[Maryland04]

there was a vacuum business in Wildwood which had been there for over 10 yrs and recently closed. Cleaning services in the villages do not use high end cleaners, they go to walmart.

[thevillages2013]

Originally Posted by gent3278

My wife and I are in our mid 50’s and would love to move to The Villages very soon. We are looking to stay working and may open a business down there. We currently own a very busy breakfast and lunch restaurant and also have 25 years experience owning a Vacuum sales and service business. Which one of the 2 would be a good fit in that area?

Combo. Omelette and biscuits and gravy while you wait on your vacuum repair

[Deb1093]

I think that there will always be a need for restaurants here. We could use more choices south of 44. I don’t see a vacuum business doing as well. Although, I understand the restaurant business being a tough business these days. But, we older people do enjoy eating out! 😉

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by thevillages2013

Combo. Omelette and biscuits and gravy while you wait on your sucker repair

Poached over home made roast beef hash. . few breakfast places can make a good home made, small amount of tiny diced potatoes, hash, not from a salt laden can.

[Luggage]

In my opinion wait two or three years to open a business. If you come down, enjoy your semi retirement for a few years and I'll tell you why.

Any business right now as a hard time keeping and getting employees. Even fast food restaurants are advertising $12-14 an hour. Rent is ridiculous and especially if you have a restaurant it's a high capital investment.

If you have the urge, and share what you could do on your own without employees out of your home .

[thevillages2013]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Vacuum would be a no no.Females here do not like to clean and hire others to do it..

Well the ones hired to do the cleaning would need a vacuum store but the reality is that vacuum cleaners are relatively inexpensive still. A certified refurbished Shark is between $99 and $130. They come packaged in a box and look brand new. And yes they work just as well as the Dyson that people pay $400+ for. Vacuums have become disposable

[dmsnell22]

Originally Posted by gent3278

My wife and I are in our mid 50’s and would love to move to The Villages very soon. We are looking to stay working and may open a business down there. We currently own a very busy breakfast and lunch restaurant and also have 25 years experience owning a Vacuum sales and service business. Which one of the 2 would be a good fit in that area?

Come and spend at least two months here to explore the possibilities. Any restaurant with good food, clean facilities, and friendly service will do well in The Villages. Golf cart accessible is a must if you want the best results. I think the vacuum business would be an expensive waste of time; kind of like a tv repair shop. Make sure you find out how much the rent and "take" The Villages property management is charging. Personally, I would shoot for an internet business without the storefront overhead. I would think the vacuum business would work well with this arrangement offering pickup and delivery service. Good luck with the American dream.

[tsmall22204]

If you were any kind of business man, you would do your market research and find out for yourself instead of gambling on another person's thoughts.

[Timtalk]

Originally Posted by gent3278

My wife and I are in our mid 50’s and would love to move to The Villages very soon. We are looking to stay working and may open a business down there. We currently own a very busy breakfast and lunch restaurant and also have 25 years experience owning a Vacuum sales and service business. Which one of the 2 would be a good fit in that area?

Open up a franchise from CORELife Eatery A great fast casual restaurant, highly successful up north. Healthy alternative to all the fast food around here.
CoreLife Eatery is Focused on Healthy, Active Lifestyles | Not a Spectator

[oldtimes]

Take over the Cousins Maine Lobster franchise. People used to line up for a half hour before the truck even got here.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by gent3278

My wife and I are in our mid 50’s and would love to move to The Villages very soon. We are looking to stay working and may open a business down there. We currently own a very busy breakfast and lunch restaurant and also have 25 years experience owning a Vacuum sales and service business. Which one of the 2 would be a good fit in that area?

1. There are a lot of places around The Villages that sell pizzas, but not a single one I’ve heard of that can make a decent New York pizza such as one can find in a thousand pizza places in the New York metro area. Not one! One near a town square that sells slices could do especially well. (Perhaps even a pizza food truck nightly at a town square that reheats slices from pies made at some non-restaurant place in a commercial area in the right kind of oven. After all, generally slices are reheated just before serving.) Your restaurant experience would make this possible, but only if you are actually from the New York area and learn how to do it right. There are more people here from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania combined than from any other three states, I believe. We know what the real thing tastes like, and we don’t find it here. We would be loyal.

2. There are a lot of people here who can no longer drive, whether because of age, vision, health issues, or even having their license revoked after a DUI. They feel like they’ve lost an important part of themselves and their freedom and power. Yes, there is Uber. That can work well. But I think there would be a market for a small fleet of cars (ones that are easy to get into and out of) and drivers FROM The Villages who will take people where they need to go and stay with them—medical appointments, beauty salon, stores or restaurants, or whatever. These would be mostly rides of two or three miles with lots of waiting. Let’s say an elderly woman is the customer. Her driver not only picks her up and drops her off, but helps her into the doctor’s office and waits with her, or stays with her in the grocery store, if she wants. Some clients might set up a weekly appointment for a certain number of hours. Others might call and take the next available driver or make a reservation. The drivers would all be “safe,” and the clients would come to recognize them. Charge, say, $25 an hour, with $15 going to the driver and the rest to cover scheduling, costs, and profit. It could be run from home, without a sign, but you would need a parking area elsewhere, or you could hire only drivers with appropriate cars. No airport runs. Say a ten mile maximum radius. I think that would be a service to the community. Okay, so, a four hour weekly block of time might cost a client $100 each, or $400 a month, but how much were they paying for that new Cadillac and insurance they no longer need? How much would they pay to take an Uber to all these places and how long would they wait for it, and who would be driving it, and what if they aren’t flexible enough to fit into the back seat? Many people here pay far more for weekly housecleaning services. Meanwhile, retired men and women could, say, work twelve hours a week and earn $740 a month. On a fixed income, that’s a huge help, and it’s fun work that would make them feel valued—because they would be!

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by tsmall22204

If you were any kind of business man, you would do your market research and find out for yourself instead of gambling on another person's thoughts.

He is doing market research via people who live here.

[jarodrig]

How about a business that picks up dog poop 💩 that uncaring neighbors leave deposited on your lawn ??

[Junehher]

We desperately need a bagel shop with New York bagels.

[Nick B]

Originally Posted by NoMo50

How about a golf car accessible, drive-thru liquor store?

Drive through bars were a thing in FL when I was young.