Coffee boutiques need double shot of revival after lockdown

• Published date: 27 June 2022
• Publication title: Shanghai Daily

s Shanghai has reopened after its two-month lockdown, the city is once again savoring the coffee aroma wafting from its more than 7,000 cafes, the world's biggest number.

way of life, a benchmark of economic vitality and a symbol of cultural diversity, the beverage is brewing strongly again to reaffirm the city's coffee culture capital mantle.

Statistics show that Shanghai's per capita coffee consumption is about 20 cups per year, while the national average is four cups. It ranks first in terms of coffee consumption scale, number of coffee shops, and coffee industry development.

However, the brakes were slammed on the blooming industry by the citywide lockdown from April 1 to May 31 as the COVID-19 pandemic resurgence hit.

The city has cautiously rebooted since June 1 when it lifted the lockdown, and it's trying hard to get back to normal life, with convenience stores, wholesale markets and coffee shops now allowed to open.

Boutique street-corner coffee houses are still struggling to survive as they strive to pay rent and wages.

"We cannot 'lie flat' (lay back) now. It's a hard time for everyone, but also a time to wire in and catch up on what we've missed during the past two months," said Cai Zhongshun, founder and owner of MQ Coffee, one of the earliest boutique cafes in China.

The brand has developed to cover the whole industry chain from...