SihanoukVille, Cambodia

SihanoukVille - Golden Lion Plaza

This Place has moved or is no longer in SihanoukVille.  Ashee Shee.

Golden Lions
golden lion plaza, sihanoukville, cambodia.  beer bars.

Golden Lion Plaza

Only a Street, No Bars

Always Changing

and it's changing to just a street, we hear

Location
The Plaza has been dismantled!


A few of the former bars

Pacino's - Pool 70's & 80's, 2 bars
Shipwreck - Rugby, Pool
Why Not - Wii, Pool
The Pearl - Karaoke, Darts

Kenny's - Belgium Beer, 3 TV's
Aram's- Snack, Food
Captain Morgan's - Pool, Fun
Blue Moon  - Pool, Jazz

Information Sheet:
Beer Bars in Sihanoukville Cambodia
Golden Lion Plaza

(editor's note:  This info is really old and out of date now.... be aware)

The complex is all occupied at the moment so there are no bars to lease without key money. However one or two of the bars are up for sale. We have already had three re-sell I the past 18 months; being a bar owner is not for everyone.

If you are interested in running a bar in the complex we suggest you come on down and ask around; there is a good chance that one of the 10 bars is up for sale to the right person.

The complex has certainly evolved since the concept was first proposed. The bars were intended to be 6 sticks and a roof; with a bathroom attached Someone could move in; build a bar counter put in a few fans and lights buy a couple of large coolers stock it with beers buy some spirits and glasses and chairs and be open for business in a week. $1500 would (and still could) get you up and running. You could also build a loft upstairs to live in (or for staff accommodation) if you want at a greater expense; how much you could spend is as they say here “up to you” .

Well many of the people who took the initial leases saw the long term potential of both Snooky and the complex. Some serious effort and coin has gone into the fitout of most of the bars.

Pacino’s (named after Al the actor) has spared no expense and has also bought some serious refrigerators to be able to provide ice cold beers to his patrons. It all started with the Sandgroper bar who was the first to move in and the first to show the owners of the complex that he meant business. They built a good size kitchen and a nice two bedroom apartment with lounge as private living quarters upstairs.

So if you are interest in buying one of the existing bars from one of the bar owners then come on down and have a look and ask around. The price you pay for the bar will be a negotiation between the vendor and the purchaser. All transfer of leases need to be approved by the Tenants association and the owners of the complex but please make sure that you are not under-funded.

For those interested in buying a bar or a business elsewhere in Snooky following is the information that was on this web page to help initial bar owners in the Complex make their decision. We are leaving this up as a useful tool for anyone interested in buying or starting a business (particularly a bar) in Snooky as a public service announcement. Please note that we are not a general business advisory nor brokerage and cannot give specific advice as to what business may be for sale in Snooky or what places may be for rent where you could start a business.

Detailed Information:

Beer Bars and other business’ in Sihanoukville Cambodia

Where
Sihanoukville is located on the south coast of the Kingdom of Cambodia . Sihanoukville has several very beautiful beaches and is a stop over on the way by sea/land from Thailand to Phnom Penh via Trat and the Koh Kong border crossing. Locals call it Snooky for short.

The majority of the tourism business is rapidly moving down to be centred at Ocheteaul beach where the complex is located.

Currently there are Khmer run bars on the beach but many of them will be closed soon as this has been widely touted in the media and local speculation. Last year all the bars in front of the Golf Course site were raised by bulldozers. Khmer run establishments do not do very well in attracting tourism business compared with Western run business’.

The Beer Bars.
The complex is located behind the Golden Sands hotel just two blocks from the largest beach in Sihanoukville, Ocheteaul Beach (also known as Serendipity Beach).

The complex is completed and fully leased. It comprises10 Beer bars. There is a mix of single and double bars.

Each beer bar has a toilet/bathroom attached for customers/staff to use.

All bars were been built tall enough so that a mezzanine/loft level and for extra seating or living area has been fitted out by the bar owners.

The only other expenses you will face will be electricity, which will be individually metered and water and an annual licence fee from the local government (under $150 per year).

You can buy a pool table (concrete slab base) for around $250 if you want that. There will be enough room in each bar for a 4ft by 8ft table.

You are not limited to a beer bar, you can open a restaurant instead if you want.

Key Money
To buy a bar off an existing bar owner you should expect to ay key money to compensate them for expenditure on the fitout; some fit out ran to several thousand dollars; What you pay an existing bar owner who is selling is “up to you” .

You will be buying an existing lease term which will be the remaining portion of a 3 year lease with a 3 year option. There will be no rental increase in the first three years. All we ask is that you pay one years rent in advance as a bond (it is applied as your year three rent) and rent every 3 months in advance.

