On a weekend morning, the weather was nice, and the old Song across the road recognized his son Song Bingyu, who was standing in front of the café, and he had to wait for his wife who was parking. Xiao Song walked over and carried his father across the road.
Old Song: "What about Mom?" ”
Little Song: "In the parking." ”
Old Song: "How to drink coffee?" ”
Xiao Song took up the coffee and said, "Drink some of the milk on it." ”
Xiao Song: "I'll take you to see something,"
Old Song stared at the Sweet Love Cafe in 1999 and said, "I know. ”
Xiao Song: "Two days ago, a friend came to you."
Old Song: "Who... I don't know, I can't remember. ”
Lao Song, the founder of Sweet Love Cafe, suffered from Alzheimer's disease more than 10 years ago, and his memory deteriorated. Son Xiao Song said: "Today is quite happy, usually the thinking will not be so clear, today sitting on the bench outside, asking about the things in the store, is the business good?" Are there many people coming? "Although the same question was asked 3 times, it was clearly organized.
Xiao Song felt that letting Old Song come to the store to walk around, or go to the place where he used to live, should be helpful in delaying this disease.
Sitting on the bench and watching the people coming and going, Xiao Song felt that the questions his father asked were still quite logical and clear.
How to sit in the store, how to drink coffee, old Song was a little dazed, and his son picked up the cup and told him to drink like this.
Although Old Song can't remember many things, he won't forget the appearance of sweet love cafe in 1999.
That year, Nescafe swept Shanghai, Starbucks just started in Shanghai, the old Song couple laid off from the enterprise, by chance, like to drink coffee they bought a house on Sweet Love Road to prepare for coffee business, the name was according to the street sign, took "Sweet Love". At that time, the husband and wife shop was a more suitable way of doing business, and since it was done, it would be done for a lifetime.
They feel that opening a coffee shop is more elegant and decent than doing anything else.
At that time, the coffee raw materials in Shanghai Beach were purchased from a unified channel, and the taste was similar. Old Song went to the real pot, Shangdao, Starbucks turned around, these to do Italian coffee-based cafes, it is difficult to integrate with the traditional coffee they want, and finally decided to take the taste of old Shanghai coffee as the mainstay, localized operation, the mainstream customer base is positioned as customers with similar age levels.
From 2004 to 2006 was the heyday of the café, open at 9:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., the varieties are mainly "clear coffee" and "milk coffee", "milk coffee" is not the appearance of milk foam now, but light black coffee poured with fresh milk, melted together. The guests also ordered pistachios, cakes, peanuts, fruit platters, etc., especially in line with the casual way of Eating and Chatting in Shanghai.
The wife orders and serves the guests, and the old Song stands in the bar to brew coffee, and in his spare time, he can sit down and "Gasanhu" with the guests, doing basically the business of acquaintances. It is enough to have such a fixed customer base, and no matter how many couples are busy, they will not be able to keep busy.
The coffee was also served with nostalgic Lekoufu.
Two years ago, the store launched three innovative old Shanghai coffees with high clicks.
The old Shanghai coffee series has always been the signature of the store.
After that, espresso began to fill the streets of Shanghai, and the mainstream customer base tended to be younger, and they did not necessarily like the traditional old Shanghai coffee, including the way the husband and wife shop was operated.
Song Bingyu recalled that during that time, he should have transformed but did not. Maybe because it is their own house, the operating pressure is not as great as imagined. At that time, he was still in college and did not think of taking over his parents' class, but his parents often said that in the future, this stall would always be handed over to him.
Subconsciously, the café that Xiao Song imagined was not operated in this way. Other stores, with owners and employees, have a set of management processes and standardized products. If you talk to your parents, it is estimated that they are not very acceptable.
The truth is that business in cafes is getting bleaker.
In 2008, business fell to a low point. Xiao Song said that this is not necessarily a bad thing, they must have used their brains, struggled, and really have no ability to change, and need someone to save them.
