where do you guys reckon the best locale for a cafe would be? western style cafe menu - coffees, light lunches, weekend brunches etc …?? have been hitting my head against a brick wall trying to think of the best spot. a buddy is opening a cafe in the new year but cant make his mind up between tienmu and shida… 2 very different demographics… any insight?
The market in Tianmu and Shida is already saturated. You need to look beyond there and break new ground. I suggest there is a real gap in the marketplace for a cafe like the one you are talking about in Tucheng. Tucheng really is Taipei’s best kept secret. It’s close to Sanxia and Yingge and the MRT will come out there in a couple of years. Mark my words, because there really is one hell of an opportunity out there.
I’d like to see a western style cafe in Bitan. I feel the crowds get bigger every time I go there, but there’s still plenty of room. The most westernized place is quite hidden so a lot of people end up eating these cheap Taiwanese meals.
If they ever open up the new Warner Village in Tienmu the traffic should increase in that area. There are already a lot of places between there and the ball park. I’d like to see a couple more pubs like The Pig and Whistle and the Green Bar.
I would sugg. anywhere near the MRT since it would be a very convienece for ppl who doesn’t have a car / moto-cycle. How about the area by Eslit or Sogos… I can never find a good coffee shop with my friends there. just my 2 cents
okay, slightly off-topic…but in case u wanted to know more about restaurants.
- Heavy Foot Traffic(Day & Nite)
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Shida is good for this. Students in the morning, Students in the afternoon tea & dinner meal periods. Students during late nite/snack meal periods(near midnite).
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Tienmou is no good for this, except weekends, there aren’t that many people around after 7-8pm. Dinner/Snack Meal periods are where u can chage more for the same products offered during breakfast and lunch.
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Finances that will allow 2-6 months in the red.
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Innovative products. If u simply copy the local businesses, they will re-innovate and take ur ‘slightly-improved’ on product ideas back, while retaining their current customer base.
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People who will bring more people(other ur relatives/friends) into use ur services. This is a tough one. Most people will try once or twice when ur new. unless u can ‘wow’ them, they won’t be back.
-chris
Why not do something very different for Taipei and open up a hookah / shisha caf
[quote=“way2go!”]Why not do something very different for Taipei and open up a hookah / shisha caf
How about Zhonghe or Yonghe? There are tons of foreigners living here, and no good Western restaurants or cafes.
Here’s an easier idea – less overhead:
Establish a delivery service carrying reasonable Western food (Subway? etc.) to Westerners stuck in backwaters like Hsinchuang (Fujen University)…
…or just open the cafe here near Fujen University. There’s a fairly large group of foreigners learning Chinese at Fujen’s Chinese learning center, but no one knows about it or them. There are also a huge number of Chinese students at Fujen studying English and various European languages (I think we have like 500 studying Spanish!) so you could sell a lot of Mexican food and stuff like that too. Plus we who are about to starve would salute you. 
There is NOTHING reasonable to eat here – not McDonald’s, not Subway – the nearest thing is “My Home Steak” and you know you’re really suffering when you consider THAT “Western food”!!! 
MRT will stop here in 2008, too…
Woodstock, located next to Roxy 99 and located where the old “Brown Sugar” used to be, already offers Shisha pipes to its clientele. Of course, they don’t have them in different flavours like they do in my favourite getaway - Sharm El Sheikh. I am not sure if there is a market for another Shisha cafe.
Ta for Now,
Chewy
Open a proper New York pizza SLICES, deli and beer joint around Shida, or anywhere for that matter. That’s what this town needs.
Don’t open anything else on Shida or Tienmou or you’ll suffer from competition and end up on the wayside of closed and long-forgotten semi-authentic western restaurants. Remember that Shida and Tienmu have their fair share of institutions (Jakes, Tony’s, Post Home, Grandma’s Titties, Kiss, etc etc etc)
Backwater western establishments tend to do rather well since there are so few choices out in the wild.
For instance, one of the best places I’ve eaten in Taiwan is out past Banchiao in Shulin or somewhere like that:
Mamma Mia. Their faggatino (salad and provolone on folded over pizza crust) is to die for, but you have to have some sort of homing radar to find the damn place. I’ve been there like five times and get lost each time. This place has been open for about ten years. It’s a little goldmine with low overhead and a very loyal clientele who certainly don’t go there for the atmosphere or the scenic views.
Mamma Mia
293 Fu Shing Road
Shu Lin, Taipei County
02-681-6398
Remember to try the faggatino!
Yes please. But make that Yong He. I note that there are an increasing amount of foreigners willing to cross the bridge these days and I tell you there’s absolutely nothing in the way of good western eating to be had over there (please direct me if anyone knows otherwise) There’s not even a Subway that I’m aware of. Rents are cheap and hell I live there.
A good pub in Yong He, mmmmm.
HG
That’s like someone going to nightclubs in New Jersey!
I think there’s a nazi pub somewhere near the Mei Li Hua movie theatre vicinity. Tigerman might know of it…
Gone alas. Actually it was more a teahouse. The first time I went I couldn’t help but ask if the owner didn’t think just maybe it was in bad taste. Hadn’t crossed his mind.
C’mon, lets make Yong He the next in place.
HG
I don’t think so, Huang. Yong / Zhong He has always been and will always be, the armpit of Taipei. While San Chong is the groin.
Yes please. But make that Yong He. I note that there are an increasing amount of foreigners willing to cross the bridge these days and I tell you there’s absolutely nothing in the way of good western eating to be had over there (please direct me if anyone knows otherwise) There’s not even a Subway that I’m aware of. Rents are cheap and hell I live there.
A good pub in Yong He, mmmmm.
HG[/quote]I concur. I find myself traveling to Taipei city every Sat. and Sunday just to find something to eat. Why is Taipei county essentially void of nice places to hang out and get some good food?
BTW, I haven’t seen many big-noses out here. Where are you all hiding?!
So that’s what that smell is.
[quote=“fredericka bimmel”]I don’t think so, Huang. Yong / Zhong He has always been and will always be, the armpit of Taipei.[/quote]It should be improving since I moved away. [quote]While San Chong is the groin.[/quote]That’s because I work there
[quote=“ironlady”]…or just open the cafe here near Fujen University. There’s a fairly large group of foreigners learning Chinese at Fujen’s Chinese learning center, but no one knows about it or them. There are also a huge number of Chinese students at Fujen studying English and various European languages (I think we have like 500 studying Spanish!) so you could sell a lot of Mexican food and stuff like that too. Plus we who are about to starve would salute you. There is NOTHING reasonable to eat here – not McDonald’s, not Subway – the nearest thing is “My Home Steak” and you know you’re really suffering when you consider THAT “Western food”!!!
MRT will stop here in 2008, too… [/quote]
I agree. Fujen has foreign students and foreign professors and foreign priests, nuns and brothers. The students at Fujen tend to have a bit more disposable income than some of the students at other schools, too.
I think the Fujen area… maybe right across the street from the front gate on Chung Cheng Rd., or on either of the side streets (Gweidz Rd?) or in the back by 2 Sheng Dao would be goldmines for someone operating a western food place. Even further toward town near the Hsinchuang night market/Hsin Tai Rd area would do well… near the ball park.