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Many residents in neighboring communities
visited The Burrow after its opening at Zhong-
dao Street. According to media reports, des-
sert shops and bars had opened nearby in the
following months, renewing the whole street
visually, temperamentally and socially.
Sitting at one end of Zhongdao Street, The Bur-
row neighbors the food market. It was converted
from a chicken coop and has been a famed name in
the city. As soon as it opened in August 2022, trendy
youngsters gathered here and tagged it as “Chicken
Coop Café”, “internet-famous shop”, “steampunk”,
the list goes on. Named after Ron Weasley’s family
home from Harry Potter, the owner Chang Sihong
wishes that The Burrow could be “homey” to visitors
from all over the world. He sees it as more of a com-
mon room, where everyone can make a cup of coffee.
Just as Chang takes Ron’s home as the best place he
has ever seen, The Burrow has met a similar expec-
tation, to some extent. After one year of operation,
it is still vibrant. Just like this ever-improving store,
Chang is also growing.
“Being an internet-famous shop Is an Estab-
lished Fact”
When it came to choosing the location, Chang
mulled over four factors: being interesting, unlimited
possibilities, contrast, and low rent. For the current
location at Zhongdao Street, he says frankly, “I was
lucky to find such a ‘treasure’. The site gives us end-
less room for imagination.”
A golden zeppelin sits on the roof. Steampunk
objects pile up. Knick Knacks made with primitive
techniques – iron fireplaces and light fittings, and
hammered brass wall coverings – liven up the room.
Massive metal elements and mechanical installations
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perfectly resonate with red bricks and antique wood. concept in line with the increasingly mature coffee
The 17m 2 space accommodates a movable bar coun- market in Chengdu. The stable products and enriched
ter, a separate zone for coffee lessons, a display brand need in-depth thinking.”
zone for cultural products, a vinyl player, a ration- Being an “Instagrammable” place means cus-
al zone to use fireplaces, a zone for brewing, a zone tomers would demand more than products. The
for roasting coffee beans, separate seating areas, Burrow was not a simple coffee-selling store since
and a large storage zone. its inception. Chang thinks apart from offering a cup
Through the fully open bar counter and folding of coffee, offering more added value represents a
doors, along with an outdoor seating area across the type of involution. “Many consumers tend to have
street, The Burrow opens its gates to accommodate more specific needs. On top of caffeine, they demand
all the guests and quickly shortens the distance from aesthetic recognition, social currency, and even
customers. Originally, the store planned to offer cof- emotional connection with baristas,” he says. “In
fee courses, in addition to a simple menu of america- principle, this is not something that a cafe needs to
nos, lattes, flat whites, and pour-overs. Unexpected- provide. However, the large base in Chengdu means
ly, sales boomed with lots of attracted visitors. that many cafes must meet these needs to survive
However, Chang Sihong was in no hurry to enrich the before they are attractive enough. There is no right
menu or add special options. “Being a merch store is or wrong in this matter; it’s just a way to survive
an established fact. We are just an ordinary store for different stores.”
among nearly 10,000 cafes in Chengdu. What we need Many residents in neighboring communities visit-
to do is to observe the market trends, without paying ed The Burrow after its opening at Zhongdao Street.
too much attention to the pace of society. We don’t According to media reports, dessert shops and bars had
have to influence or be influenced,” he says, “We want opened nearby in the following months, renewing the
to express that coffee is an everyday consumption, a whole street visually, temperamentally and socially.
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