There are over 300 coffee shops of different sizes in Anji County, Zhejiang Province alone?, Nowadays, it is popular to open coffee shops in rural areas for socializing

In front of me was a stunning blue. The huge pit left by mining was filled with water, like a bright gemstone. The shore is a green lawn, with dozens of white reclining chairs and umbrellas supporting them. There are constantly young men and women holding coffee, struggling to take photos and check in with different shapes. In Hongmiao Village, Anji County, Zhejiang Province, a small village with almost no tourism resources. A mining caf é called "Deep Blue Plan X" is very popular on social media, attracting not only many tourists to queue up to take photos and check in, but also many rural leaders and government department heads who want to learn from experience. The ticket to this caf é in the village includes 68 yuan for a cup of coffee, which is not cheap, but nearly 500000 people have also visited it. The sales volume of coffee is 500-800 cups on weekdays and 1000-2000 cups on weekends, with the peak exceeding 5000 cups in a single day. After more than a year of operation, "Deep Blue Plan X" has earned millions of yuan. In fact, opening coffee shops in rural areas, or various rural cultural and tourism projects with coffee shops, is no longer a new thing.

The location of the Deep Blue Plan x Cafe. Interviewee provides pictures

Rural coffee shops are not doing business for the villagers

The organizer of "Deep Blue Plan X", Cheng Shuoqin, is a native of Anji. After graduating from university, he worked as a teacher, opened cinemas and hotels, and later invested in and started a project with a few friends. He became interested in the mining pit of Hongmiao Village. After several investigations, Cheng Shuoqin decided to build a coffee shop. At that time, Anji already had many rural cafes, several of which became famous on social media for their rural scenery and popular photo shoots. Cheng Shuoqin felt that the scenery of the mine was no less beautiful than those places. Hongmiao Village has been wanting to develop mines and create new business models for a long time. When camping was just starting to take off, Shen Yongtian, the village party branch secretary, went to Zhujiajiao, Shanghai to inspect and plan a similar project. There are also many projects competing with the Deep Blue team at the same time, but the reason for choosing them, according to Shen Yongtian's words: these young people are too careful. The terrain and landforms of various points near the mine pit are even more familiar to them than he, the secretary, after a few days of exploration. In addition, with the detailed and innovative planning plan provided, the village ultimately decided to build a coffee shop.

Dark Blue Plan x Cafe's internet celebrity check-in spot. Interviewee provides pictures

At first, there were too many villagers who didn't understand. Shen Yongtian remembers that at that time, some villagers said they were making coffee that only urban people could drink in the village, and they were crazy about money. But Cheng Shuoqin and Shen Yongtian knew in their hearts that rural coffee shops were not doing the business of the villagers. Peng Jiaqi, the person in charge of Maitian Coffee in Xinyu Village, Linping District, Hangzhou, also believes so. In March last year, Peng Jiaqi visited Xinyu Village for the first time and saw a large green wheat field, with the wind blowing through the wheat waves, which was breathtaking. "At first, I didn't want to open a coffee shop for external business." Peng Jiaqi strolled around the village and concluded, "This kind of place definitely loses money, what you do will lose." In his opinion, the resource endowment of Xinyu Village is average, with no mountains or water: there is a lotus pond at the entrance of the village, open for viewing, and no one operates it; The Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal passes through villages and may be able to develop water entertainment projects; The rest that can be called scenery is probably large wheat fields. There are not many commercial entities with professional operational capabilities in the village, and almost no one is willing to invest and develop. However, the village has been hoping for commercial entities to settle in. Peng Jiaqi and the village secretary communicated and reached an agreement. Nevertheless, the landing process went through several twists and turns. "I once suspected that the village was lying to me and only gave verbal guarantees. The village was also worried that I was a scammer." Peng Jiaqi waited for half a year and almost went to the village committee every day to polish and discuss the details. In the end, they reached an agreement and the village funded the reconstruction of the house. Peng Jiaqi paid an annual rent of 30000 yuan to build a photography studio. Later, because he took photos here, many people spontaneously checked in and uploaded them to social media. Peng Jiaqi decided to expand his business scope and start a rural coffee shop. Villagers talking behind their backs, coffee shop? Can't it go bankrupt after half a year? When the coffee shop was just opened, the villagers would also come to buy a cup and taste it. Most of them would roast about how expensive it is? A cup of American coffee is priced at 25 yuan, and most drinks cost around 35 yuan per cup. Hu Jian, the owner of Cozy Coffee in Dazhuyuan Village, Anji County, remembers that when the coffee shop first opened, two old ladies came to her with a stack of cash to buy coffee. They tasted a few bites and shook their heads, saying it was so bitter, saying how could so many young people from outside come here to drink this thing specifically. "Young people in the city are willing to come to rural cafes, never because of the coffee itself," Hu Jian smiled.

