Business
22:34, 28-Jul-2017
Themed cafes bring in a different aroma
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By CGTN's New Money
The Calabash Brothers, the Black Cat Detective and the Monkey King… One can find all of these classic Chinese cartoon figures at a themed cafe in downtown Shanghai.
With the endorsement of the Shanghai Animation Film Studios, the creator of these household cartoon figures, Mein Friends Cafe & Store provides themed drinks and cakes, as well as movie-related stationary, t-shirts, and dolls.
Not far away is another cafe that actually puts you in the show. From the facade of the shop to the coffee mugs, all the details in this cafe are just the same as those at Central Park, one of the most visited hangouts in Friends, a popular US TV comedy. The real-world recreation of the cafe has attracted fans of Friends from all over.
Cafes with special themes like these two are becoming increasingly popular in China. In addition to the ones that bring the shows into their shops, others offer pets, art galleries, and flower displays.
Unlike traditional cafes whose main business is selling coffee and pastries, themed cafes also offer themed products and services. That's where they joined hands with the creative industry, especially with movie and TV producers.
Heavily reliant on box office earnings, the Chinese movie and TV industry is actively seeking to boost their IP-related sales, which now stand at around 5 percent, compared with the proportion of two thirds in Hollywood.
Industry insiders believe the movie-themed cafes may be just the beginning of Chinese movie producers' attempts to cash in on the full value of their movie characters.
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