He has filled a venue before
At his current venue, Aman took a market that barely had visitors and turned it into a busy spot with events every night.
0 → 700community members in 4 months, and still growing every month
The investment at a glance
Break-even
Customers needed to cover every monthly cost, including Aman's salary
Cash on day one
Spent to open
Deposit, advance rent, fit-out and stock
Kept per customer
Meet the chef, Aman
Trained in Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe. Tested on the business side in Bangkok.
Founder & chef
Aman Singh
Grand Diplôme, Le Cordon Bleu Paris
French cuisine and pâtisserie
- Dubai · age 18Sheraton Jumeirah Beach ResortFirst kitchen job
- Nanterre, ParisLe CabaneListed in the Michelin Guide
- Modena, ItalyOsteria Francescana3 Michelin stars. Then Casa Maria Luigia with chef Jessica Rosval
- Lyon, FranceBrasserie SathonayListed in the Michelin Guide
- GermanySteinheuers · Clostermanns Hof Le Gourmet · Schloss ElmauMichelin-starred kitchens, plus pop-ups with Paul Bocuse, K2 in Norway and Unico in Bonn
- Bangkok · 2025Wild ChildHis own brand. Partnered with a restaurant at a quiet market and filled it with customers through community events
In the kitchen
- Michelin-level cookingYears in some of Europe's best kitchens.
- Hiring and training chefsKnows how to build and run a kitchen team.
- Designing kitchensLays out a kitchen to work fast with a small team.
In the business
- Costing and pricingEvery dish on the menu is costed from his own kitchen.
- Designing restaurantsSpaces built for events and for people to meet.
- Sales and communityBrings in customers himself, as he did at the market.
Community is the engine
Aman builds communities, and Spicy Cat is where they hang out. It's a method he has already proven.
- 1Events bring people inSomething on every day of the week, run by Aman, built to get strangers talking.
- 2Guests become regularsA good night out turns into a weekly habit.
- 3Regulars bring friendsWord of mouth grows the crowd, so marketing stays cheap.
↻ A bigger community means bigger events, and the loop starts again.
An event every day of the week
The weekly programme Aman runs at his current venue today: 10 events a week.
- MonAfter-work social night7 pm
- TueSpeed friendship night7 pm
- WedLocals & expats social night7 pm
- ThuSip & paint6:30 pm
- FriLanguage exchange3 pmKaraoke night6:30 pm
- SatPop quiz5 pmExpats & digital nomads social7 pm
- SunTarot & sound healing1 pmBoard game night6:30 pm
Expats, locals, travellers and backpackers
Plus digital nomads: a big, social Bangkok crowd that is always looking for places to meet people. Aman's events get them meeting each other. He knows what they eat and what they spend, and the menu and ฿250 average spend are built around it.
Next up: Night Shift. As a biker himself, Aman is building Night Shift, a community for Bangkok's bikers, and Spicy Cat will be one of its hangout spots. More communities, like night-time sports, will follow. Plus walk-ins and delivery through Grab and LINE MAN.
Year one, three ways
Pick a scenario. Everything below updates: customers, profit and cash, month by month.
Net sales
Year 1, after VAT
Operating profit
Investor's 30%
Of Year 1 net profit after tax
Payback
For the investor's share of profit to repay ฿530,000
| Month | Customers / day | Operating profit | Cash in the bank |
|---|
All three side by side
| Year 1 | Conservative | Base | Strong |
|---|
Where the ฿530,000 goes
About half pays for getting the doors open. The rest stays in the bank as a cushion while the regulars build up.
Location not chosen yet. The rent of ฿45,000 a month is a planning estimate. Depending on the place, it could be anywhere from about ฿30,000 to ฿50,000 or more, and the deposit and advance rent change with it. Final figures will be set once a location is chosen, together with the investor.
The menu and its margins
Why we believe in Spicy Cat
What's in our favour
- A proven methodAman has already turned a quiet market into a busy venue with 10 events a week, and built his community from 0 to 700 members in four months.
- Word of mouthCommunity members come back as regulars and bring their friends, which keeps marketing costs low.
- Knows the crowdExpats, locals, travellers, backpackers and digital nomads: Aman knows what they eat and what they spend.
- A Michelin-trained chefOsteria Francescana and other starred kitchens in Europe. Prices and recipe costs come from his Bangkok kitchen today.
- A low bar to profit
- Ready to operate, lean teamCompany and work permit are in place. Helpers are added only once customer numbers call for them.
Risks and how we handle them
- New locationRegulars need to follow Aman to the new venue. His method moves with him, and the Conservative scenario shows a slower start.
- Cash cushion
- Ingredient pricesEvery dish is costed, so prices can be adjusted if ingredient costs rise.
- Key personThe business runs on Aman's energy. Helpers are budgeted as volume grows.
- Location and rentNo location is signed yet. Rent is a ฿45,000 planning estimate (likely ฿30,000 to ฿50,000 or more), and the deposit and advance rent move with it.
The deal
Investment
Equity capital
Investor equity
Value after
Implied by ฿530,000 for 30%
Value before
Implied pre-money value
Shareholding to be arranged within the existing Thai company, subject to legal and tax advice.
Want the full detail?
Download the complete financial model: every assumption, the menu costing, the startup budget and month-by-month forecasts for all three scenarios. Change any number and the whole model updates.
Download the Excel modelExcel file, 232 KB. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.