The mine where the Deep Blue Plan x Cafe is located. Interviewee provides pictures

The key to opening a coffee shop in the village is to create internet celebrities

Since we don't do business with the villagers, what makes rural cafes popular? The answer may be about appearance. Cheng Shuoqin realized early on that the most urgent need for young people to travel now is to take photos and post on social media. If Deep Blue Plan X wants to become popular, it needs to fully meet this demand. In today's "Deep Blue Plan X" mining caf é, there are internet celebrities taking photos and checking in everywhere. The most beautiful window, tightly frames the blue mine water outside the window, and easily captures a large area. When the traffic is at its peak, it takes two to three hours just to queue, but the handsome and beautiful men and women dressed in glamorous clothes still enjoy it. "This window was carefully designed by us. The composition, lighting, and layout of the bricks have all been changed many times," Cheng Shuoqin told reporters. When the mining caf é first opened, he even hired a photographer to help tourists take photos for free at the caf é's check-in point, and even provided photo editing services. At first, many tourists were worried. They thought they were swindlers who took pictures for money. Later, they learned that this was to let them join the community of the coffee shop. What new activities would be announced on the official account in the future, and everyone saw them, so they could come back and play again. Peng Jiaqi invested more than 500000 yuan in the decoration of his wheat field coffee, and the pushable french window are the key. When the weather is good, open all the windows, making people feel as if they are in the wheat field. In the other room, there are two square windows on the wall. Looking out from the windows, the wheat field looks like a painting. In the wheat field, Peng Jiaqi set up a swing and placed bamboo chairs, which some people praised as a comic world by Hayao Miyazaki. "No matter what style of coffee shop it is, you can find it in the city and won't find it novel, but when combined with the scenery outside the window, it's different," he said. In Xiangu Village at the foot of Maoshan Mountain in Jintan, Jiangsu, the reporter saw a rice field caf é that was quite famous online. There are several small houses with white walls and straw roofs scattered in the rice fields, and not far away there is also a canopy tent. The caf é is right next to the rice paddies, sitting on the second floor terrace and drinking a cup of coffee is incredibly comfortable. Looking at rapeseed in spring and rice paddies in autumn, the rural landscape has integrated into a new consumer scene, making consumers shine. "In the past, when looking at rice paddies and rapeseed flowers, people and scenery were separated. Through reasonable planning, the fields had small paths and a rugged background without damaging the crops, achieving the best of both worlds." Cafe owner Chen Xia said, "Here, it gives people a feeling of being close to nature and returning to the countryside.". Based on Chen Xia's experience, the key to opening a coffee shop in rural areas is to turn the store into a popular check-in point, and then combine it with online operations. Before opening a store in Xiangu Village, Chen Xia deliberately measured the traffic. Xiangu Village relies on the Maoshan Scenic Area. Chen Xia has studied the pedestrian flow and ticket revenue of the scenic area, as well as investigated the number of evaluations of hotels around the scenic area. He has concluded that this is an area with high internet popularity. "Coffee itself is a category with a relatively small audience, with a young audience and a high traffic base, in order to do this." The celebrity effect is also quite important. Actress Zhao Lusi has taken photos at Cozy Coffee, and many netizens have come to check in to say "Zhao Lusi is the same style". Cheng Shuoqin also recounted to the reporter how many celebrities and internet celebrities have visited "Deep Blue Plan X" before and after. The key to opening a coffee shop in the village is to create internet celebrities, allow tourists to check in, rely o

