Opening a restaurant in Merida

[Rescoldo]

I would love to hear from someone who has opened up a restaurant in Mexico.I have a few questions on wanting to buy an old colonial in Merida and opening up a Restaurant . We are Canadians that are not retired, can we do this and what kind of visa do we need. We are going to hire Mexicans to work and were wondering how much work we can do in it ourselves also. We want to find a place that we can live in also and watch over it. Are there any restrictions, what are the steps on doing this and what kind of start up costs are we looking at. Any information would be of help. Thank you

[sparks]

I would go to Merida Insider for some real info. Mostly people that live there or close by. They have a message board

Merida Insider, the Information Source for Merida, Yucatan

Here's the Immigration page for FM3 for Actividades Lucrativas

And practice my profession - INAMI

[synthia]

Welcome to the forum! Merida is a nice city, although I understand it is brutally hot in the summer months.

Browse through the other posts in this section. There are a couple of discussions about opening businesses.

The first thing you need to do is check out what sort of visa you would need to see if you qualify.

[teadust]

Getting to know the culture and societal guidelines, as well as dealing with red tape, local politics, construction/remodeling, employees, seasonal business, et al is a requisite and it's great that you're researching. Here are two very different experiences you might wish to read:

Gringos Restaurant Closes Doors. What Went Wrong?
--in the town of Chelem, Yucatan, as reported by the blog "Dropped In")

and

Luna Blue's PlayaZone
--Toni and Cheri's blog in Playa del Carmen. They're Americans who "...bought a run down hotel and spent the next year turning it into what is now the most popular small hotel in all of Playa del Carmen.." and their wonderful blog updates their ongoing story of "...How we got here–the ups, the downs, the good and the bad – a story many people seem to enjoy hearing."

[jamie]

Originally Posted by Rescoldo

I would love to hear from someone who has opened up a restaurant in Mexico.I have a few questions on wanting to buy an old colonial in Merida and opening up a Restaurant . We are Canadians that are not retired, can we do this and what kind of visa do we need. We are going to hire Mexicans to work and were wondering how much work we can do in it ourselves also. We want to find a place that we can live in also and watch over it. Are there any restrictions, what are the steps on doing this and what kind of start up costs are we looking at. Any information would be of help. Thank you

I decided to reply to this. You probably already know this but be very careful. Live there first. For a year or more.

Until you get to know the situation, people will take advantage. Expatriates and locals both.

I live in Honduras and I have been screwed by both.

[synthia]

There are some other threads here about opening a business in Mexico, and they aren't very encouraging. One measure for me is how many foreign-owned restaurants, hotels, guest houses, and the like I notice when I travel. Where opening a business is relatively easy, as in Nicaragua, I see a lot. In places where it is very hard, I see few. I really don't remember seeing any in Merida.

[jamie]

Here is something I found just browsing around.

Running a Business in Mexico
Hello Tom! Just want to warn people who want to open businesses there. I have had a hair-raising year and experience with a Mexican landlord and my restaurant. Seems, in a nutshell, he saw my business taking off well, so has done everything in his power to run me out of money so he can take over.
First he filed a criminal lawsuit in Cihuatlán, bogus, which he eventually lost, then he filed a civil suit in Autlán where they are a very old respected family. Am still fighting that. Learned he has problems with numerous other people who have ventured into business dealings with him, after I was already committed. The first I knew of the civil suit, they came and embargoed my car, all the papers in Spanish; I understand this is illegal in itself. Then the judge eventually signed an order saying he had to return the car, which he refused, and I just keep getting one runaround after the other, designed to run me out of money through legal fees, which he has done, my lawyers have disappeared from the scene, I fled the country on advice from a thirty-year American consulate veteran who says they have a file a foot thick of Americans who were killed or just disappear when they appear to have the upper hand or are fighting lawsuits.

I have Mexican friends there still trying to fight this thing, but I hold out little hope, and basically lost everything, over something I have all the receipts and licenses, etc. saying I complied with everything, by virtue of the fact they can keep presenting roadblocks until you eventually give up and get out and they win by default. I love Melaque, and that is the saddest part, but I thought people considering business there should be aware. To all of the people who frequented my establishment and the international band of Musicians who jammed there so often, thank you for a wonderful two years. I can be contacted at Loca judy@aol.com. Hasta luego to all!

Judy
Locajudy@aol.com
July 2000