On April 28th, in the Democratic Village community of Jiulongpo District, the owner of "Changgou Coffee", Feng Sha (left), was busy inside the store. Photo by Reporter Qi Lansen/Visual Chongqing
Opening language
How young can a small shop be?
In the old alley of the democratic village, it is a cup of coffee and the courage of a girl to turn her passion into a career; At the corner of Longmen Hao, there is a book, a poetry gathering, and an open city study; Beside the stone steps of the mountain city trail, there is a wisp of fragrance, a leaf carving, and a youth souvenir dedicated to my hometown
On the eve of May Fourth Youth Day, we went deep into the streets and alleys of Chongqing to search for a group of "youth shops". They are not big, but they can hold the dreams, creativity, and perseverance of young people, which is a vivid footnote to the "two-way rush" between youth and the city.
Currently, Chongqing is accelerating the construction of a city wide youth development oriented city. More and more young people are rooted in the city, going deep into the community, lighting up a small shop with love, and warming up a city with small shops. Starting today, our newspaper will launch a series of reports titled "Small Shop Shines Youth", exploring these warm, dreamy, and youthful corners.
On an afternoon at the end of April, in an alley in Democratic Village, Jiulongpo District, the sunlight shone through the leaves, casting mottled shadows. At the entrance of "Changgou Coffee", several young people sat on bamboo chairs holding coffee cups and chatting, while a calico cat lazily lay at its feet.
The shop owner Feng Sha was wiping a glass behind the bar, with a faint smile on her face. She is in her early thirties and a native of Jiulongpo. I studied English in college and worked as a service consultant at an English training institution after graduation. I also worked as a fashion consultant at a luxury store in Chengdu.
In 2023, she made a bold decision: resigned and returned to Chongqing to start a business with her boyfriend and open a coffee shop.
Why open a coffee shop
One is the necessity, and the other is the desire to turn passion into a career
Why open a coffee shop? There are coffee shops everywhere now, "Feng Sha smiled at the reporter's question." Firstly, coffee is a necessity for young people. Secondly, most importantly, we both love coffee very much and want to turn our passion into a career
The choice of Democratic Village stems from Feng Sha's childhood memories.
My family lives nearby, and when I was a child, I loved coming to Minzhu Village to eat hotpot. At that time, the road was still muddy, and whenever it rained, I would step on the mud, "Feng Sha recalled." When we come back in 2023, this place will be completely different. After the urban renewal and renovation, there will be memories of old residential buildings and trendy young elements, which is my ideal place to open a shop
On the second day of searching for a storefront, she rented this 58 square meter small shop.
Are you afraid of starting a business for the first time?
To be honest, I have a very positive mindset and didn't make any 'worst case plans'. I put everything I learned into it and put in 100% of my energy. I believe this store will definitely do well, "said Feng Sha.
The decoration took over two months. She went to the second-hand market to find old items, including an old wooden table left by the landlord, which she personally polished and painted. There are photos she took hanging on the wall, and a hanging painting from a friend in the corner. New retro style, not expensive, but with warmth.
On December 22, 2023, the coffee shop opened its doors to welcome customers.
At the beginning, her popularity was not strong, "Feng Sha said, but she and her boyfriend were not anxious. We don't have many customers, so we study every day, develop coffee, and improve quality. At first, the store had about 30 varieties, but gradually found our areas of expertise, and now we have streamlined it to 20
The shop is called 'Changgou' – because the little dachshund she keeps has a long body. A customer was curious and said, "Your store name is so strange." She smiled and pointed to the dozing dog at the door, "That's it." The customer was amused and the atmosphere suddenly relaxed.
There is a 'big net' behind the small shop
It's not about doing it alone, there's a group of peers fighting together behind the scenes
While constantly exploring business strategies, Feng Sha gradually realized that this small caf é had brought her much more than just business growth. What really made her feel like she was' driving on 'were those unexpected warm moments.
She told a story. There is a girl who looks quite socially anxious. When she first came, she was very reserved and didn't dare to talk to her. Feng Sha made her a latte and pulled a little flower, and the girl's eyes lit up instantly. Later, this woman became a regular customer and sat in the same corner every time, slowly starting to chat with Feng Sha. Once, she suddenly took out a handmade sausage hair clip and gave it to Feng Sha.
That girl said she learned to make a gift for me when she saw the pictures of sausages hanging in the store, "Feng Sha said, her eyes curved." That moment was really healing. That's also the reason why I kept the coffee shop open – such healing and warm things happen every day
Nowadays, 'Changgou Coffee' has gained some popularity in Minzhu Village. Many young people come specifically to check in and take photos, some for coffee and some for dogs.
Fengsha's story is not an isolated case. Because behind her, there is a larger 'net' – the functional youth group working committee of the 'Youth Shop' in Jiulongpo District.
In 2024, the Jiulongpo District Committee of the Communist Youth League established the first Youth Small Shop Functional Youth League Working Committee, organizing young people from small shops within its jurisdiction and building a communication platform for "group development". For example, there are 39 managers in the "Youth Store" WeChat group where Feng Sha is located.
The group is particularly active, "Feng Sha showed the reporter with WeChat group messages." Everyone exchanges messages, shares experiences, releases policy propaganda, exchanges activities and other information. This platform has given us a great space for communication
I used to think that opening a small shop was just doing it on my own, but now I feel like there is a group of peers working together behind it. "The Youth League District Committee sometimes organizes short video editing classes or policy lectures, and Feng Sha would go listen to them when she had free time." It's not the kind of tough help, it's more like giving you a hand
At present, the number of youth small shops in Jiulongpo district has increased from 29 to nearly 50, and the coverage has expanded to places such as Jiulong Yiku and Huangjueping Graffiti Art Street.
Open classes at the 'Youth Night School'
I have served others, and they have also supported my small shop
What Feng Sha didn't expect was that she was not only the object of help, but also able to help others.
The Youth League District Committee encourages small shop owners to combine their strengths to offer "Youth Night School" courses. Fengsha plans to open a "Coffee Brewing Experience Course". Not only can it help more people understand coffee culture, but it can also bring new customers to the store. This is a win-win situation – I have served others, and others have also supported my small shop
Feng Sha has a bigger dream: "I hope to open a second store in the near future, set up 'i-person area' and 'dog area', so that people with different needs can find the most comfortable place in my coffee shop.
As night fell, lights lit up in the alleys of Democracy Village. There are still several customers sitting at the entrance of 'Changgou Coffee', some typing on their laptop keyboards, some holding books, and some just daydreaming. Feng Sha refilled their glasses of water and continued to be busy.
From "going it alone" to "developing together", from "city passersby" to "warm-hearted relays" – young people like Feng Sha, with love, courage, and perseverance, plant the seeds of their dreams in the old streets and alleys, taking root and sprouting under the nourishment of the city.