Rural Cafe

The coffee shop gradually calmed down

After the "Deep Blue Plan X" mine coffee shop became popular, it had a huge impact on Hongmiao Village. From beginning to end, the village collective distributed over 200000 yuan in dividends. There are also some visionary villagers who have invested and invested in stocks, and have all received considerable returns. There are many old people left behind in the village. When they are free, they go to the coffee shop to sell food such as sausages, Shaobing (Baked cake in griddle) and ice cream, and earn a little money. The attitude of the villagers towards the coffee shop has already changed. The "Deep Blue Plan X" mine coffee shop has a great drainage effect on the village. Shen Yongtian wants to take this opportunity to develop the cultural and sports industry in Hongmiao Village, and also plans to develop several mines on the gentle slopes of the northwest hills. The village is still discussing the introduction of sports projects such as Banma and Quanma to create outdoor sports destinations. Chen Xia's rice field coffee shop is becoming a new traffic growth point in the nearby Maoshan scenic area. Coming out of the scenic area, having meals or accommodations, and opening Dianping, almost everyone will go to the coffee shop to take a look. Cafes bring traffic, villagers set up markets, sell toys and snacks to increase income. At the busiest times, there are more than ten stalls, and in spring, there is also an experience of catching lobsters. Peng Jiaqi's wheat field coffee opened in mid April this year, and after a trial operation for half a month, it caught up with the May Day holiday. Too many people came and there were no parking spaces, blocking the village roads and even traffic police came to direct traffic. There was no place to sit in the store, and the yard was full of people. Many customers came over, took a look around, and then left. The door couldn't even enter. Peng Jiaqi expected only 100 people, but the number exceeded ten times, and his preparation was very inadequate. The hot scene lasted for about a week, and the guests felt very bad, with many negative comments. There were all kinds of roast, for example, the place was too small, the service could not keep up, and they came back with expectations. Recently, the weather has been hot, and the wheat field coffee has gradually calmed down, with a daily turnover of two to three thousand yuan and over ten thousand yuan on weekends, forming a relatively stable flow data. "When the autumn coffee peak season arrives, it's not as hot anymore. After everyone goes out, they should be able to make a comeback." This caf é has become a landmark in the village. Many leaders, big and small, have come before, and even "Maitian" has been registered as a brand first. Various companies such as Maitian ride hailing, Maitian catering, and Maitian farmhouse have emerged, with registered addresses in Xinyu Village. On the day the reporter went to the "Deep Blue Plan X" caf é for an interview, the weather was particularly hot. However, in just 10 minutes, two teams came to inspect and asked the staff to show them the hottest spots. "Apart from Xinjiang, Xizang and Hainan, people from other domestic provinces have come to study here!" Shen Yongtian said proudly. The "Deep Blue Plan X" caf é seemed to have become a model for rural development for a while, and people from all over wanted to replicate this traffic code. What to learn? Can you succeed in learning? Shen Yongtian couldn't explain this clearly either. After all, there are mines everywhere and rice paddies everywhere. Is it possible to open a coffee shop in every village and every piece of water? As a practitioner, Hu Jian has expressed such concerns to journalists. Anji is a small mountainous county with three to four hundred coffee shops now, and the trend of growth is still ongoing. She is worried that everyone will flock to this industry, and the quality will be uneven, which may lower consumers' impression of the entire Anji coffee shop. "And to be honest, among all these coffee shops, there may only be a dozen

