China News Service, Chongqing, February 3: Title: The pizza shop hides in the busy city and foreigners feel like they are "going home" here.
Author Liang Qinqing
In Sanxia Square, Chongqing, there is a small pizza shop hidden in an office building. It has a small room and only six or seven tables. It has attracted thousands of foreign customers in the past 17 years. Many foreign friends knew about this store before arriving in Chongqing, and some foreign friends in Chongqing said, "You can feel like home here."
What is the charm of this store that makes so many foreign friends flock to it? The reporter recently came to this shop called "Suri Pizza". Before even entering the door, the rich aroma of cheese hit his nostrils. As soon as the door opened, the owner Tang Xiaoqi was seen wearing an apron, rolling up his sleeves, greeting everyone with a smile, and showing the enthusiasm and cheerfulness of Chongqing people in his words.
On January 17, Tang Xiaoqi, the owner of Suri Pizza, introduced the photo wall in his store. Photo by Liang Qinqing
Under the orange lights, the pizza shop presents a warm atmosphere, and the walls full of photos and postcards are eye-catching. You can see different foreign customers on the photo wall, including those who make pizza, those who travel overseas, those who dance... just to name a few.
The reporter found that some photos were marked with the time of shooting, the name and nationality of the customer, and other photos had blessing words written next to them. Tang Xiaoqi said: "Some foreign friends will share their experiences with me when they return here after traveling. These postcards are all sent to me by them during their travels."
Talking about the establishment process of this store, Tang Xiaoqi said that in 2004, she accidentally discovered a pizza restaurant owned by a New Zealander in Chongqing. Most of the customers were foreigners, and she immediately decided to work here. While learning to make pizza, she silently learned spoken English. Three years later, the New Zealand store manager returned to China because her visa expired. However, foreign customers who stayed in Chongqing still often approached her and asked when the pizza shop would reopen.
In response to customers' expectations, she opened this pizza shop by herself in 2007, and it has been 17 years since. "Most foreigners living in Chongqing know each other, and as long as the pizza tastes good, they will recommend it to each other." Tang Xiaoqi said that with the increasing number of foreign customers, the store began to hold an English corner to provide a platform for Chinese and foreign customers to communicate and learn.
On January 17, Tang Xiaoqi, the owner of Suri Pizza, made pizza with Erik, a customer from the United States. Photo by Liang Qinqing
Knead the dough, brush it with tomato sauce, sprinkle with chopped onions and green peppers, then chop some cheese and sprinkle carefully... At about 7 o'clock in the evening, Erik (Erik) from the United States walked into the store and washed his hands. Started making pizza skillfully.
He is a regular customer at Suri's Pizza and now teaches at a school in Chongqing. "For me, this pizza shop is special in this city." He told reporters that the pizza here has the taste of his hometown, and there is an English corner where you can listen to everyone's stories, "It's like I'm in Another home in Chongqing makes me feel that life is worth living."
"It's full of energy and attracts interesting people." David Mitchell, also from the United States, has been associated with Suri's Pizza for more than ten years. He said that students and office workers, new faces and old faces merge here, and communication is everywhere. "Most of people's understanding of culture comes from communication, and Suri's Pizza provides a platform for everyone to understand each other's culture."
On the evening of January 17, Suri’s Pizza held an English corner, attracting many Chinese and foreign friends. Photo by Liang Qinqing
Shen Hongbing, a professor at the School of Economics of Chongqing Technology and Business University who returned from studying abroad, likes to participate in the English corner and comes to the store basically every Wednesday. He told reporters that people who participate in the English Corner come from all over the world. During the exchange process, they can not only broaden their social horizons, but also broaden their horizons and thinking. "Behind the English Corner, it reflects the expectations of Chongqing people to integrate into the international environment. It is foreseeable that as an inland city, Chongqing's door will open wider and wider."
"I never think of a pizza shop as a restaurant. In my heart, this is home." Tang Xiaoqi mentioned, "People who are drifting away, whether they are Chinese or foreigners, need the warmth of home. The Spring Festival is approaching, and the store Activities will be organized regularly to allow foreign friends living in Chongqing to experience the traditional Chinese 'family reunion'." (End)