“Coffee King of Shanghai” resonates here. This is where the story of Shanghai’s coffee culture truly bubbled to life at the 1st Cafeteria.
Let’s step back to 1935. Chang Pao Cun a native of Zhejiang founded Desheng Coffee on Broadway. It became Shanghai’s 1st large-scale coffee roastery under Chinese ownership. He imported raw beans roasted them and sold them in tin cans to restaurants under the C.P.C. trademark.
But attacks forced a move. Chang opened the C.P.C. Coffee House also known as Desheng Café on Bubbling Well Road. This very spot was close to Jing’an Temple. It is now the intersection of Nanjing West Road and Tongren Road. The United Plaza building occupies it today.
The 1st Cafeteria became a sensation. It attracted the “Lao Kele”. These were Chinese adopting a Western lifestyle. Drinking coffee symbolized status and taste. Chang himself was a Lao Kele. He had an English education and worked with foreign businesses. Newspapers called him the “Coffee King”. They claimed “7 out of 10 Shanghai coffee shops use CPC Coffee.”
Fang Huiqin Chang’s wife was key. She roasted beans controlling the temperature and selecting recipes. In 1944 Chang opened a second C.P.C. coffee shop. It was in the former French Concession on Taishan Road.
War brought shortages. Prices for imported beans rose. Chang used this to his advantage. After the war coffee culture revived. By 1946 Shanghai had 186 registered cafes.
By 1949 Desheng flourished. Chang planned a Hong Kong branch. He also invested in other businesses. These included a bakery and a chemical factory. He even donated to schools.
C.P.C.’s brand was so popular a knock-off emerged. It sold “Coffee Cigarettes”. Chang owned Shanghai’s 1st Cadillac sedan. It was imported with Brazil’s help. One article claimed C.P.C. was second only to Coca-Cola.
But fortunes change fast in China. In 1949 communism changed everything. Drinking coffee became bourgeois. In 1950 Chang was arrested. He was sentenced to three years. His wife Fang raised their ten children alone. After his release he was sentenced to 12 more years.
In 1958 C.P.C. became “Shanghai Brand”. The 1st Cafeteria became “Shanghai Café”. It remained open under government control. Chang’s company became the Shanghai Coffee Factory. Coffee was banned during the Cultural Revolution. Only foreigners could buy it.
Shanghai Brand “Coffee Tea” emerged. It was coffee bean leftovers mixed with sugar. Later Shanghai Brand became popular again. It was a wedding gift a mark of distinction.
Chang returned to Shanghai in 1979. He helped develop Yunnan’s coffee industry. But a mysterious fire destroyed his office. He left Yunnan sadly.
In 1985 Chang was rehabilitated. His assets were returned. His wife moved to the US. Chang tried again investing in a new coffee business. It failed. He moved to California in 1991.
In 2001 the 1st Cafeteria the original C.P.C. Coffee House closed permanently. Remnants of the brand remained until 2016. Chang the “Coffee King of Shanghai” died in 1992. His legacy lives on through his son. He founded food and beverage businesses in the US. It carries on his parents’ legacy.