The lease is in two languages, English and Khmer, you are welcome to have your leases checked to make sure that they say the same thing.

Operating hours
There is no official closing time in Cambodia . You are able to stay open and serve 24hs per day. Opening hours will be up to you, but noise must be kept down late at night. The bars must all be open and staffed between the hours of 6pm and midnight every day.

Accommodation.
Prices vary depending on the part of town you are in. Rents have certainly increased noticeably over the past 2 years. Accommodation is available in Snooky from around $100 per month for a studio to around $150-$300 per month for a  2 bed house up to $350-600 for a four bed 3-4 bath house in the centre of town (this is something you can share).

Cable TV is available ($10 per month) and if you bring your Thai UBC decoder and maintain a Thai account you can receive that satellite TV.

Prices.
Beers typically sell for between $1 and $1.50 in Bars. They cost around $10 for a case of 24. Basically if you sell 10-15 beers per day you should pay your rent.

Vodka costs between $3.70 and $8.00 for a 750ml bottle and sells for around $1 per drink.

Most other spirits (including Jim Beam and Baileys) are around $10 per 750ml bottle.

Sodas (Coke etc) sell for between 50 cents and $1 and cost about $7 per case of 24

Visas
Upon entry to Cambodia you pay $25 (official price, higher at land border crossings) and get a business visa (just state business as your purpose of coming to Cambodia ). This lasts for one month. You then pay between $265-285 to various visa services to get a one year multiple business visa, which is renewable indefinitely, you never have to leave the country again!!!

The business visa allows you to legally work and live in Cambodia , for as long as you like.

You DO NOT need to be retired, nor show any funds nor leave the country regularly.

Tax.
Well few westerners pay tax, if you do it is around $40 per year after negotiations with the tax man.

You will need a business licence to operate the business but this is always granted and costs around $150pa.

Staff
Khmer staff work around 10-16 hours per day, depending on if you provide them with accommodation and meals or not. Wages range from $60-100 per month depending on longevity of service and level of English etc.

Due to a boom in the number of foreign run business in town finding good English speaking staff is getting harder and wages have gone up. Expect to pay around $80 per month for experienced English speaking staff

If you want to staff your bar with tour guides then that is relatively easy, both Khmer and Vietnamese tour guides are available. The going rate for a short tour is $5-10 and $15-20 for a long tour. Any bar fee will be up to you. It is up to you to source and stock your own staff.

The best thing you can do is come on over for a visit.

The lease
This is a specific lease in both English and Khmer (you are welcome to get independent verification of the fact that both language versions are the same). Membership of the Golden Lion plaza Tenants Association is mandatory.

The association is responsible for the management of the communal issues of the complex such as; security; communal advertising; minimum opening hours; ensuring no anti-social behaviour etc. You must sign acceptance of the association rules to take over a bar. If you get kicked out of the association your lease could be terminated without compensation.

Web Site and Promotion
This is up to the owners of the business and the Tenants association to organise. It is intended to take out ads in the Canby guides and The SihanoukVille Advertiser and on other web sites and publications to promote the complex as well.

Other Costs
Other costs to allow for are a small step through motorcycle, like a Honda Dream. New these are around $1,200 and a good second hand one is around $400. You can buy a Chinese one new for around $500. I have used one of them for well over 5 years without a problem and recently had the engine rebuilt and a new rear tire put on for under $30!!.

If you are renting a house, most are furnished. TVs are around $80-200 to buy.

Fridges etc are under $500 for new ones and only around $100 second hand.

Look before you leap!
Interested in buying an existing bar at the Golden lion Complex? Interested in starting anoter business or buying another business in Snooky?

We advise that people come down to Snooky and stay a while before handing any money over. Please note that in the wet season it is very quiet in town, not to mention wet. In dry season the place is abuzz with people.

Cheers, John.           

Golden Lion Plaza in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.  Beer Bars.

Golden Lion Plaza in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.  Beer Bars.

golden lion plaza, sihanoukville, cambodia.  beer bars.

stevie c's sports bar, golden lion plaza, sihanoukville, cambodia.  beer bars.
Stevie C's Sports Bar (Now Stevie G's)

golden lion plaza, sihanoukville, cambodia.  beer bars.

golden lion plaza, sihanoukville, cambodia.  beer bars.

golden lion plaza, sihanoukville, cambodia.  beer bars.

golden lion plaza, sihanoukville, cambodia.  beer bars.

golden lion plaza, sihanoukville, cambodia.  beer bars.

golden lion plaza, sihanoukville, cambodia.  beer bars.

golden lion plaza, sihanoukville, cambodia.  beer bars.

golden lion beer bar plaza

Golden Lion Plaza in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.  Beer Bars.  pub street.

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