Xuhui's celebrated 'bear claw' cafe opening new outlets
A customer interacts with the cafe's bear claw.
Three new Hinichijou outlets, the famous "bear claw" cafe in Xuhui District that became an overnight sensation, are expected to open before the Chinese Lunar New Year.
One will open this weekend in Lujiazui in Pudong that covers about 30 square meters.
More than 50 percent of the employees at the new outlet are disabled, according to Wang Haiqing, one of the cafe's three founders.
Wang said new products such as bird's nest coffee will be served at the store and by delivery.
Hinichijou opened on December 3 — the annual International Day of People With Disabilities — and became an instant hit due to its innovative approach to serving coffee.
Located on Yongkang Road, customers scan a QR code hanging on the wall to place a coffee order. A takeaway cup is then delivered by a furry brown bear claw from a hole in the inconspicuous gray wall.
The paw shakes hands with customers, touches their heads and even presents red roses.
The cafe's unique service mode has attracted an endless stream of customers, who tend to go click happy with their mobile phones as they pose for photos.
Three of the cafe's baristas are hearing-impaired, one of whom has won prizes at coffee-making competitions.
Experts from the coffee branch of the Shanghai Technician Association have provided training for the baristas.
"The cafe provides more job opportunities for the disabled, and we provide professional training to help them grow quickly," said Zhou Fang, secretary general of the coffee branch.
