 beers and 3 or 4 pops. I feel you Harley.....
I am 54
Lets not get confused. The idea is not to open a salad bar - it is going to offer healthier options. Food will still be tasty - we will just be avoiding commonly used oils, other choices for salts and sugar that don't impact taste and also some options for a super health nut. Once I get down and secure the business licence and open up I will share the whole enchilada which will make it make a lot more sense. For now though I am looking at how we can not 'just' be a restaurant - but be a destination in the community for folks with like minded interests like going to the gym, jogging, walking etc... and this doesn't only stand to serve the expat audience - we are looking to put together something that appeals to expat, Dominicans and even tourists.
That is a GREAT idea!!! When I was in Jarabacoa one of the hotels set-up something like that. In the age of technology it can be so nice to shut everything down and just read a book. Cabarete Diaries is one of my favourite threads on here and I have it on my 'to do' list to buy one of Frank12's books. One idea could be to have a combination of second hand books and also offer some from members in DR who have written books as well...
Interestingly and not to get off topic but I was at a major marketing conference in Boston last year and one of the keynote speakers was Ariana Huffington from the Huffington post --- a good part of her talk was dedicated to just shutting everything down. No devices in the bedroom... When you go to bed if you want to read - pick up a book.
Interestingly and not to get off topic but I was at a major marketing conference in Boston last year and one of the keynote speakers was Ariana Huffington from the Huffington post --- a good part of her talk was dedicated to just shutting everything down. No devices in the bedroom... When you go to bed if you want to read - pick up a book.
That is the reason that so many people eat like poor people. Poor people cook for poor people an poor people cook for rich people.
(I cook for myself and it is healthy, tasty, fresh and not imported).
From your free focus group member on DR1, Tom
Very true. It's why I try to do some of the cooking in DR, everything "guisado" gets old quick.
Friends of ours in SD [she's Dominican, he's Lebanese] finally found a gourmet cook, and they treat her like gold. And pay her very well.
That's a good idea for folks who have the money to pay.
I have a friend who has a house near Sosua and has someone working in the home cooking and cleaning - she taught this woman how to cook they way she wants her food prepared and it worked out really well for her.
That's one reason I threw out the question if anyone would be prepared to have their food prepared for them and delivered regularly. When I started my diet I wasn't the best cook. The diet program I was on included food for the first 3 months while they taught me how to cook and then the last 9 months I saw a nutritionist there and worked with my sister at home and cooked all of my own food.
The key was and remains - natural as much as possible, cut the sodium, reduce and change the oils used when cooking, incorporate all major food groups, smaller portions more times per/day.
I have a friend who has a house near Sosua and has someone working in the home cooking and cleaning - she taught this woman how to cook they way she wants her food prepared and it worked out really well for her.
That's one reason I threw out the question if anyone would be prepared to have their food prepared for them and delivered regularly. When I started my diet I wasn't the best cook. The diet program I was on included food for the first 3 months while they taught me how to cook and then the last 9 months I saw a nutritionist there and worked with my sister at home and cooked all of my own food.
The key was and remains - natural as much as possible, cut the sodium, reduce and change the oils used when cooking, incorporate all major food groups, smaller portions more times per/day.
This is challenge with healthy eating - in most places the healthier you eat the more it cost. You wouldn't believe the amount of money my sister spends on organic foods here.
But Der - healthy eating is not just veggies. For example chicken breast is the most expensive part of the chicken to buy. Pork sausage at player 110RD, but to get it in lean Turkey 220RD. The equivalent of 1 regular egg (in mass) is the same as 2 egg whites - double the eggs. Things like quinoa, expensive. I was more speaking to Canada on that one but same rings true down there. I am learning to experiment with different foods that I cant get there - I am excited to try my yogurt with some of the fruits Bronzalspice mentioned. Organic is more expensive anywhere you look.
feel good post of the day, dedicated to jbars:
one thing DR offers is access to fresh stuff you'd be paying arm and leg elsewhere. small trucks that sell fruits and veggies arrive from campo daily. there are small shops selling homemade cheese and if you have contacts with finca owners you can get eggs, milk and meat. all organic, so to speak. forget quinoa (although black quinoa is excellent for salads) and start with dominican products, made by dominican people. serve black bean hummus with cassave bread. cube berenjena, grill, throw in a baking dish, cover with diced barcelo tomatoes and bake.
one thing DR offers is access to fresh stuff you'd be paying arm and leg elsewhere. small trucks that sell fruits and veggies arrive from campo daily. there are small shops selling homemade cheese and if you have contacts with finca owners you can get eggs, milk and meat. all organic, so to speak. forget quinoa (although black quinoa is excellent for salads) and start with dominican products, made by dominican people. serve black bean hummus with cassave bread. cube berenjena, grill, throw in a baking dish, cover with diced barcelo tomatoes and bake.