The coffee station settled in Chengdu only because it was "the most suitable".

Viavia, a Belgian food brand with 16 chains in 11 countries, chose Chengdu as its first stop into the Chinese market. Last week, Bob Elson, director of Viavia Restaurant Management Co., Ltd., gave such a reason for choosing Chengdu-the most suitable one. Blend into the city in addition to coffee and the scenery of the road.

"Viavia is not only a coffee bar, but also a post station for travelers." Last week, Viavia opened its flagship store in Chengdu. What makes it unusual is that the store has a whole wall of display windows, brochures and CDs for travel advice from around the world, and a thick pile of Sichuan tourism materials.

Elson told reporters that Viavia's business philosophy is to integrate catering, tourism, cultural exchanges and other fields together to become a "community" with hikers as the main body. Here, people can not only enjoy drinks and delicacies from as far away as Belgium, but also grasp travel information from all over the world, exchange information with travelers and feel the folk culture of various places.

Viavia's storefront decoration is completely planned by Belgian designers, with irregularly shaped sloping ceilings and soft lighting, making customers feel very relaxed. "now we have 16 chain stores, which have 16 different styles in terms of decoration." Elson has his own original opinion: "generally speaking, the uniform style of chain stores helps to improve the recognition of their own brands." But what I pursue is the fit with the city where the chain stores are located. "

Elson believes that every city has its own style and cultural atmosphere, and what he pursues is "integration". "to take root in a city, we must first take root in the culture. Everyone is as easy as going back to their own homes." that's our goal. " Interpreting the city of Chengdu can make travelers stop.

When talking about why he chose to open a store in Chengdu, Elson summed it up in three words-"the most suitable".

In his own book, Elson records the countries and places he has been to. "I can't remember how many countries I've been to. I have also been to many cities in China, and Chengdu makes me feel at home. " Elson believes that Chengdu is very similar to his hometown of Belgium, where people love life and enjoy it very much.

In May 2011, Flemish-Brabang province, the birthplace of Viavia, formally established a friendship relationship with Chengdu.

When the reporter asked whether this has become one of the important reasons for Viavia to settle in Chengdu, Elson shook his head and said several "NO" in succession. "I had considered opening a store in Beijing or Shanghai before, but after the inspection, I felt that their pace was too fast for people to stop." Elson began to visit Chengdu many times last year, staying for more than 50 days, and finally found that "sure enough, this is the most suitable place."

On the other hand, tourism and cultural exchange is an important part of Viavia. Sichuan's beautiful natural scenery and rich history and culture are also one of the important reasons why Elson likes Chengdu. He told reporters that each chain store will focus on the introduction of the region where it is located in providing tourism information. "it can be said to open a store in Chengdu to introduce Sichuan tourism."