Would you recommend moving to Miami and opening a shop?

[JohnLee]

Hi, I have been talking to friends and family about this for many months now. Many of my friends and family members, including myself, have thought about moving to Miami and opening authentic Chinese shops. We made a list of pros and cons, and these are some of the pros and cons we came up with:

Pros:

-There aren't that many Chinese shops in Miami, so we won't have any competition, and the Miamians that have been wanting authentic Chinese food, ingredients, etc. for so many years, will finally be able to have it, meaning instant success.

-Since there isn't a Chinatown in Miami yet, we would be automatic must go shops (similar to the first pro I listed) and we would start a Chinatown in Miami, also making us have instant success

-More and more Asians keep going to Miami, meaning higher chance for a Chinatown, and also if we move early we will be hit with the most success.

Cons: There isn't a Chinatown in Miami yet, so we would have to set a "fresh" area in Miami.

Those are just some of pros we came up with, and that is the only con we came up with. As you can see, it would a really smart to move to Miami and open authentic Chinese shops. We did think about going to California or New York, but there are already so many Chinatowns, that we would have to compete with all of them. I have visited Miami many times and loved everything about it, it's city-like just like New York City and the people, vibe, and everything about Miami is great. Also, more and more Asians keep coming moving to Miami. I really can't see any negative about this, except for the fact that there isn't a Chinatown in Miami yet. What do guys think? Would you recommend it? Do any of you guys work in any Chinatown, Koreatown, Little Tokyo, etc. in the United States? and if you do, please post recommendations and helpful things my family, friends and I should know about. Thank you.

[kdavid]

Where are you from now? Have you been to Miami before?

I lived in Orlando and spent some time in Miami. It's about 70 - 80% Hispanic, and I'm not sure how much "instant success" you'd have with such a group.

Also, you mentioned that there currently isn't a China town in Miami, but Google happens to differ.

[HashiriKata]

Question:

Have you been to Miami before?

Answer:

I have visited Miami many times and loved everything about it

[gato]

Also, you mentioned that there currently isn't a China town in Miami, but Google happens to differ.

"China Town" is the name of a restaurant in Miami. Hehe.

[JohnLee]

Actually, Miami is about 60 or so percent Hispanic. But that is the whole point, there aren't that many Asian shops and there isn't a Chinatown yet, so all the people looking for Chinese food or anything Chinese will automatically go to our shops. Miami is a "city" like New York and Los Angeles, so things like Chinatown work, that's why the only places that have Chinatowns are "cities." Since Miami doesn't have a Chinatown yet or anything of that sort, Miami locals and even people living outside Miami will go crazy for it. For example, if I live in a city and I'm craving Italian food and there isn't a "Little Italy," as soon as one exists, I would go to it every time I want anything Italian. Do you understand? I know I probably didn't explain it well enough, but I'm sure you guys get the point. Like I was saying, it's good that Miami has a high number or Hispanics, for one, I won't have any competition. It's like me opening a Cuban restaurant, that wouldn't be the smartest choice because there are already so many Cuban restaurants and there's even a area in Miami called "Little Havana." Do you get what I'm saying.

Also, hahaha yeah those "Chnatowns" are restaurants, it's not an area in Miami called Chinatown.

Please help, this is really important to me.

[whereishunter]

JohnLee I like your optimism. If no one else is doing it then its going to be successful.

I hope this is not the only place on the internet you are doing research. But good luck with what ever you decide

[gerri]

Question is, can you truly assume that there would be demand? Have you at least heard on your visits that people were wanting to get authentic Chinese food/ingredients, or is it only wishful thinking that, hmm, 'if you open it, they will come'?

It could also be that there is no China shop, let alone Chinatown, because the Hispanic majority couldn't care less for such places. The German places in China seem to dependent mainly on expats, so lack of something doesn't necessarily equal instant success.

I do like your optimism, and the thinking that there is more and more Asians coming to Miami does sound like a good argument, too!

[HashiriKata]

I think you can open a shop, first cater for the Chinese residents there and expand it gradually to cater for the general local population. I'm sure there must be at least a small Chinese community in Miami.

