The Story of a Coffee Man: building an Urban Utopia in 20 years

Will you suddenly show up?

At the coffee shop around the corner

I will wave pleasantries with a smiling face

Sit and chat with you.

"long time no see" by Eason Chan

It is no exaggeration to say that a city's cafe is always a utopia pulled away from the fast-paced life of urban youth, always full of romance and comfort.

People who like to drink coffee are no stranger to "carving time".

The originator of this domestic "literary coffee" has even attracted stars. Wang Kai is one.

Wang Kai was interviewed at the Sculpture time Cafe in Beijing.

The present carving time symbolizes ideal and freedom, but there are too many trivial and gory realities behind it.

Not long ago, our reporter talked about carving time CEO Zhao Kedong.

No one would have thought that this glamorous and successful career woman, who had been ridiculed in Singapore as a country bumpkin, had experienced so many hardships in the process of founding. Maybe this is what an independent woman should look like.

Photography: Li Yingwu

The interview was conducted in Zhao Kedong's Sayes Cafe. This space is her favorite bright yellow, warm, bright and lively.

I was laughed at in Singapore.

"I saw the world and was looked down upon by others."

In fact, for Zhao Kedong to open a coffee shop, there is no dream, only reality.

If you set the pointer back to 20 years ago, Zhao Kedong, who is in the age of cardamom, most aspires to be a stewardess. "I'm so beautiful, tall, and I don't have a scar on my body." her eyes flashed with the confidence of the little girl.

When 16-year-old Zhao Kedong flew to Singapore to study, she was close to her dream. When Singapore Airlines hired her, she was already moved, but she was stopped by her mother. She said, "letting me out was the first great thing she did in her life." and this time she won't let me do it. "

During her time in Singapore, Zhao Ketong worked while studying hotel management. In the 1990s, when China's economy was still groping for development, Zhao Kedong, who had just arrived in Singapore, had a big impact.

"I am very corny, no matter how strict I am, I see the world, and I am looked down upon by others." she is often asked outrageous questions, such as: "can you use toothbrush and toothpaste?" "will your mother drive a donkey cart to pick you up in Shanghai?"

During that period of time, inferiority always beat her like a small whip, reminding her to work hard all the time. The same is true of most Chinese people around her. Her roommate memorized English in her dream and was told a good story by them.

Work hard to bring Zhao Ketong an unparalleled happiness experience in her life-the moment when she was promoted from a casino foreman to a foreman. It is not that there is no more happiness in the future, but that I have never been so excited again, even when I got the first financing when I was doing sculpture.

"they are very cautious about promoting a person, because I am Chinese and it is very difficult for me to be promoted to manager. When I received the promotion letter, I got a key at the same time, had my own room, and then got three suits, which was the happiest time of my life. When I put on my makeup and put on that dress, I think my life has changed. I can finally be equal with them. "

The old carving time was shabby.

"infiltrated into the experience of being a hotel, and met love."

Successfully promoted to hotel manager, Zhao Kedong manages dozens of restaurants. But before long, she touched the ceiling in her career.

Her nationality blocked her ascent, and at that time, refusing to admit defeat, she made a simple decision: jump out first, try to get a green card, and then go back to being an executive. "Girls have a short dream."

So Zhao Kedong became Beijing drifters, practicing English and preparing for the IELTS exam. At that time, the carving time Cafe in Wudaokou was her residence. Recalling her first impressions of the carving time, she was very frank: "I have to be very sincere to say that compared with my previous state as a hotel, the carving time is too simple, even a little shabby."

The founders of carving time, Zhuang Tsai and Li Ruofan, are a couple of young artists, one graduated from the director department of the Beijing Film Academy, and the other graduated from the Beijing Garment Institute.

In 1997, they opened a cafe on Chengfu Street between the East Gate of Peking University and the West Gate of Tsinghua University, and chose the poetic name "carving time"-the title of a film autobiography by Soviet director Andrey Tarkovsky. It means to record the passage of time.

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At first, the operation of the coffee shop depended on them earning money from other jobs. Two years later, when the coffee shop was on track, they concentrated on running the coffee shop. In 2005, carving time opened to three stores in Beijing. At that time, the cafe was looking for an assistant to the general manager. Thinking that she was still a year and a half away from getting a green card, Zhao Kedong planned to put her management experience into practice here.

Zhao Kedong a few years ago

At that time, the office where the time was carved was still a four-bedroom room. Chuang Tsai gave the best seat to Zhao Kedong, who sat in the master bedroom with a balcony, while Chuang Tsai sat on the conference table. But Chuang Tsai, as the boss, doesn't show up very often. "he took me to a regular meeting for two weeks and then gave up."

In Zhao Kedong's memory, Zhuang Tsai carried a canvas bag every day and left after saying, "I have something to do today." She was a little speechless in the face of such a shopkeeper. Despite the fact that cafes are not as high-end as big hotels, they are not easier to operate than hotels, which can be said to be more challenging.

The management before carving time is like "home", which is too extensive. So Zhao Kedong began to slowly infiltrate the hotel management experience into the cafe, systematize the management, and began to make an assessment.