It took two years for Xiao Song to determine the business philosophy and development direction, during which the ideas of the two generations did not conflict, but there was a small collision, he will observe the business model of the century-old coffee shop observed when studying in Japan, insisting that coffee is sold in the form of tea, dividing the place of origin and taste, and the parents think that the guests do not necessarily buy it.
Because at that time, there were very few guests who came to ask about the coffee origin, and some were also peers, not even Starbucks, and the market had not yet come to this step. In addition, according to the origin of the purchase, the investment is large, which is another layer of burden for the café that is no longer profitable.
In 2011, Song Bingyu officially took over the café, and his parents did not participate in the operation, but they often came to the store to ask about the situation. In addition to the inheritance, maintain the concept of Shanghai exquisite coffee, product transformation, the environment must also keep up, take what attracts young people, retain young people, Xiao Song launched Italian classic coffee, American latte.
"People have me to have, the difference is that my coffee is not so bitter, sweet", Song Bingyu said: "I can survive by opening my own shop, the starting point is higher than others, and there is a model that can be adhered to for a long time, study coffee, and enjoy it, which is the meaning of being able to do it." ”
Song Bingyu likes to drink old Shanghai coffee, which has the taste of childhood.
10 years ago, Xiao Song thought of selling coffee in the form of selling tea, dividing the origin and taste.
The layout of the store has also changed greatly from when my parents ran it.
Cafes in their 20s belong to the "old Keler" class in Shanghai, but they can attract young people to come here.
After taking over for 10 years, Song Bingyu feels that the transformation is still successful, although it is not realistic to make a lot of money.
Both sides of Sweet Love Road are historically protected buildings, love mailboxes and sweet love cafes have become popular punching places for young people and couples, and sweet love cafes are also loved by guests because of the "sweetness" given by their names and exquisite coffee.
"Honey Whisper" is written from the outer wall to the ceiling of the café, and it is not unusual for people to fall in love. Some bring their own children, ask the boss, the old couple, this is "back to the mother's home"; there are many people who encounter the scene of marriage proposals, need the help of the shopkeeper, the boys come in advance to arrange and cooperate to create encounters and surprises; and even break up, there is a sense of ceremony at the beginning and end, talking does not shy away from others, the depth of the love is excited and tearful, after saying calmly, after a while the boy folded back, sat down and ordered a cup of coffee, and confided in Xiao Song.
For 22 years, the old Shanghai coffee has been the signature of the store. When he was a child, Song Bingyu came to the store to play, and he was satisfied with a cup of coffee with heavy sugar and heavy milk. Now, he has his own ideas for the interpretation of old Shanghai coffee, bright ice brick coffee, wine brewed coffee, Shanghai old coffee three both continue the traditional taste of the parents and innovation, with the 1980s red double happiness cup may be unique to Shanghai, in addition to the elements of coffee and milk, milk foam also added Tokoufu.
Of course, there are also more professional, "play" coffee guests, siphon coffee menu is not on, but understand the guests can still drink, this is Song Bingyu understands the exquisite.
A café surrounded by "sweetness".
The blessings of love are written on the ceiling of the café, and they also bring "sweet" troubles to Xiao Song.
Although siphon coffee is not visible on the menu, guests who understand it can still drink it.
Shanghai is the city with the strongest coffee culture in the country, when Shanghai opened its port, coffee came in as an imported product, and the Shanghai café at night was also a relatively petty social occasion.
Xiao Song listened to his grandfather and uncle say that in the past, coffee should be secretly drunk, and the doors and windows should be closed when brewing coffee, which represents a refined way of life of Shanghainese.
Coffee culture week is coming, a variety of small and beautiful cafes are getting more and more attention from everyone, many café owners first like coffee, make friends with coffee, slowly form their own coffee culture, no longer like fast coffee, business coffee everywhere is the same.
Many guests came and said that the coffee was delicious and it was comfortable to sit here, and that was enough.
The entrance to the café is the best photo spot loved by citizens and tourists.
Waiting for seats on weekends.
Column Editor-in-Chief: Zhang Chunhai Text Editor: Zhang Chi Photo Editor: Zhang Chi Editor Email: [email protected]
Source: Author: Jiang Diwen