Cozy Cafe in Anji County. Interviewee provides pictures

Using rural landscapes as selling points is no longer uncommon

Peng Jiaqi believes that the popularity of May Day proves that Maitian Coffee has the potential to become a popular coffee shop on the internet. Not only locals from Linping, but also people from surrounding counties such as Tonglu and Xiaoshan, as well as surrounding cities such as Jiaxing, Ningbo, Shanghai, and Suzhou, come to check in. "We can't just do business within one scope, otherwise no matter how popular it is, there will only be so many people in total." But Peng Jiaqi also had concerns. He is worried that a caf é as a single tourist destination may not last long. After wave after wave of tourists taking photos and checking in, the attraction of the coffee shop becomes difficult to sustain, and a complete travel route is needed to welcome returning customers. The village is planning a 20 acre sunflower field and a farm that focuses on parent-child interaction, both of which are under construction, but require a relatively long process. If you want to have repeat customers, the coffee shop itself needs to constantly update and enrich its content. Hu Jian told reporters that Cozy Coffee opened in April last year, but this year we will find something different. "I have expanded the originally leased 1.5 acres of land to 4 acres, which has solved several problems. Firstly, it has increased the area of the parking lot, making it more convenient for customers. Secondly, it has added a flower room as a new space. Additionally, our store is friendly to pets, and with the expansion of the area, the outdoor lawn has become wider, allowing more customers to bring their dogs to play." Many customers have noticed Cozy's changes and naturally become repeat customers. The Deep Blue Plan X is also expanding its second and third phases to create new content such as art galleries and markets.

Cozy Cafe in Anji County. Interviewee provides pictures

Of course, there are still many coffee shops that are just one of the rural cultural and tourism formats, and because they are combined with other projects, they are not afraid of no one coming. For example, the Huanxi Planet Farm in Hangnan Village, Yunhe Street, Linping District, Hangzhou City integrates popular businesses such as barbecue, bars, and camping, with coffee shops being just one component. When the reporter arrived, the person in charge Liu Bin was inflating the inflatable swimming pool. The weather was hot, and his farm was almost deserted. The pool party at night was one of the summer activities he planned. The farm opened in March this year and business is very good, with at least two to three hundred groups of customers every weekend. The village and street are very supportive, and activities such as Women's Day and union activities are held on the farm. Liu Bin himself also posted on Xiaohongshu, and his articles quickly became popular. They often appeared on the homepage of Xiaohongshu's corresponding keywords. If you search for Linping Farm or Linping Weekend Walks, the first one to jump out is him. In addition to being able to vacation and relax, Huanxi Planet Farm can also set up outdoor live streaming studios. In April this year, the live broadcast on the farm was at its peak, with nearly 20 live broadcasts conducted. Nanjing Sujia Ideal Village Youguang Coffee is a rural caf é that serves as a part of the scenic area. As one of the earliest stores to open in Sujia Ideal Village, "business was very poor at first and not many people came over.". The person in charge, Zhang Min, said. With the diversification of business formats, restaurants, homestays, fishing, camping, kayaking, parent-child parks, and others are gradually attracting investment and operation. The village is located in the western part of Jiangning District, with nearby Ginkgo Lake and Huanglongxian. The tourist destinations are connected in a contiguous area, and it has its own traffic. Zhang Min's business is gradually improving. Later, Sujia Ideal Village became a model for rural tourism, and Zhang Min received inspection teams from all over the country. The model is gradually being promoted, and the ideas are not difficult to learn. In the past two years, the construction of beautiful rural areas around Nanjing has accelerated, and more and more villages have developed agricultural, cultural, and tourism projects. There are many people who run rural coffee shops, and everyone's mode is also different. Some locals own their own houses and do not need to pay rent. They have a fixed flow of customers and make ends meet every month. They earn no less than going out to work, do not seek much traffic, and only want to have enough food and clothing. Some coffee shops are specifically designed to attract traffic for local real estate projects, responsible for creating atmosphere and texture, not their main business. But no matter what, there are still the most people who want to make money from coffee shops. It must be admitted that currently, the race track for opening coffee shops in rural areas is gradually becoming crowded, and using rural landscapes as selling points is no longer uncommon. Behind the first person to create a best-selling product, there must be a rush of imitators, but if they only imitate without surpassing, it is difficult to achieve the same effect. Cheng Shuoqin's team has already begun to think of other ways. "There is still room for vertical refinement of the coffee track, such as selling coffee beans and milk, doing coffee machine maintenance, and even providing coffee training. As our brand expands, we may shift from the C-end to the B-end.". Cheng Shuoqin said. Shen Yongtian also revealed that the rural coffee training center in Hongmiao Village is already in preparation, and he is confident in taking the path of developing rural coffee well. Recently, many places have invited the Deep Blue team to operate projects in the village. Cheng Shuoqin does not want to limit the "Deep Blue" brand to a single coff