IL Postcard

How One U.S. Woman Recreated Rick’s Café in Morocco

Date: 09/11/2008 Author: Leigh Fergus

Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008

Read more about Morocco in International Living Postcards—your daily escape

Dear International Living Reader,

While it doesn’t have the instant appeal of Marrakech, Morocco’s largest city Casablanca has a charm that is hard to deny. And on my last trip I came across the cherry on the icing—a must-see for every movie buff, traveler, and romantic: a faithful replica of Rick’s Café from the cult movie Casablanca.

Kathy Kriger, the woman behind the idea, is smitten by the city—and the movie—and has chosen to make her home and living here. She arrived in Morocco in 1998 working at the U.S. embassy, enjoying the sheltered life of government workers abroad, acquiring a house in Marrakech along the way. After Sept. 11, however, and the backlash, particularly the events in Iraq that followed, she wanted to take positive action and show that not all Americans are the same. Looking around Casablanca, she found the perfect opportunity and found a group of investors (the Usual Suspects) to back her idea of recreating the mythical café in Casablanca—minus the gunfire and brawls.

Four years on and she hasn’t looked back—Rick’s Café is doing well and has a staff of more than 50. As you walk through the arched entrance into the white dining area with potted palms and ceiling fans, you’re immediately taken back to where Humphrey Bogart as “Rick” bumps into Ingrid Bergman, with “Sam” at the piano playing the tune that meant so much.

But this impressive set wasn’t easy to create. And not for the reasons you might think. Kathy had little difficulty in opening a bar serving liquor in this liberal country, she has found a devoted team to work with her, and was able to get building permits without much of a delay, thanks to her network of contacts. Being a woman, she says, has been a help rather than a hindrance, as the majority of men she’s had to deal with in this somewhat macho society find her a novelty.

In fact, the main problems were in having the building restored and fitted to her exacting standards. As with many new projects undertaken for the first time, especially overseas, it took much more effort than she ever imagined. At one point she was managing 10 different subcontractors on the site, and the project went six months over schedule.

“It’s been a steep learning curve,” she said. “I love the people and the country, but both can drive me crazy, too.”

If you’re thinking about setting up your own business, like Kathy did, you’ll need help along the way, from finding good bank contacts to sorting out your project onsite with trusted partners. Kathy suggests you spend time here, getting to know the city and getting a feel for it, before you even start to think about your business plan or joining forces with local partners.

Property prices are sweet, but going up, so you’ll need to hunt carefully for the best-value places. For housing, you can find apartments of more than 1,200 square feet just outside the city center for less than $80,000, but for downtown properties in the Art Deco quarters, you may need to pay a little more. Casablanca Immobilier has a two-bedroom apartment in the central Bourgogne quartier of more than 750 square feet with a wrap-around terrace, marble floor, and underground parking for $137,000. Or you can rent; a downtown furnished two-bedroom apartment of 1,000 square feet can cost just over $600 a month, and a European-style villa by the sea starts at around $1,500.

Kathy says that as Casablanca has no major tourist attractions, there’s a lot of potential, but the local authorities don’t have the experience of entrepreneurs in the way that Marrakech authorities do, so you’ll need to be resilient, as well. You may also find it helpful to get in touch with the regional investment centers that have been set up. For Casablanca, try www.casainvest.ma.

Leigh Fergus
Roving Europe Editor, International Living

Editor’s Note: If you wish to set up your own business that allows you to work from anywhere in the world, we have the ideal opportunity that allows you to start receiving your income in as little as 90 days. And most importantly, you don't need to be rich to take advantage of it. Find out more here.

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