Java Pioneer of Pingod: Lawrence Chen of Unconditional Love Coffee
For the last two years Lawrence Chen’s Unconditional Love Coffee has been a beacon of promise to the up-and-coming Pingod/Baiziwan Lu area, south of the CBD. Now, as the area starts to blossom, Lawrence Chen’s attentively crafted coffees are powering the boom. Who is the man behind the movement?
Where are you from originally, and how did you get into running coffee shops? I grew up in northwestern China. My mother moved to the USA when I was quite young, so I lived with my grandmother. I was quite a naughty teenager – I used to go out and party a lot, often forgetting my key so that I had to wake my grandmother up when I got home! When I was seventeen I moved to California, though at the time I didn’t want to. I was there for eighteen years – I studied, trained as a barista and worked for a few years in various espresso bars. My wife and children are back in California, so even though I have my business and friends here it is hard to call Beijing home.
When and why did you decide to do a coffee shop in Beijing? I studied to become a barista in Oregon and worked in coffee shops for a few years. I opened ULC two years ago; I saw Pingod and felt it had a lot of potential.
Why “Unconditional Love”? What was the inspiration for the name? It’s a very personal story – a dedication to my family, who tolerated and supported me over the years, particularly my grandmother and my stepfather.
What is your favorite thing about Beijing? It is very rich with culture and the people are very friendly. It is the capital city, it is a fashionable place to be and it has a lot of potential.
What is your favourite thing about the Baiziwan Lu/Pingod area? Is this the new place to be? It’s close to the CBD, but the area is very quiet, so you can escape the craziness and breathe. When I first opened, there was nothing here and they were still building, so there were big piles of dirt all along the street and around the cafe! The first year was very hard, I worked every day from 7-12. I had to be very dedicated! Now, there are more and more things to do and places to go right in the neighborhood, and of course there is so much art around that it is a very diverse and interesting place to be. It has a great atmosphere.
What is the concept of Unconditional Love? What makes it different? We are very lucky to have a really good mix of regulars, lots of friendly people from all around the world with different types of jobs. Of course this is a very creative area so there are lots of creative people such as artists and designers who come in. ULC is a people’s bar. I am very lucky to have many loyal customers and friends here. I feel that foreigners can come here and feel a bit of home. ULC is all about quality coffee- I make sure my staff are all very qualified, they have to have been working with me for 6 months before they’re allowed to touch the espresso machine! I have to ensure every cup of coffee I serve is of a consistently high standard.
What is your favorite drink on the menu? What do you think is the best summer drink? I like the iced mocha and the iced caramel mocha fredo for summer, but as a barista I will always appreciate a real cappuccino.
What is your favorite thing about ULC? I have a painting by Liu Ye which is worth far more than the cappuccino I paid for it!
If you could serve anybody a cup of coffee, who would it be? Al Pacino or Michael Jordan; they’re the greats!
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A soldier.
Other than coffee, what are you passionate about? Anyone will tell you I’m a little obsessed with coffee; it has taken over my life and become my main hobby!
What is your take on the evolution of café culture in China? I feel Starbucks introduced coffee to Chinese people, it is a product that has been introduced to Chinese culture quite recently. The big chains have amazing marketing- they’re everywhere! No-one else can truly compete, but I wanted to focus on delivering quality coffee in a more unique atmosphere, offering something more personal to my customers.
Do you have plans to open more branches of ULC? I don’t have any definite plans, but I would like to open a small espresso bar in the CBD next. It’s being discussed.
What advice would you give to people starting a business in Beijing? Patience! You need to be very determined, and stick to your initial idea, and of course it is essential to deliver a high quality product in order to get high quality, loyal customers.
Unconditional Love Coffee Daily 8am-late. 22 International Art Street, Pingod Apartments, 32 Baiziwan Lu, Chaoyang District. (5826 3652) 朝阳区朝阳区百子湾路32号苹果北社区今日美术馆往东100米
