Brewing Success: How One Chinese Entrepreneur Revived a Fading Café in New Zealand
Staff Writer: Yiyi Xie
Image Source: Supplied
New Zealand is renowned for its coffee culture, boasting an abundance of well-funded chain coffee shops and a growing number of specialty cafés that focus on unique experiences. As competition for coffee market share intensifies, Chinese café owners have become a rising force to be reckoned with.
One such entrepreneur is Tina Wang, a Chinese immigrant who embarked on her first café venture in New Zealand. Through trial and error, she breathed new life into a café that was once on the brink of decline.
From a Celebrity Café to a Revival
Originally from Beijing, Tina Wang has been living in New Zealand for 12 years. Despite the time away, her Mandarin still carries the unmistakable accent of her hometown.
Tina’s love with coffee started 20 years ago while she was attending university in Beijing, at a time when most cafés in the city resembled bubble tea shops rather than authentic coffeehouses. Little did she know that two decades later, she would open her own café on the other side of the world.
In October of last year, Tina took over Gentle Giant, a café located just outside Christchurch’s city center. After scouting nearly 90% of the city's cafés, Tina, herself a foodie and coffee enthusiast, chose this particular spot despite its dwindling customer base.
Why take on a struggling café? Tina, new to Christchurch, saw potential. The café’s location in a commercial area gave her hope, as it catered to young professionals who are typically more open to fresh ideas. Plus, with a 10-year history, Gentle Giant had already established a reputation in the community, having been founded by three South Korean owners and once making the list of the city's top cafés.
From Beijing to New Zealand
After graduating from university, Tina had dreams of opening her own bubble tea shop, but the timing wasn’t right. After working in China for three years, she set her sights on studying abroad and arrived in New Zealand in 2012 to study hospitality.
During her studies in Auckland, Tina pursued barista training, eventually gaining hands-on experience in a six-month hotel internship. This launched her career in the service industry. After graduating, she began working as a barista in Hamilton and later co-owned a children's playground business in Tauranga for six years.
When she sold the business and moved to Christchurch, where the cost of living was lower, Tina felt ready for her next challenge.
Turning a Struggling Café into a Thriving Business
Though Tina had years of experience as a barista, owning a café was a brand-new journey for her. She credits much of her confidence to finding the right head chef, her friend Ellen Li.
In New Zealand, a café's success isn’t just about serving great coffee—food plays an important role. Tina and Ellen, who bonded over their love of food, worked together to revamp the menu, introducing Asian fusion dishes while keeping some classic brunch options.
“We offer dishes that you can’t find anywhere else, like our signature creamy mushrooms. Customers are often stunned by the flavors,” Tina proudly shared.
Despite these efforts, the first month was rough. There were mornings when no customers walked in for over an hour. The overwhelming tasks of cleaning, planning, and inventory had Tina questioning her decision.
But with persistence and adjustments, the second month saw regulars returning for their morning coffee. Ellen’s innovative dishes, including creamy mushrooms, kimchi toast, and slow-cooked pork belly, began to win over a loyal following.
A few months later, a long-time barista told Tina that many former customers were returning. One day, a woman asked if Tina had a few minutes to chat. As it turned out, she was a journalist who had previously interviewed the Korean owners. Tina’s café soon found itself in the local spotlight once again, earning a fresh round of media attention.
Tina now knows she made the right decision to stay true to her vision of quality and uniqueness, despite tough economic times. “Running a café requires long-term thinking,” she said. “Sometimes, if customers don’t like something, they won’t tell you directly—they’ll just never come back.”
With her café back on its feet, Tina is more determined than ever to keep evolving while staying rooted in what makes Gentle Giant special.
