Shanghai, August 31 (Xinhua) — Experience the "Charity Temperature" in the City with the Most Coffee Shops in the World
China News Service reporter Zheng Yingying
Shanghai, the city with the largest number of coffee shops in the world, is transforming coffee into a carrier of love. As one of the important events of the 2026 Shanghai Charity Week, the 5th "Warmth of a Cup of Coffee" public welfare event hosted by the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau kicked off on August 31, attracting more than 90 coffee brands and 1300 coffee stores to participate.
The "2026 China Urban Coffee Development Report" jointly released by the Shanghai Cultural and Creative Industry Promotion Association, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Cultural Innovation and Youth Development Research Institute and other units shows that the number of coffee shops in Shanghai has exceeded 10000, making it the city with the largest number of coffee shops in the world.
Strolling through the streets of Shanghai, cafes can be seen everywhere, but Bear Claw Coffee is still special because it employs many disabled baristas.
On August 31st, at a Bear Claw coffee shop located on Huaihai Middle Road in the center of Shanghai, a staff member handed drinks to customers from the window. Photo by Zheng Yingying, reporter from China News Service
Xiong Claw Coffee was founded in 2020, and its first store was opened for a hearing-impaired person who is good at making coffee – Chen Yingying. Back then, Chen Yingying won a gold medal in a professional coffee competition but couldn't find a job. With the heart of public welfare and the intention of cherishing talents, Wang Jian, the founder of Bear Claw Coffee, founded the brand, hoping that people with disabilities can also have a place in the workplace.
Wang Jian told reporters from China News Service that Xiong Claw Coffee has actively participated in the first "Warmth of a Cup of Coffee" charity event since its inception. The donated money not only warms others, but also warms our disabled baristas. They know they are helping others when making every cup of coffee, and they are beneficiaries themselves. Now they have the opportunity to give back to society and help other vulnerable groups, and they feel very proud
This year, the "Warmth of a Cup of Coffee" public welfare activity has reached the core business districts, office buildings, old streets and alleys, and rural areas in Shanghai. Among the coffee shops participating in the event, there is a group of brands that continue to participate, as well as some newly joined forces of love.
Shanghai brand coffee participated in this public welfare activity for the first time this year. Lin Sheng, the person in charge of the Shanghai Brand Coffee Light Industry Building store, told reporters that this place is located near the historical and cultural area of Hengshan Road and Fuxing Road in Shanghai, with a large flow of people. He hopes to become a dissemination point for public welfare coffee and attract more people to join charity activities.
The person in charge of COFFEE IS Xiangyang South Road store, Xu Ling, introduced that the employees in the store were very enthusiastic and spontaneously registered to count the number of public welfare coffee cups after closing every day. The store will donate 1 RMB for every cup of coffee sold. Xu Ling said that if the sales of public welfare coffee are less than 1000 cups within the 7-day event period, the store plans to directly make up for the difference. Public welfare is not divided by industry, and we, as coffee professionals, happen to have this opportunity to gather more compassionate forces
This year, the public welfare activity will raise funds for the Shanghai Children's Welfare Foundation's "Guarding the Heart of Shanghai" mobile children care project and "Setting Sail Starlight" autism children care project through donations from coffee shops, citizens, and social organizations.
Yu Lefeng, Deputy Director of the Social Organizations Management Department of the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau, stated in an interview that Shanghai is a city with a large number of coffee shops, and he hopes that coffee shops can become an important carrier for spreading the concept of charity and public welfare. (End)