China Lite
Don't call me Laowai: Justin Clements
Updated: 2011-01-10 14:35
By Rustom Seegopaul (chinadaily.com.cn)
Like many before him, Justin Clements ventured to China as a tourist. An entrepreneur by nature, his mind saw possibilities in China and before long, ideas formed by his own need for affordable Western food, germinated and he opened a small cafe reminiscent of coffee shops in his native England.
While "The Old Bike Cafe" has only been open for 18 months, it has been a relative success. Strategically placed in the University Quarter of the city, his cafe attracts many students and has been a relative success. According to him, the students have been one of the primary reasons for the prosperity of his business.
"That's the reason we have our student nights and special discounts for students; its our way of saying thank you to them for supporting us," he said.
Though England is far away and Justin said that he does sometimes miss it, but has not plans of returning in the immediate future. "My heart is here right now; my family is here, my business is here and at the moment, my foreseeable future is here."
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