4 years after the store opened, and the epidemic accounted for 3 years, how did we survive the difficulties
"It took 4 years to open the store, and the epidemic accounted for 3 years, but we are getting better and better." The post-85s couple Xu Chao and Huang Danying resigned from their jobs in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, and came to their hometown, Xinshi Guzhen, Deqing County, Huzhou City to open a coffee shop.
Today, this small shop called "Penguin Coffee" is not only a career they love, but also one of the "popular check-in places" in the ancient town.
What kind of "adventurous encounters" will there be in the quaint Jiangnan town?
Xu Chao said frankly that when they first returned to the ancient town, they didn’t think about what type of small shop to run.
Because they had no relevant experience, they spent almost all of the 200,000 yuan start-up capital on paying transfer fees, rent and decoration. "It seems that the hard cost of investment is too high, and it is not beneficial for the operation of the store's funds in the later stage."
What made it even more difficult for them was that the two people who used to do advertising design and wedding planning did not know much about coffee-related expertise.
In order to improve their abilities, they began to follow the video materials and book knowledge to learn and explore, and if they had the opportunity, they also went to their peers to ask for their experience.
Fortunately, after everything was ready, the coffee shop officially opened.
Although the ancient town of Xinshi, which has a history of thousands of years, can be called the beauty of ancient times and the beauty of water towns, it is still inferior to the Mogan Mountain Scenic Area, which is more than 40 kilometers away.
Xu Chao told a reporter from China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily that although there are few foreign tourists, there are many young people in the ancient town and surrounding cities and towns.
But half a year later, the coffee shop business began to decline.
"In the beginning, we sold everything from desserts, coffee, light meals, etc., to the old-fashioned western restaurant or coffee shop." Desserts with risk of stockpiling, etc., focus on "going the specialty coffee route".
"After knowing that coffee products are not 'anti-beating', we have replaced the old coffee machines and grinders with new ones one after another. If the passenger flow is not large, then we will study coffee technology."
Xu Chao told a reporter from China Youth Daily and China Youth Daily that during that time, he began to try roasting coffee beans by himself. "According to customer feedback, the taste of coffee is more in line with the choice of local people."
Slowly, the word of mouth of the coffee spread, and the passenger flow also increased again.
The outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic in 2020 once again put them in a difficult position, and even once considered whether to give up.
Huang Danying said: "If you can't even do what you like, what else can you do?" Because they were reluctant, they gritted their teeth and persisted.
In Xu Chao's view, they are "not broken and not established".
After the scenic spot was unblocked, they adjusted their business scope again: mainly selling coffee, but also selling their own roasted coffee beans and souvenirs around the town.
"There are few people drinking coffee in the town, so we will go outside to find it."
As a result, they began to pay attention to various markets held in surrounding cities to let more people know and taste their coffee.
"It was the first time I participated in a market event, and our coffee not only sold well, but also received a lot of praise, which made us more confident. Through market events one after another, we have also raised a certain degree of popularity, and some people made a special trip from Hangzhou to drive to Town, come check in with us for coffee."
At the beginning of last year, the traffic of the coffee shop suddenly increased, and they also unexpectedly received bad reviews from customers about the environment.
"Because there are no clerks, there are two people doing all the big and small things in the store. In addition to participating in market activities around the world, there will definitely be negligence." At the same time, the user experience such as service and environment cannot be ignored. "Where there is improvement, it must be improved."
Today, their coffee shop has made a small profit and has also recruited full-time baristas.
Even so, Xu Chao will pay attention to product quality every day. "For example, roasted coffee beans, I will adjust them every day according to humidity, temperature, etc. Whether it is Italian coffee or hand-brewed coffee, deliciousness is the most important thing."
"Maybe we are doing a very common thing, even doing it over and over again, but one day I find that I have done an ordinary thing very well. This is the sense of accomplishment I found in my position." Yu, they use the camera to record their work and life every week, edit them into Vlogs and publish them on social platforms, and they have also gained a large number of fans.
According to data from the social platform Xiaohongshu, searches for “coffee shop entrepreneurship” in 2021 will increase by 311% compared to 2020, of which 35% will come from third-tier cities and below. .
Xu Chao and Huang Danying also often receive inquiries from fans. In this regard, they reminded: "In addition to having a budget for upfront rent, decoration and other expenses, it is also necessary to consider the operating expenses of the store; it is not that the equipment and other hardware are good, it means that Whether it’s products or services, you need to consider all aspects of user experience when opening a store. At the same time, you must continue to learn and improve, and the most important thing is that products are the core competitiveness.”
China Youth Daily, China Youth Daily reporter Meng Peipei Source: China Youth Daily