A 70-Year-Old Retiree’s Coffee Shop in Chengdu Goes Viral—Lattes for Just 6 Yuan a Cup

Brief (coffeeyo.com): In Chengdu, a 70-something retiree nicknamed “Grandpa Hu” has turned his daughter’s neighborhood café into a viral sensation—serving 6-yuan lattes with zero rush and plenty of heart.

Sichuan Daily all-media reporter Wang Mi; infographic by Zhu Qian.

Near Huanhuaxi in Chengdu, an unremarkable neighborhood coffee shop has recently gone viral on social media. What put this shop on the map is not its refined decor, but its proprietor—Grandpa Hu, who is over 70.

At 4 p.m. on Aug. 24, the usual opening time, the reporter saw at the scene that many customers who had come specially were already waiting at the door in a long queue. Hurrying over to open up, Grandpa Hu faced the waiting guests with an apologetic smile: “Oh dear, I fell asleep—I’m so sorry.”

The neighborhood coffee shop is small, but its tables and counter are kept spotless. There is no electronic ordering device at the bar; a hand-written menu lies flat on the counter, simple and unpretentious. The shop offers only four types of coffee, with lattes priced at just 6 yuan.

In the shop’s corners and on its shelves sit all kinds of ornaments and old vessels, little items Grandpa Hu picked up one by one online in his spare time, filling the shop with a strong sense of everyday life.

The reporter learned that Grandpa Hu has been retired for over ten years and only ventured into the coffee world at the beginning of this year. The shop was originally run by his daughter; when she went traveling earlier, she temporarily entrusted the store to Grandpa Hu to look after. At first he only meant to lend a hand and watch the store. Unexpectedly, clips filmed by netizens spread widely online, the little shop unexpectedly blew up, and Grandpa Hu was thus “drafted into service,” taking charge of the café’s daily operations.

According to nearby merchants, the shop’s hours used to be very casual, with no fixed opening or closing times. As check-in visitors from all over the country grew in number, many travelers came a long way only to find it closed. To avoid disappointing guests who had traveled far, Grandpa Hu set fixed business hours—10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

All the coffee, naan and bread in the shop are handmade by Grandpa Hu. Kneading dough, baking, making coffee—the whole process is unhurried. By the counter, Grandpa Hu lowers his head, focused on the task at hand; his movements are not exactly nimble and the pace of serving is on the slow side. But almost no waiting customer rushes him—they either sit quietly or chat softly, patiently awaiting their food and coffee.

At the scene, the reporter saw that most of the customers were young people. Once he finishes the work at hand, Grandpa Hu leans against the bar and chats with the young folks—stories from far and wide and little amusing tidbits of daily life all become topics between them.

Many people make the trip to this little shop not just for a 6-yuan affordable coffee. “My farthest guest came from Xinjiang; they tried my coffee and naan and gave them high praise,” Grandpa Hu said, full of pride when speaking of customers who traveled far. Many customers remark that here there is none of the tension of a chain commercial coffee shop; what hits you is a sense of ease and relaxation like being at home.

While today’s coffee industry mostly chases table turnover and competes on traffic-driven marketing, Grandpa Hu’s little shop stands apart. No rushing the pace, no grinding for business, no excessive pursuit of eye-catching revenue. For him, keeping this little shop, having guests drop by, being able to chat about everyday life, and living a lively, full life—that is his ideal retirement.

“I now feel it’s pretty nice to be able to make something healthy and tasty. As long as I can, I’ll keep doing it,” said Grandpa Hu.

Source: Sichuan Daily.

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