As younger consumers favor experiences over products, “curator”-led cafés and boutiques have sprung up across China. Yet with growing pushback against overpriced, underwhelming offerings, is this trendy fad already losing its appeal?
If you’re a coffee fan in China, it’s increasingly likely that, aside from the ubiquitous Luckin Coffee, you’ll come across small, independent outlets that brand themselves as “curator cafés (主理人咖啡店 zhǔlǐrén kāfēidiàn).” Once cramped into tiny hole-in-the-wall spaces, these shops are often staffed by an ultra-trendy barista who’ll casually chat with you in a mix of Chinese and English. They’ll eagerly deliver a five-minute “estate story” about their beans, and probably end with, “You can’t find this anywhere else (你在别家可喝不到 Nǐ zài biéjiā kě hē bú dào).”
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