The moments we live for!

Its been hard to write posts from Graz, because its been really busy every single day and night here… and I don’t mean out partying and having wild times.

So I just got my paper stating that I am allowed to be a bar owner in Graz. This special licence is only one out of the four papers we need to begin working here in Austria. Now that I put it like that, it kind of puts into perspective that although this is one victory, its just one part and we are no way there yet.

Has paperwork in Austria been difficult? I like to say its been a learning experience, and it is continuing every day. Everyone that talked to me about bureaucracy here in Austria was just rolling their eyes and saying that its one big horrible mess and the people in the offices were really harsh and unhelpful. I think perhaps Serbia broke me in with rude people in offices, because I found the ones here to be polite, kind and understanding. Of course they have been standoff-ish at times, but compared to what I went through before, this was pretty ok.

The fact that I am even holding this one licence paper that I got is really a crazy story. When I came to Graz last year in February, I made an appointment with the WKO, which is basically the office that helps with every single business opening. I remember it was on the 10^th of February 2014, They kindly sent me a huge manual that I should read before the meeting about business start up. I sat down with plenty of enthusiasm and armed with a highlighter tried to get a grasp of what I was up against. All I can say is that I was deeply confused, there were so many different kinds of business structures… what the hell was OG, KG, GMBH… and more importantly which one was good for us and would suit Culture Exchange. I read the whole manual at least 2 times, and didn't have a clue what it really meant, so I was off to a good start. 

Arriving at the WKO I was greeting by a gentleman with very exciting eyebrows, he peered at me through the gap between them and his glasses and invited me to ask him any questions I had. After I explained a bit about what we were planning, he shook his head at me and said time and again ‘It’s not like ziss in Austria’. He told me it was very very difficult for a foreign business, his lack of faith in me was pretty obvious. After all what did I look like to him.. I had just arrived from Serbia, a bit dirty and tired (like always) wearing my old green coat, jeans, woolly hat and big patterned mittens… I certainly did not look like a potential success story, I must have looked like a kid with the bold idea of building a castle, he did not believe me, but I believed me… (kind of anyways).

 To open a restaurant or bar in Graz you need to have a special licence, it’s a personal permit making you able to be an owner of such a business idea. In order to get this you either need to take a special course at the WKO, which is expensive and all in German (I thought about trying for this one, but realised it was pretty ambitious when I only knew how to say ‘soo shuuun’ in German) or you need to have owned a bar in another country for three years. I thought that I could go with this option, even though CE had only been open for around 2 years, but the excited eyebrow fellow shook his head and explained that Serbia was not EU. We had hit a brick wall with the first paper.

6 months later after trying to get someone else from Graz to do this licence paper for me, I went back to the Magistrat (the main licencing body) and they told me that we could perhaps use my Serbian one. It was a bit frustrating to realize I had lost 6 months trying for another option, when the real answer was already in my hands. I painstakingly had to translate every Serbian document into German. Thankfully a friend of mine was an official court translator and helped me a great deal. Even after every document was in, there was no way of knowing if they would actually give me the paper I needed. In my next two visits to Graz I translated and brought to the lady every document I could to support my business ability in Serbia. The lady at the Magistrat did not speak English but understood, she would send me emails in German explaining what she needed next and I would google translate and write her in English, I imagine she was doing the same thing on the other end. Finally she wrote me to come to the office to get my licence, I could not believe it. It had taken me one year and lots of back and forth. When I got to the office and I payed the last tax, she printed the paper and handed it to me. This is kind of a miracle, as so many people apply for this and it’s a very difficult procedure to get it.

So this is the first of the posts about the business proceedures here in Graz, I know it’s a bit confusing (trust me, I am confused too).

the first paper

As I look about me at the sawdust filled café we are working on building and I see the huge mess and crazy antics that we get up to each day, I can’t help but wonder what the future will hold. What a lot of crazy things I do every day and what a dirty little barbarian I am, covered in dirt and dust every day. It’s a crazy old life… I have to admit, I just have no idea what will happen next. So the adventure continues….

Here is an excerpt I wrote last year 2014 around February about my trip to Graz

Adventures of Culture Exchange
So I just came back from Graz, and i think its a perfect time to spread the feeling of excitement and let you all know I was in search for the next location for CE. 
One year ago, we also were in search of how to open our second location, and that was before everything got crazy here in Serbia, we had that small matter of a little article, smashed windows and finally deportation. All that to say despite the setbacks, we are up and ready to move forward once again. Who is to say if it will happen or not, but we must try. 
We had a few very exciting talks with all the CE crew who are now spread out all over the world, as you know, 7 of us opened Culture Exchange and are now in many different countries, still trying desperately to figure out a way to bring it all together again as we believe so strongly in our concept, innovative ideas and have a great friendships that we want to continue with into the future. 
So what did i find there... yes i found a location that i think is perfect, I will be posting pictures soon, and writing about the whole visit.