Lee’s Coffee Shop- 李小姐的咖啡店
Greetings everyone! I have successfully finished my classes this semester for my masters and now have more time to spend writing again. This post is a little different, I thought I could do something a little more interesting than just writing about my travels, I thought I could start documenting or recording life in China (for myself and others). I decided to interview a local small business owner here in Dalian and wanted to give some insight into local business here. What are some struggles they have in starting a business, what are their expectations, etc. I hope you enjoy it and if you are around the area (Jinshitan- 金石滩), please visit this coffee shop! It’s always better to support local businesses over franchises (like Starbucks).
Lee’s Coffee Shop- Dalian Jinshitan Shuimuhuating Community 4-3-102:
李小姐的咖啡店- 大连金石滩水木华庭4-3-102
What interested you to start a business? (什么激发你的兴趣去创业?)
回复: 首先，我本人非常喜欢喝咖啡，从高中开始就喝咖啡了，喝咖啡的时间超过了二十年。其次，我经常光顾一些咖啡馆，当我喝他们的咖啡的时候，我认为有些店的咖啡豆非常好，而有一些的咖啡豆非常一般，店家的服务也很一般，感受不到温度，，而我想开一家属于自己的有温度的，使用好的咖啡豆的店，我想提供给大家好喝的咖啡，当然，更方便自己每天喝咖啡。
Response: First of all, I personally like coffee very much. I have been drinking coffee since high school, and I have been drinking coffee for more than 20 years. Secondly, I often visit some cafes. When I drink their coffee, I think the coffee beans in some stores are very good, and some coffee beans are very average. Sometimes the store’s service is just average and I can’t feel a welcoming atmosphere. I wanted to open my own store with a welcoming atmosphere and good quality coffee beans. I want to provide everyone with delicious coffee. Of course, this makes it more convenient to drink coffee every day.
How difficult is it to start a business in Dalian? (在大连创业会遇到什么困难?)
回复: 在大连创业，说实话，很难，困难重重，因为大连的经济现在并不好，大连的发展也不够好，这就导致了人们的购买力不够强，而咖啡不是大多数人们每日生活的必须品，它是可以替代的，甚至考虑经济因素，人们可以在家里或者在公司里喝速溶咖啡，假如没有品质要求的话。另外，很多人的消费观念和对商品品质的要求并不高，可能很多人宁愿花费更少的钱喝很一般的咖啡而不是多花点钱喝好的咖啡；而另外还有一些人，追求品质，追求品牌效应，他们可以花更多的钱去买星巴克或者其他很有名的产品，而不愿意去不知名的小店消费。
Response: To start a business in Dalian, to be honest, is difficult. The economy of Dalian is not as good now and the development of Dalian is not good as it once was. This has lead to people’s insufficient purchasing power, and coffee is not a necessity for most people in their daily lives. It can be substituted, even considering economic factors, people can drink instant coffee at home or in the company, as long as they have no requirements in quality. In addition, many people’s ideas on consumption and requirements for product quality are not high. Perhaps many people would rather spend less money on regular coffee instead of spending more on good coffee. There are some who will pursue good quality coffee. Many people might spend more money to buy Starbucks or other well-known products instead of going to unknown shops.
Question: What makes your coffee shop unique? (是什么使你的咖啡厅独一无二?)
回复: 我认为，首先我的咖啡豆都是经过严格挑选的，自己烘焙，这样可以保证咖啡豆新鲜和品质。另外，就是我的服务，我可以根据每一位顾客的要求去调整每一杯咖啡的浓度，甜度和各种口味，在这里，我们没有固定的套用模式。
Response: I think that first of all, my coffee beans are strictly selected and roasted by myself. This means that the freshness and quality of the coffee beans are guaranteed by myself. In addition, it is personally made by myself; I can adjust the coffee ratio, sweetness and or other flavors of each cup of coffee to the customer’s preference. Here, we do not have a fixed standard that needs to be followed like other shops.
Question: How and where do you get your coffee beans? (你在哪里和怎样采购你的咖啡豆?)
回复: 我家的咖啡豆主要来自非洲的埃塞俄比亚产区，100%阿拉比卡
Response: My coffee beans are mainly from Ethiopian in Africa, 100% Arabica.
Question: Do you think Chinese are changing their drinking habits and adopting coffee? (你认为中国人会改变饮食习惯而习惯喝咖啡?)
回复: 我认为改变人们的饮食习惯不容易，不是一朝一夕的事情，咖啡馆并非可以轻易的改变人们的饮食习惯，我认为咖啡馆现在越来越趋向于成为人们消遣，休息或者三五好友谈心的一个场所，可以说，去咖啡馆坐坐是一种文化，有时人们甚至还不习惯喝现磨咖啡，但是他们喜欢去咖啡馆坐坐
Response: I think it’s not easy to change people’s eating or drinking habits. It’s not an overnight thing. Cafes can’t easily change people’s preferences. I think coffee shops are becoming more and more a place for people to go for entertainment, rest or even talk with friends. It can be said that going to a coffee shop is a kind of culture. Sometimes people are not even used to drinking fresh brew coffee, but they like to go to a coffee shop.
Question: What do think the demographics are for drinking coffee in China? (在中国有哪些年龄段的人喝咖啡?)
回复: 据我所知，还是以年轻人和中年人为主，老年人比较少。
Response: As far as I know, it is still mainly young and middle-aged people, while the elderly are relatively small market.
Well everyone, I hope you found this entry interesting. While China’s taste in drinks are swiftly moving from tea as a dominant preference, many Chinese are adopting coffee as a go to drink. That being said, many Chinese seems to be price conscience about certain things, especially with convenience store’s offering coffee or other fast foods places. That being said, there can be a lot said for a barista that can really cater to the customer. Overall, I had a nice time chatting with Mrs. Li about her little coffee shop. Mrs. Li is very interested in using the best imported products to make her coffee and doesn’t skimp on the cost in using good quality ingredients for items on her menu. She is currently working on preparing a new set of drinks and sweets/ snacks (all-natural ice cream, Hainan coconut drinks, etc) for the oncoming summer months here in Dalian. Though her shop might be small, it has a peaceful and neighborhood feeling vibe to it. Mrs. Li is a local Dalian woman who has a passion for making friends with people from all around Dalian and to share a good cuppa with anyone interested. As I mentioned earlier, support local businesses and check out her shop.
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Very interesting I am surprised whenever I watch a Chinese language and they are drinking coffee and have thought must be Taiwanese production. Best wishes for continued success Lee’s Coffee Shop.
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