Inside Look: American’s Life Owning a Sports Bar in the Philippines

Beside the many challenges in PH, hospitality has another problem.: today you are Hot, tomorrow you are Not!! Meaning people want to go to the latest venues, no matter how nice a bar, the public goes around....and you can do nothing about it! Worked almost 20 years in this field and my advice: make it a profitable place (for maybe 3/4 years) and sell it at the highest peak. As often when you wait longer you are doomed and soon a new name and new colour will appear on the front.

Billy’s is a fun place, very relaxing and friendly environment. It was a pleasure chatting with Sterling when I was there. My go to spot.

As a small business owner, just don't try to cheat, and you should be fine. It is not like in the U.S., where if you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'...

I'm a Filipina and I am with you when it comes to how laid back some workers here.

Excellent interview.

You are a great interviewer. Thank you for a very interesting interview.

I am also second generation career military.. It is funny how some people don't want to accept your answer of being from "all over", and then will ask where you were born. When I tell them I was born in London, England, they stop trying to get me to claim one location in the USA.

You have to think a lot about who you hire to manage your business.

I love your Suunto D5 , Bruh👌

Filipinas is latina Asaitico meaning it's the Latin of Asia, very similar to all Hispanic country in Latin America viva 🇵🇭😊

I think his women owns the bar not him

Saw you at IT Park Ayala purchasing some monitor.

By chance is his bar formally The Silver Dollar Bar off Osmena Fuente? The layout reminds me of that very bar. Mind you it is a 15 year old memory 😂

The big advantage is having a Filipino partner and the 60/40 split becomes more palatable. I have lived here for twelve years on pensions, and I am flying back to Canada this September. Owning a business can be good but the split is the same as in Cuba in the Philippines. LOL, dental costs are great here compared to the West, I am getting all of my teeth fixed here before I fly out.

This is a great interview with fellow expats.

Nice interview. I met this guy's GF (Fiona I guess) at the pool in my then condo and he arrived later and we chatted briefly. She was indeed very personable and fun to chat to and I could see her being very efficient as manager at Billy's Bar.

Awesome interview again, brother. Sterling seems like a real gentleman right on point. To be honest, I have only been here for 2 1/2 months in the Philippines and I think things flow just perfectly here, other than traffic in the bigger cities. When I’m in the supermarket, mall, restaurants or anywhere else things just move along like they would back in the states in my opinion and my experience. I love it so much here that I extended my visa a third time today and I picked up my ACR-1 card. I was in and out of the Immigration office in maybe 15 minutes tops 🙌

where are you located in the Philippines?

Have you guys heard of the 'Canadian Beaver Bar' in Roxas City, Capiz? It just opened recently and is owned by Michael, a Canadian expat from the 'That Philippines Life' YouTube channel. His bar is becoming more popular among local foreigners in Roxas, as well as foreigners in Iloilo and even those in other places and abroad.

U can start a business if u can find a niche, where u are selfemployed and have full control of quality of service or product. The work ethic and integrity is no where close to the west when u hire locals....other than that...corruption and inefficient bureaucracy is just a pain and frustrating...be careful trusting business partners too. They screw u over, when the opportunity arises.