[gato]

Maybe you go around the local Chinese restaurants in Miami and talk to customers and workers there to gauge the level of interest in a Chinese shop. If you start small, you won't have too much to lose other than time.

[JohnLee]

As matter of fact I have had conversation with local Miamians about Chinese and other Asian shops, foods, ingredients, etc., and it has all been positive. They all want a Chinatown, or Koreatown or anything of that sort and would support them. They actually wanted to get the Miami media market involved. Which brings me to my next statement. There are many Asians in Miami, but when I was over there, they were not all in one area, they were scattered all over Miami. Also, there are many Chinese shops, but again, not all in one area, they are scattered all over. BUT, there is an area in North Miami Beach, which is a city in the county Miami is in,the county is called Miami-Dade County, that is an unofficial "Chinatown." Here's the link

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/archive/index.php/t-514063.html

Many people support it, but there's problems with it's location. North Miami Beach is suburbs, not "city" like Miami, New York City, etc., and as everyone knows, things like Chinatowns only work in "cities" and that brings a numerous of cons. For example, since it's suburbs, you have to drive to get to it, and it's a plaza so it's "hidden," so it is not "exposed." As you can see, there is the demand for authentic Asian shops, foods, etc., but Miami-Dade Counties first effort landed in North Miami Beach and not Miami. I have friends in Miami that I still keep in touch with, and they have told me that North Miami Beach's "Chinatown" is very popular. Now imagine if there were one in Miami, that is "city" and has all the right things for a Chinatown to work. So to summarize my answers to some of your questions, the Hispanics, Whites, Blacks, and Asians of Miami do care and want places like Chinatown in Miami. Also, I want to add that all of the people that I have talked to about Miami thought Miami had at least one Chinatown and were surprised when I told them there wasn't one. I'm proud to say that Chiantowns are part of every major city and I would love for Miami to have one.

Oh and of course this isn't the only place I have done research in. This has been in the works for months now, but I'm always looking for more information. I came to see if any of my fellow Asians and none Asians on this site live in Miami or in a city in Miami-Dade County, and for them to tell me their thoughts and things about Miami. Also, if anybody works in a Chinatown or knows anybody that does, and if they can tell me what to do for success.

Please keep posting

[crazy-meiguoren]

I like your optimism. I hope you'll start up the kind of business that will be attractive to the customer base that you seek.

Do you have any specific neighborhood in mind where the Chinatown could be located?

Optimism is good. So is passion. I sense both in this thread. I just hope you'll go in understanding any barriers you may face. Miami has a history of racial tension. Some of the locals might find it quaint to have a few Asians come in and start a small community; they might think differently if a new influx of several thousand came into town. Don't be discouraged: be prepared. Don't give up. I say that based on a family member successfully integrating herself within a significant Hispanic business community in Southern California. She did not give up. She was in it for the long haul, and was eventually accepted, even though she is not Hispanic.

If the time is right and the opportunity is there, it can happen. The lily-white community I grew up in attracted a large number of Vietnamese refugees after the fall of South Vietnam. Some nearby communities attracted Russian immigrants after the fall of the Soviet Union. If you create the kind of business that is attractive, authentic, and high quality, you may find yourself catering to a vibrant niche market.

In Miami, it might also help to have a sign in your window saying "Se Habla Espanol".

[ajalmar]

Hi JohnLee,

I believe it is a great idea and a good bussiness oportunity. I live in Caracas-Venezuela (Spanish Speaker) and I am planning to move to Miami. Right now I am making the necesary contacts to buy a house o apartment in the Miami area (hope to complete this soon). I am moving to Miami to install an import/export bussiness there. I love chinese culture and food. When I was younger I practice martial arts and study chinese Traditional Medicine including 4 years of chinese acupunture techniques, I am trying to learn chinese mandarin but so far it has been difficult due to my constant bussiness traveling thoughout All Latin America. That is why I know there is a lot of people, even Latin Americans that are interested in buying all chinese product if someone could yust explained what are their benefits o their use. I have worked in marketing for the past 20 years so I know what I am talking about.

best of luck

[Prodigal Son]

It sounds very risky. Miami isn't a particularly strong economy and it's downright dangerous in most areas of the city. I would proceed with caution!