Shrestha, a student of hotel management, managed a restaurant in the USA for a couple of years. It was called Third Eye Restaurant. However, with the aim to do something in his own homeland, Shrestha returned and continued the business in Kathmandu.[break]
However, the entrepreneur saw a lot of differences in running business in the US and Nepal.
“If I had continued the restaurant in the US, I would’ve succeeded much better,” shares Shrestha.
The businessman says that though Nepal has immense potential for restaurant business, it’s really difficult to gain a contextual growth here. Seasonal strikes, threats, lack of effective policies from the government, among other factors, have hindered restaurant business considerably.
“The government imposed its anti-drink-and-drive rule. Now the market at present is suffering from the epidemic of bird flu. All these have adversely affected restaurant business,” Shrestha says. The entrepreneur informed that restaurant business has suffered since a couple of years.
“Sales at present are the same as it was 15 years ago. The prices of products, however, have escalated manifolds,” says Shrestha.
He said that a number of restaurants will close down in the days to come in case the problems are not addressed properly in time.
However, determined to serve tourism in Nepal through restaurant business Shrestha believes that everything will be positive one day.
Meanwhile, he believes that honesty is the only thing that leads a businessman to success. “I’m honest and I’ll continue my business honestly even if I incur losses,” Shrestha said.
By Sujan Dhungana
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