Small coffee chains on the rise

TASTING THE FUTURE: As the younger generation trades its tea cups for coffee mugs, small coffee shop franchises have become highly lucrative

By Tina Yuan
Contributing Reporter
TAIPEI TIMES

Coffee may be one of the things many Taiwanese people associate Western culture and lifestyle.

But for Wu Meng-tsung, a cup of filtered coffee is not just about Western tastes, it is his livelihood.

"People like my coffee," said Wu, owner of a small coffee shop on Fushing South Road in Taipei.

Wu quit his civil engineering job last year after his employer delayed paying him for two months.

After thorough consideration and market research, the 42-year-old Wu decided to become his own boss by embracing the fast-growing coffee franchise business, capitalizing on the trend that increasingly characterizes the younger generation is preference for sipping coffee instead of drinking tea.

A year and a half ago, Wu joined E-Coffee, an express-style chain where customers can purchase a cup of coffee on the go. His shop was only the chain's fourth franchise.

More...