We have, as they say, a “going concern.”  Our new bar in Sihanoukville made more money in the first week than I had frankly expected to make in our first month.  We have regulars.  A lot of them.  And I have no shame in saying that we have the best goddamn tacos in SE Asia.

Incredibly, the hardest part of the process was deciding on a name:  Toast, Taco Helmet, Bad Panda, Dr. Kong’s Street Pharmacy, Short Bus, Peeping Gecko, Tequila Mockingbird, Just The Tip, Nacho Mama, Halfway Inn, Night Bus to Lima, The Allied Taco Command, The Accomplice, Chubby Puppy, Shady Alibi, Llama Mama, Brad Pitt’s Cockbar (way too much to drink that night…),Taco Calrissian, and Serious Business Inc. all had moments of potential during 5 painstaking days of negotiations.  Finally, one night deep into our 4^th bucket of Mekong Whiskey (Do NOT drink the Mekong Whiskey.  Ever.), I wondered, “Why did we not more strongly consider ‘Maybe Later’ as an option?”  Done.

Maybe Later — Eat. Drink. Unwind.  Everything else can wait.

After signing a multi-year lease on Christmas Day, we began construction 3 days later on what was a brand new and completely empty space.  In the first days, there were several jaded and crusty old-timers who made sure to stop by and let us know that we would never be open in time for high season, that our Khmer help would be lazy, sloppy, and larcenous, and that we were sure to lose everything.  And to their horror and amazement, we built out the entire space in 15 days, took two days to stock the bar and set up the kitchen and were open for business on January 14.  We opened at 5 pm.  We took 8 dinner orders at 5:01.

The expat community here has been such a blessing to us.  We have so many friends in town already and they have all stopped by in our first days to wish us well…and to eat a taco, of course.  There are restaurants all around us, but it was clear from Day 1 that they all wish us to grow together, not to compete.  I have delivered food orders up and down the block.  The dishes always come back clean.  Last night I delivered two burritos up the street to another bar and was rewarded with tequila shot for my troubles.  I may never leave…

Our biggest fans are the squad of US Navy Seabees who are stationed here in Snouky.  They are on a 9 month rotation doing strictly humanitarian work – digging fresh water wells, rebuilding homes, helping out at local orphanages.  They are proud to serve and we are absolutely proud to have them here.  They also can eat one hell of a lot of tacos…

Our landlord is the kindest – and probably the smartest – Khmer I have met.  She believes in us.  And she recognizes that if we succeed, then she succeeds.

I have two young Khmer girls working for me in the kitchen and I absolutely adore them both.  Jhah is 17.  She leaves us to go to English class for an hour each evening and she is so eager to learn from us.  Part of our contract with her is that one of us drives her home each night so she is safe, which we do gladly.  She is an absolute star.  Aven is 22 and a bit “distracted,” but with each day she is more motivated and outgoing.  She is adorable and certainly draws the boys in to see her, which is not a bad thing.  Aven had worked for us for 8 days before she realized that the name of our bar was actually “Maybe Later.”  She thought that we just hadn’t decided yet…

The night before we opened, I had to do a Google Image Search to show them both what the hell a taco was.  By the third night, I was directing traffic while they assembled and plated every single dish that came out of the kitchen.  I nearly cried.  Seriously.

I do not have children of my own, but all of a sudden, without intent, I have these two amazing girls that I care for as if they were mine.  This was not part of the script.  And may turn out to be the most rewarding part of the entire experience.

 

Oh…also, I own a Serious Business 50 meters from the finest beach in Cambodia.  I get paid to make tacos and act ridiculous.  This is ridiculous.  And it’s really happening.