Young entrepreneur Da Miao and his cafe complex

On a sunny warm afternoon, sitting lazily in a wooden coffee shop, quietly savoring a book with leisurely Bossa nova music, or chatting with a couple of girlfriends with a latte with milk bubbles floating all afternoon. Perhaps this is the best definition of killing time for modern young people. "I'm going to open my own coffee shop in the future"-how many girls and boys have the same idea. In the street garden at the intersection of Culture Road and Youth Street in CBD, Shenyang, there is such a low-key cafe, simple but exquisite, which gives people the pleasure of sipping coffee in the living room in the middle of downtown.

"this location is simply wonderful, just like the oasis in the city, like an oasis in the desert. It gives people the impression that it is very American, a special place to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is icy and snowy outside Shenyang in winter. We are very warm here. In summer, we can set a table outside. In fact, we feel very good at night in summer. "

In the afternoon sun after the snow, we met her shopkeeper, Da Miao, in this "roasted coffee". The northeast man, who calls himself "the man of science and technology", smiled proudly when he talked about his cafe. In recent years, coffee is favored by more and more Chinese people. Many young people prefer full-bodied coffee to tea. According to Damiao, over the past year, the entire domestic coffee market has been brought up by Starbucks, Costa Coffee and other chain brands. Coffee shops like "baking house" have sprung up one after another in China's larger cities, with uneven levels and different positioning, with some making not only coffee, but also wine and light meals.

"I think it would be better if I did it a little bit better. So my idea is different. We only sell coffee and coffee-related drinks in our shop. We don't have any alcohol or light meals, only coffee shop desserts. Actually, just make your own stuff. So what we do is homemade, home-made, dim sum and coffee are made by ourselves, and our coffee machine is not fully automatic, it is all made by the barista himself. Here we are countryside, American country, family style. Our name is Barry House, which is a place that feels very at home. "

The milky cabinets, releasing the warm stove, the exquisite furnishings of the Christmas theme, and the comfortable sofa. This is indeed a relaxing place. In the West, where coffee has long become a daily consumer product, people are more accustomed to getting on the road when they buy a cup of coffee, and even Drive-thru cafes are gradually emerging. In China, many coffee consumers prefer to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee, where they can read, chat, or even sit on the Internet for a day with free Wi-Fi. For customers who like to enjoy their leisure time in cafes, Damiao says he doesn't mind very much and welcomes you to come here to surf the Internet.

"I welcome you to come here to surf the net. Our shop closes at 8 o'clock, and we don't close wifi after closing. It doesn't matter if you hang out. You can sleep in a room. This is a cultural problem. In China, friends sit down to chat, study, or surf the Internet, but I don't mind. Although you do not think small, the arrangement between the guests (seats) is more reasonable, and then their own space is better, I hope everyone will sit here. "

Opening a cafe requires considerable economic cost and effort, from site selection and decoration to inventory, rent, utilities, equipment, raw materials, barista recruitment, training, and so on. Especially for the newly opened cafe, the first few months basically belong to the stage of large cost investment, if there is not a clear market positioning and target consumer groups, it is difficult to do long-term. Many young people, especially girls, have a dream of owning their own coffee shop. For Damiao, as a young man who has realized many people's dreams, what kind of feelings does he have when the dream shines into reality?

"it's a tough thing to do in a coffee shop, and if you know the technology and experience in this area, it's more reliable to have such an experienced barista to do it with you. If you have such an idea, to be a store, then from your positioning to startup: the overall store selection, decoration, equipment how to do, if you do not have a concept, how do you start? This is a very complicated matter, so I don't think it's very realistic. "

For a customer, all he may have is a cup of coffee, but for a coffee shop owner, it is difficult to estimate the hidden investment of this cup of coffee. Therefore, a seemingly simple cup of coffee is often expensive, especially at present, the average price of higher-quality coffee in China is higher than that in Europe and the United States, which has attracted the attention of CCTV and other media, calling the coffee industry a "profiteering" industry. In such an environment, the pricing of Damiao's coffee shop is relatively acceptable, but he does not relax the quality requirements of his products because of the price.

"I think spending a relatively reasonable price to experience the perfect cup of coffee is more important than anything else. A perfect cup of coffee contains a lot of things in it. I was able to set this price because I put a lot of effort into it. Because the shop is relatively small, and then circulation, inventory, rent, equipment, these are all done by myself, I will save a lot of costs if I do it myself. But I also have a requirement for myself, that is, when we make things, we must choose materials to meet the standards, because after all, we want to be an American-standard store, so we have to meet a relatively high standard. "

Da Miao defines his cafe as an American country style with emphasis on quality, all due to his wife Kari from the south of the United States. When Damiao was preparing for the opening of the cafe, his wife played the finishing point in the layout and decoration of the store. Although the life experiences of the two people are very different, because the two people come together because of the common ideal, it has to be said that the cafe has brought a red line of marriage to their acquaintance. Damiao recalled that he and his wife met at the English corner of a cafe next to his school when he was in college. Today, Damiao, who has graduated from university for many years, still has a passion for English Corner. At present, he has set up a weekly English Corner in his own cafe to provide free communication opportunities for guests who like coffee culture and want to learn English.

"when I was a sophomore, a very close friend took me to a cafe near the school, but that cafe has the lowest cost. it costs a certain amount of money if you go there. They have an English corner there on Saturday night. But I particularly like the atmosphere, in which I can make good friends, have a long vision, and introduce interesting things to foreigners, and they are all very interested. This thing is a win-win situation. We not only learn English from others, but also introduce them to many diversified things in China. "

It can be said that a cafe near the university provided inspiration for Da Miao to open his own coffee shop and hold an English corner in the future, and he also found a life partner there.

"so the English corner is very important to me. I always want to have an English corner, but I don't have a good place. Now that there is this cafe, why don't I use this place to do it? I have nothing to ask of everyone except that you have to come and speak English. You can come and go at any time. You don't have to spend money. Our cafe is 36 square meters, and 40 people can come to the English corner. Standing room only is the only place to stand. "

Almost every Saturday night from 6: 00 to 8: 00, Mr. Yin Hongyu, who works near the cafe, will attend the English corner here. In the late 1980s, in order to learn advanced technology from abroad, he began to learn English. When he was engaged in scientific research in his early years, he also organized an English corner in his unit. Mr. Yin recalled that it was not easy to find a foreigner at that time, 30 Chinese versus one foreigner.

"everyone can only say one word to foreigners, and after that, he is very happy and excited for several days, because the foreigners understand what I said, and I can communicate with foreigners. How convenient it is now. We can come here at any time. He runs a good coffee shop. Not only can you taste the authentic coffee from the southern United States, but also you can learn about Western culture through this (English Corner). "

When it comes to this cafe, Da Miao describes it as like treating his own children, devoting most of his energy here every day to running his own cafe-a dream that belongs to many people as well. When the dream shines into reality, what is waiting for him is not necessarily cruel. As long as you put your heart and energy into the cause you like, the guests will naturally experience the intention of the shopkeeper.

"your attitude towards your own career can be felt and seen by others, not only the guests, but also the employees. When she faces it, he will do it from the bottom of his heart. "