“负债300万，我开启第三次咖啡创业”With a debt of 3 million, I am embarking on my third coffee entrepreneurship

The third entrepreneurship has not started yet

Li Jiangchun, also known as Dou Ma, is a serial entrepreneur in the coffee industry.

She has single handedly built the hottest villa coffee shop in Chengdu and pioneered the nationally renowned "workstation coffee" model, with a maximum of 16 stores, but due to blind acceleration, the debt eventually exceeded 3 million.

This year, she set off again and opened a mahjong themed coffee shop called "Tens of Thousands". Before it officially opened, it was already full, and many celebrities spontaneously came to check in.

How should independent small shops "bloom" in the current situation where chain giants are pressing forward step by step? The story of Dou Mama may inspire over 100000 independent small shop owners.

Two coffee startups with a debt of 3 million yuan, the third one went viral before opening

My name is Li Jiangchun, and everyone calls me 'Dou Ma'. Resigned from the television station in 2014 and plunged into the coffee industry for 12 years.

My first store, Doudo Coffee, was moved into a villa without overwhelming marketing. With stable production and sincere hospitality, I made Doudo Coffee a boutique landmark that has consistently ranked among the top three coffee shops in Chengdu for four consecutive years.

For the second brand G1, I innovated the "workstation coffee". During the mask period, the daily cup volume of a single store could reach 1500 cups. At its peak, I opened 16 stores, and multiple first tier capital extended olive branches to me.

However, during the period of rapid expansion, I was too eager to develop quickly, took too big a step, lacked sufficient financial considerations, and coupled with the sluggish consumption and ongoing price wars after the epidemic, cash flow broke down within three months, and 16 stores closed one after another.

Not only did I lose all my savings, but I also took on over 3 million yuan in debt. At the most difficult time, I couldn't even come up with enough money to buy a birthday cake for my mother.

Someone advised me to apply for bankruptcy liquidation so that the debt would not affect my personal life, but I believed that repaying the debt was natural, so I took out my own pocket and began a two-and-a-half-year journey of debt repayment.

Lie down wherever you fall. I must go all the way to coffee.

This year, with the startup funds raised with the help of friends, I embarked on my third coffee entrepreneurship with a sense of destiny.

In an old factory dormitory building from the 1980s, there was no commercial district, no foot traffic, no luxurious decoration, and no promotion. However, unexpectedly, before it officially opened, it was already bustling with customers.

During the equipment debugging period, people came over to place orders. Even before the opening, they were so busy that they could walk tens of thousands of steps a day. Artists took the initiative to hold exhibitions here, many celebrities spontaneously checked in, and the Jumping Sea Tavern approached me for cooperation

Half of the store's budget has been spent, and it's a disastrous start to the market. We have to resort to various tactics

The opportunity for my third entrepreneurship came from an old red brick building built in 1979, which was dilapidated, quiet, but very similar to the place where I lived when I was a child.

Several friends who sincerely hope that I can turn things around extended a helping hand - some invested, some connected resources, and some introduced investors, which made it difficult for this store to be born.

I named it 'Tens of Thousands'.

Wan "is the number of tiles in mahjong, and" a few "means countless possibilities - together, I want to create countless new possibilities in the most down-to-earth atmosphere of old Chengdu.

This time, I no longer see myself as the owner of a chain brand, but return to the store, serve every customer seriously, treat my partners seriously, and calculate every expense carefully.

On the road to entrepreneurship, there will always be obstacles, but as the old Chengdu saying goes, 'It's such a big pot that can't be extinguished, just punch through it.'.

The opening of this store was also full of twists and turns. Halfway through, it was short of money and had to shut down. Before opening, the budget was already at its bottom. However, before this year's Spring Festival, the bar finally stood up and the coffee equipment was ready, but the money was completely spent.

The second floor hasn't been furnished yet, and there are no soft furnishings on the first floor. The yard can't even accommodate tables and chairs, and meals and drinks other than coffee are not ready yet.

Not everything is ready, let alone the east wind, but I am ready to open because if I don't make my own blood, this store will die in its infancy.

At the beginning of the collapse, we can only see the moves and dismantle them.

1. Not enough tables and chairs? Then bring your own table and chairs and get 5 yuan off

Others are offering a "bring your own cup and get 5 yuan off" policy, but I can't even provide tables, chairs, and benches. So I decided to offer a "bring your own table and chairs and get 5 yuan off" policy. Guests brought camping chairs and tables, while nearby residents brought small stools and small horses.

I didn't expect this helpless act to become a "traffic password". Bringing your own table and chairs to drink coffee has become a "trend" in Chengdu for a while.

During peak hours, the yard was filled with camping chairs and small horses, and everyone enjoyed it endlessly. They couldn't help but post on social media. Even before the store opened, the first wave of tap water poured in.

2. Opening without flower baskets, potted plants and ornaments are included

More and more people know about this store, and opening is imminent.

I don't have the money to do high-end activities, so I invited my friends, familiar old customers, and spiritual shareholders to have coffee and chat.