Zhao Kedong, who has worked hard in the service field for a decade, thinks that to be a cafe is to do service in the final analysis, and she has put forward a spirit of service that is neither humble nor arrogant. At that time, the "kneeling service" of KTV at the cashier was joyful, and Zhao Kedong was extremely disgusted with this. "I have been nurtured since I was a child. We all kneel on the ground and kneel on our parents, right? How can you kneel casually? "

"when you look at the other person with a smile, where is your perspective? if you stare into his eyes, he will feel stressed. When we stare at a guest, we stare at the position of our eyebrows and eyes, instead of looking directly into his eyes, it will not be so uncomfortable to be observed. "

As for employees' clothes, she thinks shirts are very important and requires them to be ironed every day, while she opposes using clothes to distinguish managers from ordinary employees, just using a silk scarf or a small logo, "because I have experienced that kind of inferiority and pain."

In actual combat, she pays attention to details.

For example, employees' shoes must be non-slippery, so they will choose rubber-soled canvas shoes, which are the most cost-effective anti-skid shoes; employees must wear makeup, lipstick, and even makeup must match the same color.

"did you know that the lipstick and eye shadow of Singapore Airlines employees are consistent? Because it has to play a role: that is, you see who, deja vu, there is no strangeness, such a service will quickly have sex with you, this is a trick. "

In theory, Beijing is just a transit station. However, life does not develop according to the set number of episodes, like TV series. Because, in a short time, she met love. Her husband bought her a 20% stake in carving time and, in her words, "this is a lollipop that left me in Beijing." Zhao Kedong's title has also become CEO.

In the past ten years, she has expanded her carving time from 3 stores in Beijing to 66 chain stores across the country. at the same time, the carving time has become more international, not only setting up a coffee institute, but also representing China as a champion to participate in the American Coffee Fine goods Conference (SCAA), which is known as the Olympic Games of the coffee industry.

Cafes are just relaxplace for ordinary people.

"you can make yourself anemic, but you can't make your heart go away."

Talking about the current situation of cafes in China, Zhao Kedong said that there are too many cafes, but there are too few fine cafes, and the quality of service cannot keep up with them, resulting in guests falling behind. This is a vicious circle.

She advocates more healthy cafes and less pat on the head. First of all, you have to understand how to be a cafe. Zhao Kedong said, "it's very simple, that is, to make a good cup of coffee for the guests to drink." You order coffee, drink coffee, and talk about yourself. The cafe is a human space where you can spread all your thoughts.

"in foreign countries, old people are the first to go to cafes. They have a brunch. By 12:00, they are half done in a day, and then they go home to take a nap or go for a walk. The day is over. Coffee carries their way of life. "

Zhao Kedong's way of life has long been inseparable from the cafe, but it is not so leisurely.

"other people are drinking coffee. I'm looking for water stains on the cup to see if the coffee tastes right. Why is it apple juice or lemon today? I will look at the status of the staff. Is there any difference today? Where is the usual bartender? I have to ask. "

"once, I asked my mother-in-law to wait for me in the store, ordered her a piece of black tea, and then forgot about her, only to find that she waited for me to fall asleep. The cafe is my working place (workplace), not relaxplace (relaxing). " In fact, even when she is on holiday, it is difficult for her to give up her work completely. Only when she is flying on the plane and spending a moment with her mother can she completely relax.

Asked about the uniqueness of the people who run the cafe, Zhao Kedong admitted, "the CEO of the cafe is more sincere, more warm, and more willing to help people." This is well interpreted by Zhao Kedong herself, who has full affinity and takes good care of her staff.

In the interview, she naturally referred to her employees as "children". "even if they are only three or four years older than them, I still think they are children, and if they do something wrong, I will do something wrong," she said. "

Once, an employee resigned because she was lovelorn. She once offered to give her a month's paid holiday to rest and recuperate. "I think I'm their umbrella, and I hope they're all safe with me," she said. " And her biggest motivation to start a business is to "live up to the efforts of all employees and not let them run away."

Zhao Kedong is always dealing with one thing after another without a stop.

Today, Zhao Kedong is no longer the CEO of carving time, but as a shareholder and consultant. In 2015, she founded Sayes Cafe, Sayes is "SayYes" (do not refuse), this is her concept of service, in the face of customer needs and requests, no matter what to say yes (yes). Sayes combines two things she loves perfectly, the promotion of coffee and the spirit of service.

Photography: Li Yingwu

Customers are at Sayes Cafe.

After more than 20 years of immersion in the service industry, Zhao Kedong made it her duty to promote the spirit of service. She launched a "blue-collar program" to provide training for service personnel in different industries based on Sayes.

She is also going to write a book on the spirit of service, which can be used as a textbook for the entire service industry. She told the reporter happily that when she started doing it, she found that everyone around her was slowly becoming polite.

"I went to tea with a best friend the other day, and when I finished talking to her, we needed more water. she just raised her hand to call the waiter, but suddenly she put it down,'Oh, I should go over and call him'. She went over and said, 'Let's add some water over there.' I think that's right. It's called respect."

Zhao Kedong has no pressure to balance her career and family. Fortunately, her family is very independent. Her husband had hoped that she would open a small shop and live the life of an ordinary housewife.

"sit inside and read a book, and the child will pick up the child after class, and then I will accompany the child in the training class." But she said bluntly that she couldn't do it. "I can make myself anemic and calcium deficient, but I can't force my spirit away." Zhao Kedong spoke firmly.

(Wen / Wang Yue)

Photography / Li Yingwu

(some of the pictures are from the Internet)