Opening a small restaurant in Mentari, Bandar Sunway...... Need Help

Foreigners are not able to open up small restaurants (to compete with locals) and the minimum format has to have at least a 1,500 ft property for the set up.

The first step is to incorporate a company if you are going to own it 100% yourself. If you plan to have a Malaysian partner or two, unless they already own a restaurant, once again a company has to be set up to run the business.

http://malaysiabizadvisory.com/malaysia … oreigners/

RM1 milion paid up capital in the company is reqired for a 100% foreign-owned restaurant but only RM350,000 if you own it 49/51% with one or more Malaysians.  Hiring a foreign chef requires that level of paid up capital. There are then various licences that have to be obtained. Usually people use a company that provides a company secretary to set up the shell for the operations. They basically run the company for you and you pay for their services.

This website has lots of information that will be useful.

http://malaysiabizadvisory.com/how-to-s … -malaysia/

To be honest, about 50% of all restaurants dont survive more than 1 year or sometimes only 6 months.  The property rental and overheads like property taxes, electricity and responsible employees can also be quite high.

You can see what types of restaurant set ups are for sale at www.mudah.com.my - but you still need a company set up to run them and to pay the leases. The sale is only the interior equipment and goodwill (i.e. customer base).

thanks gravitas for the information.. if i have one malaysian partner, so i have to pay RM 350,000. what is this paid up capital for?

You have to produce that amount into your corporate bank account, but can use it for expenses, but it has to be returned to the report and accounts for the company. i.e. the same amount back in the bank account each year.

If you trust your Malaysian partner then he does the company set up or rents a stand in a food hall or village and you agree the profit sharing  arrangements privately. But it will not give you any immigration status in Malaysia.

Hi most Indonesians running restaurants (or fillipinos) are married to malay men and therefore have their husbands as owners.

As gravitas said you cant own a small restaurant as a foreigner. Getting an indo chef is also almost impossible legally.

Davin, I think I can solve your problem. I will send a Message to you about it. I cant say it in this blog or else I violate the rules. Look for my Message.

Beware of scams from people who openly say they can help you.  You will find they have little to offer, especially if they are newcomers.  Trust your instrincts with "fix-it" people. Most are out to make money out of you.  Sorry to mention this, but it is better to state the truth than hide the reality of life in Malaysia.

Gravitas wrote:

Beware of scams from people who openly say they can help you.  You will find they have little to offer, especially if they are newcomers.  Trust your instrincts with "fix-it" people. Most are out to make money out of you.  Sorry to mention this, but it is better to state the truth than hide the reality of life in Malaysia.

Sure, maybe so, but Davin can outright buy our company which is approved for food/restaurant operations. Thats the "solving" im talking about. I'll sell the Sdn Bhd and move to Vietnam this year, if possible. But I cant post the company for sale in this space, thats why the reference to sending Messages until Expat.com tells me where to post the advert. Im a straight-up American who has never hurt anyone.