Left: Our official First Customers sitting on our relative virgin terrace LOL.
One of the last customers of J&B paid their first visit to our new location The Backstage last night.
Ofcourse we were still pretty much in an improvising mode. But knowing that one of our two friends from Germany was leaving Patong, we did our best to open the bar in some decent way.
Due to circumstances, among which my own departure from Phuket to Holland for 3-6 weeks, as well as the aftermath of Songkran and the turmoil in Bangkok, combine that with the last organisational details surrounding The Backstage....which, how typical Thai, allways have last minute situations which need to be taken care off, also 'official' things, LOL.
Last night we discovered a, for us, new approach by police, respectively the way they check out things: They came to The Backstage to check up on us. We had no 'sideshow' meaning for Thai: signpost, a "sign" up on our building stating what we are. Also they didn't want to believe it was the homestay of The Backstage.... LOL... because they could not make a case either way, they left us alone this time. Gues we didn't fit in any of their rulebooks, so potentially complicated and unsure in outcome, ergo they let us be!
It made one thing clear for us though: double-, no tripplecheck our own paperwork to prove we are legit. And make a signpost on the building stating what we are; The Backstage meeting point. Because otherwise, we would get a fine for not having a 'sideshow' on our building. And fines being pretty steep here for businesses, we decided to open again when all these details, strange and weird as they sometimes might be, are taken care off.
I never heard before that you could get a steep fine for not having a sign on your building, a sideshow, while being open for business, even with all the paperwork in good order.
I gues it is a variation on letting us know who we must keep as friends... so we are now trying to find out if these officicers are the friends we need, in which case we know what to do and if not... then we have to find the right ones.
Welcome to Amazing Thailand.
So tonight we discuss the approach from now on, when and how we will open The Backstage for the next couple of weeks.... and at least til I am back from The Netherlands.
A pitty but better forwarned then start paying unnecessary 'fines".
Ergo, tonight closed again, but will let you know when we open up again and how ;-)
Starting a business from scratch is very different from taking over a bar or whatever, thats for sure! A take over is so much more easy, though it has its traps as well, but also cost waymore because you start with paying keymoney before you can do anything at all. From scratch you don't do that, but then a whole other series of problems are trown on your way...a small business or not, same same but also same time its a lot cheaper that way ;-)
Happy to say that our 3 guests were positivly impressed with our results sofar! They gave us some valuable feedback on our location which we wil look into and try to apply as son as we have the chance to!
Very graciously they brought a box full of delicious cakes from the Coffee Corner (oposite My Way in Paradise) to celebrate their first visit to The Backstage!
Right: The payment of our first bill as Backstage - from right to left: Joerg, Ulli and myself.. The 3 First Customers, haha, because we went , how appropriate, dutch!
Guys thanks for being our first customers and giving us your positive feedback, so much appreciated and we do hope to see you back in due time in, above anythng else, good health!!
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