MAKING MONEY FROM A SNAIL EATERY

Easy operation, quick capital recovery, and attractive profits have helped many people truly succeed. Conversely, there are “fatal weaknesses” in this business that have forced many to transfer their shops, cut their losses, and abandon their business ambitions.

Profit of about 40%

Along less than 1km of Bạch Đằng Street, Ward 2, Tân Bình District, Ho Chi Minh City, a series of new snail eateries have recently opened in an area already home to many such establishments. Ốc Bống, Ốc A39, Hào Sữa, Đồng Quê, Ốc Trang… stand side by side. Nearby, the short Phổ Quang Street also has a host of new places serving snails and seafood. Along a few kilometers of Quang Trung Street, numerous new snail eateries have appeared, from large places such as Ốc Nguyên to a small sidewalk spot run by a group of young people near the Gò Vấp District People's Committee. A newly opened snail eatery like these is easy to find anywhere in the city, especially on smaller streets.

Nearly a year ago, with capital of 200 million đồng, Nguyễn Thi Lan decided to rent 100m² on Lê Lợi Street, Gò Vấp, right next to the University of Industry, at 9 million dong a month to open a snail restaurant. Renovations cost around 30 million dong, and tables, chairs and other equipment about 60 million dong, then the restaurant opened. Initially, Ms. Lan and her husband worked directly as cooks, cashiers and general managers, hiring only three serving staff. “Daily purchases cost about 2 million dong, including snails and other ingredients. Average revenue exceeds 5 million dong a day, and after all expenses, the profit is 30-40%,” Ms. Lan said.

In fact, small new eateries have high costs because much unsold seafood must be discarded. Some long-established, well-known eateries, such as one near Gò Vấp's six-way intersection, earn around 30-40 million đồng a day, with profits approaching 50%, sometimes more at peak times. “1kg of clams makes 3-4 bowls, and the price of each bowl already covers the cost of buying 1kg of clams,” an employee revealed.

In reality, however, many eateries survive only briefly before closing and returning their premises. A brightly decorated snail restaurant in District 3 is being offered for transfer to cut losses. Numerous eateries in Bình Thạnh and District 12 regularly have more staff than diners, even during the evening peak.

The key to profit and loss

Many successful snail-restaurant owners in Ho Chi Minh City affirm that flavor and ingredients determine success or failure in this business.

As for taste, experienced chefs say delicious food is essential, but what matters more is cooking to suit regional preferences. For example, Gò Vấp has many residents from the North and Central regions, so dishes and fish sauce cannot be made as sweet as for Southerners in Districts 5 and 11. A chef who has worked at many eateries across Ho Chi Minh City's districts says that failing to suit local tastes is precisely why many snail restaurants have had to close.

Many shop owners also consider ingredients the most important factor when selling snails. According to most busy shop owners in Ho Chi Minh City and customers who are “addicted” to snails, the snails, cockles, clams… must be truly fresh. Customers can tell immediately if they are not.

To buy fresh seafood at reasonable prices, many HCMC snail-shop owners visit Bình Điền wholesale market. Smaller shops or those avoiding the distance buy from city depots, such as those at Bình Chiểu Market, Phạm Văn Hai Market or near the airport in Tân Bình District. Bestsellers include clams, blood cockles, scallops and spotted babylon snails…

According to people in the trade, the difficulty with snails and seafood is that unsold stock dries out and develops a different smell when refrigerated, losing the sweetness and aroma of fresh products. “Unless you have tanks and systems that keep ingredients alive in conditions resembling their natural environment, leftover snails and seafood at the end of the day must be eaten by us, sold to market vendors for resale at low prices, or discarded. Never be greedy and reuse them the next day,” said Việt, owner of a snail eatery beside Phaolô Church in Bình Tân.

Many new restaurant owners try to reduce losses by refrigerating leftovers to rework the next day. Industry insiders say this traps a new restaurant in a vicious cycle: poor sales, leftover stock, reprocessing, customer complaints and poor sales again. Many snail restaurants in Saigon have failed because they handled ingredients this way.

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