Dependent or Independent: Exploring the Culture of Local Coffee Shops in China

Despite the short history of coffee in China, the Chinese coffee market has been expanding and gradually becoming an important overseas market for coffee transnational corporations such as Nestlé and Starbucks since the 1980s. Meanwhile, the number of independent coffee shops owned by individuals in China is inflating in response to the increasing demand of high-quality coffee. The popularity of independent coffee shops reflects a struggle between local and global cultures. Although previous studies about independent coffee shops in other Asian countries and areas, such as Japan and Taiwan, are abundant, no study has yet addressed independent coffee shops in China. This study helps to fill the gap in the existing literature by exploring the Chinese domestic coffee market from the perspective of owners/managers of independent coffee shops in Beijing, China. In-depth interviews and observations are used to collect data. Findings reveal the dilemmas faced by the owners and how their values are reflected through managing their coffee shops.