TheGriffin

I am here to ask for any friendly help and advice that can be shared.

I have a small business plan, In short i will say its a kind of cafe. I have some ideas on quirks, themes, etc etc to make it individual and hopefully take a gap in the market. I wish to play on the whole British thing.

I am looking at Seattle, it seems like a nice place. It was between there and Portland, OR. I have a friend who works in Seattle in the Summer, but any other time he is in Ohio. I also have a family friend in Vagas.

Im not really out right seeking green card.

I have read that the E-2 Visa is probably my best bet Visa wise. Business Visa, lasts about 2-3 years, by that point i would hope my business would be running, i can hand over management until i return, or i can get an extension. I also read that if you get an extension they can put it to 5 extra years. But all this kind of think im sure i can talk to an adviser with.

I have experience in catering, this is what i want to do, one way or another.

So that is a general over view. Does anyone have experience in business? Moving to Seattle? Starting business abroad?

kins

I'm sure everyone will be along in a minute with reasons why your visa will be difficult to get and I have no idea about all of that but to answer your question...

Seattle is full of cafes - a lot of them chains - and I'm not sure I'd start there.

Funnily enough I was in Freeport ME yesterday thinking what it's missing is a good cafe. Freeport is full of tourists, and it has one small Starbucks that is always packed, a crappy cafe in LLBean, and lots of restaurants that don't fit the bill.

I already have a job and know nothing about catering, and was thinking 'what I need to find is someone who wants to open a cafe...'

TheGriffin

Yeah, i read enough about Visas to make my head explode.
I was looking at Maine. Though im not sure how i can deal with the snow.
Where i am an inch of snow stops life, let alone, what was it? 60 odd?

Pulaski

It's the places with occasional snow that you should avoid. The places that get it every year are the places that learn to deal with it and get on with life.

sir_eccles

From what I've heard Seattle does not deal with snow well, pretty much shuts down.

Cafes in Seattle, probably a bad choice.

kins

Life doesn't really stop because of snow here. It sometimes slows things down a little (snowstorm Nemo brought us 36 inches of snow in one go last year - that did shut things down for about 24 hours). I don't find it a problem till late March when I would kill for the sight of green grass :-)

Bob

I thought the one in Bean's wasn't to bad, especially when it's late.

There's that sandwich cafe by the Brit store too, but you're right.

Anyway, as for visa.

Depends on plans, if it's just for a few years and you're willing to toss a couple hundred grand away, it's great.

If you've got plans to stay here long term, have kids or thinking of retiring here then it's a terrible visa.

Cafe is a pretty tough market, would need to find a place that doesn't have a Starbucks/Dunkin' D/Panera or any other chained doughnut/bagel place to compete.

If you hit a student/tourist town, might be worth looking at a small franchise joint like Potbelly's - http://www.potbelly.com/ Not to many of them, but they're good.

scrubbedexpat099

Let us see.

By the time you have bought a property and fitted it out the investment should be more than enough.

Employees, well assuming 7 day operating and 12 ish hour days then you should require enough employees.

I would be concerned about trialing in an a market you have no knowledge of, what works in one place will not always work elsewhere .

TheGriffin

Well Visa wise, as i said i will most likely talk to an adviser about that.

My intentions are not to become a citizen.

Business wise i would keep it open, have someone manage it whilst i'm back in England, if that's do-able obviously.

I would aim for a student type zone, some place "hip and happ'nin"

Snow-wise id rather not be stuck in the cold, though that could go well with nice warm drinks...

kimilseung

Redmond has the British pantry, a store, resteraunt and attached bar run by a Brit, in Seattle there is the Queen Mary Tea Room. Seattle can have winters with no snow, and some with a day or two of snow, when schools close and traffic crawls.

Noorah101

Immigration Attorney only.

Rene

scrubbedexpat099

You talk to a Lawyer, not an Advisor.

Citizenship is not material, the options are one that does not obviously lead to Permanent Residence vs something that might.

Cold and snow, well I live somewhere where it can get very cold, but we do not get a lot of snow. 18f lowest so far this winter. But we are still in October.

TheGriffin

By adviser i mean someone at the citizens advice bureau , or one of the embassies in the UK just for advice on Visas. Not getting one right off the bat.

Noorah101

Those are the wrong places to go for US Visa information/advice.

You need to speak with an Immigration Attorney. They are the only ones who can accurately advise you on US visas.

Rene

TheGriffin

I will go to a Immigration adviser/attorney/lawyer in the US embassy in London or Dublin for Visa advice