Since we are all relatives and friends, when writing the invitation letter, I was not polite and directly stated: do not give flower baskets, just give small decorations, potted plants, or buy a cup of coffee.

Friends brought flowers, plants, and decorative dolls, and a painter friend directly made a 3D painting on the wall. Through love and co creation, this shop finally had a bit of a coffee shop like appearance.

3. Please have Auntie sit at the mahjong table, the three-day event will blow up the community

The opening activity is just for popularity. Without money for publicity, I planned a set of "unfashionable" opening plan centered on the "old Chengdu courtyard scene" of the store.

On the first day, there was a mahjong tournament. I invited 8 middle-aged ladies in their 60s from the surrounding community to sit at every table, and customers would first compete with the ladies. In a courtyard that replicates the 1980s, they would have a big battle with the community ladies. This interesting invitation surprisingly attracted hundreds of customers in one afternoon.

The last winning guest received a drink voucher, and the middle-aged lady happily played mahjong all afternoon. Each person took away a basket of eggs, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves.

The next day was the "non-standard Chengdu dialect level 8 exam", and I set up the courtyard as the exam room. The third day is a rock paper scissors competition, where customers randomly rock paper scissors with the store staff and win to receive coupons.

No advertisements were placed, no influencers were invited, but the sound was solid and broke circles.

4. Hold concerts, dance square dances, and "open cafes" by dancing in the sea tavern

The fun of tens of thousands quickly spread.

I started learning to open a coffee shop by co creating with customers at the Jumping Sea Tavern. A customer loves music, so she formed her own band and held a "Ba Ba Music Concert" in the yard. A talented painter customer directly held a solo art exhibition in the store.

I also invited a dance professional customer to help me create an easy to learn square dance, and in the evening, we danced happily together.

In the future, I will also place an "automatic vending machine for sunflower seeds and peanuts" at the entrance to seamlessly connect coffee with the courtyard life in old Chengdu.

After several events, the popularity of the store has been increasing and the revenue continues to rise.

One day, we ran into Zhong Hanliang in the store, and later met Jiang Sida, who is also a tap water artist.

There is also a top tier production team that will spend a huge amount of money to film a drama this summer. The Jumping Sea Tavern has also reached a cooperation through friends' connections, planting a bar counter in the store at night to share revenue.

The survival of independent cafes cannot rely solely on human touch

Being an independent caf é, human touch is important, but it heavily relies on the personal charm and time of the host.

When I was making my first villa coffee, I wished I could give each guest a "cross-talk", and even delayed breastfeeding to accompany guests who were feeling down.

But this model of relying on the personal charm of the manager is extremely difficult to replicate, and even business is not good without the manager. My third entrepreneurial experience taught me that independent small shops cannot rely solely on human touch.

Firstly, there should be unique scene labels.

The name 'tens of thousands' comes from the mahjong culture in Chengdu.

Our coffee beans range from "10000" to "60000", with 6 beans to choose from. Mahjong elements can be seen everywhere in the store, and drinking coffee in the midst of fireworks will leave customers with memorable moments.

The location was in an 80s old factory dormitory building, sitting in the middle of a courtyard sandwiched between two red brick buildings. Suddenly, I had a feeling of starting over again. During the renovation, I intended to preserve the original texture without making too many changes. Instead of wearing makeup, it made everyone feel relaxed as soon as they came in, and instantly found the old courtyard in my memory.

Secondly, speak with sufficiently professional and diverse products.

Some people say that tens of thousands are internet celebrities, but in fact, internet celebrities cannot just stay at the surface level of excitement. The real strength lies in the mode and production. During the G1 period, I honed my strong production and standardization abilities.

This time, I have planned full-time products for Japanese cafes, lunch, and night drinks (with meals and drinks coming soon), where guests can spend the whole day here.

Thirdly, mobilize customers to create a collaborative community.

Service does not rely on the host, but rather builds a stage, mobilizes customers to connect with each other, and makes them take the customer first, treating the coffee shop as their own territory. This sense of belonging is what makes a store truly irreplaceable.

In summary, independent coffee shops require unique scene labels, professional and diverse products, and a community that gives customers a sense of belonging.

Tens of thousands, it's just an attempt - not to imitate or follow the trend, just rooted in the life of old Chengdu, connecting people and stories with coffee.

Conclusion

Editor's note: In 2018, I interviewed Douma for the first time. From villa coffee to workstation coffee, and now to mahjong coffee, I was fortunate to witness the most vigorous 8 years of Chinese coffee, as well as the growth and transformation of a coffee person in the tide of the times, and their business resilience.

I want to say: 100000+independent small shops scattered throughout the corners of the city are the soul of this industry. I hope every coffee enthusiast can find their own way to bloom like Dou Mama, and together let the ecology of Chinese coffee truly flourish.

This article is from WeChat official account "Kamen Club" (ID: Kamen Club), the author: Guojun, 36 krypton is authorized to release.