What Shanghai coffee shops faced when dine-in service returned

Shanghai restaurants and coffee shops could resume dine-in service from June 29 in streets and towns with no medium-risk areas and no community-level outbreaks in the past seven days. Owners described nonstop phone calls from regulars, customers waiting at the door before staff arrived, and the relief of reopening after more than three months.

Not every shop reopened at once. Some owners had waited out the closure living at their stores, others had already used up limited-edition beans on their own, and some were still awaiting approval. The accounts, shared as coffee online news, show how small shops and women cafe operators in the city handled an uneven return to normal.

After more than three months of waiting, Shanghai's restaurant industry has finally welcomed the return of dine-in service. Starting June 29, streets and towns with no medium-risk areas and no community-level outbreaks in the past week began reopening dine-in service in an orderly manner. As soon as the news broke, phones at major coffee shops wouldn't stop ringing, and owners shared moments from this unusual period: some customers arrived earlier than staff to wait, some owners drank an entire batch of limited-edition beans by themselves, some worked around the clock living at their shops, and others were still waiting for approval. This article documents the real experiences of Shanghai coffee shop owners, along with the procedures and current situation behind the resumption of dine-in service, while also keeping its focus on and recommendations for specialty coffee beans.

After more than three months of long waiting, Shanghai's restaurant industry has finally regained its lively atmosphere. Starting June 29, as long as the street or town has no medium-risk areas and no community-level outbreaks in the past seven days, dine-in service can gradually resume.

(Ring ring ring)

"Hello, can we sit in your shop and drink coffee now?"

"Yes, you can come in and dine starting on the 29th!"

"Thankfully, I still have a group of loving customers around me."

After the news was announced, phones at restaurants across Shanghai barely stopped ringing, and every customer who called to inquire could hardly contain their excitement. One coffee shop owner said:

"Every time I picked up the phone, I could recognize many familiar voices. They're all our regulars, and every call came with encouragement and a 'you've worked hard.' On the 29th, I deliberately arrived an hour early to prepare to open, and sure enough, an old friend was already standing at the door waiting. As soon as he saw me, he gave me a big hug, haha.

- pt向往生活

He told me: 'I was afraid you'd be too busy later, so I thought I'd come early and be the first customer, and chat with you a bit too. I've missed the coffee you brew so much these past few months!' I'm truly grateful to have these lovely customers—they've given me the strength to keep going."

"Making it to the day dine-in service resumed already feels like a miracle to me."

Although many coffee shops had already reopened, because they couldn't offer dine-in service, foot traffic was only about one-third of what it was during normal dine-in times. Another coffee shop owner shared:

"The day before the stay-at-home order was announced, I had just roasted a new batch of micro-lot coffee beans. I originally planned to offer them as a limited edition and let everyone experience the charm of these beans at a sharing price. But in the end, I drank the whole batch by myself...

- Vinkin

That same evening, I received 50 bottles of milk and 2 boxes of fresh cake, but by the time I got back to the shop, the cake had already wilted in the fridge, and the milk had passed its best drinking period. Add to that the rent and other expenses during this time—even with delivery, I couldn't cover costs at all. Making it to today, when dine-in has resumed, already feels like a miracle, and I'm luckier than many others."

"During the days of reopening, I looked the most haggard, but I don't regret it."

"Businesses that meet the conditions for continuous supply can apply for online delivery." This notice from the food safety management department left many coffee shop owners deep in thought—because it meant they would have to stay at the shop 24 hours a day. Some owners truly had no other choice and ultimately compromised with reality... But turning a coffee shop into a place to live around the clock is no easy feat. One coffee shop owner recalled:

"Because we weren't sure how many delivery orders there'd be, four people 'lodged' at the shop. The space is only just over 20 square meters. Luckily there's a bathroom, so basic hygiene needs could be met. But sleeping was a hassle—the four of us had to make do however we could: the women slept on chairs, the men on makeshift floor beds.

- 闲不住的ocean

At the time, not many coffee shops had reopened, and group-buy orders were plentiful. After a whole day of busy work, there was no chance to rest properly, and everyone looked terribly worn out (thankfully masks and face shields covered it up). During those days, I lived the most exhausting life, but I don't regret my choice. Now that dine-in has resumed, many customers who drank our coffee during that time came to the shop on the very first day."

Due to time constraints, I can only briefly share snippets from a few coffee shop owners during this period. Today, some friends in Shanghai also said online that their regular coffee shop still hasn't resumed dine-in service...

The process for resuming dine-in service is actually not simple. First, it requires approval, then it's rolled out in batches according to size. Among them, large shopping malls and large restaurants can apply first and get approved, so on the 29th, 800 Starbucks stores in Shanghai successfully resumed dine-in service.

- 威儿先森0908

Most small and medium-sized restaurants that applied as individuals, however, have to go through a waiting period, and the specific timing can only be determined after review by the relevant departments. As a result, quite a few coffee shops still haven't opened for dine-in. Even the Blue Bottle Coffee Yutong store, which drew a lot of attention recently, "queued for a while"—it wasn't until yesterday that the official account announced on Xiaohongshu that it would resume dine-in service starting July 1 (today).

- 张小姐逛吃逛

Everyone has worked hard during this time!

Although dine-in service has resumed, we still hope everyone can stagger their outings and avoid crowded places as much as possible.

Some restaurants and coffee shops will also implement capacity limits. If you're unsure about the situation, it's worth calling ahead before heading over. Businesses must also do a good job with epidemic prevention and disinfection!!!

Although the shadow of the pandemic hasn't fully lifted, summer has already returned. Summer always brings everyone vitality, and I believe the future will definitely be better!

"Keep going!"

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.