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Shanghai Daily Tuesday 28 April 2020 Jing’an C3

A florist tends to her garden stock at a shop on Dagu Road. — Xiao Mingliang

We’re on the steady

road back to normality

Li Qian the WangJiaSha eatery, an old, popular
Shanghai dim sum shop, to buy steamed
his is how Jing’an looks like in buns. Most of them are senior citizens
April as its resumes an air of living nearby.
normality: Roads are crowded
“I have long eaten WangJiaSha steamed
Tagain, with traffic jams in peak buns for breakfast,” said 63-year-old
hours. People queue outside popular Wang. “I love the buns with meat and
eateries. But as business resumption
gathers pace, everyone is still wearing vegetable stuffing. It takes me back to my
childhood and makes me feel happy.”
a face mask. WangJiaSha reopened in February,
Elaine Xu, an office worker at Plaza 66,
said she likes to get a McDonald’s combo mainly catering to loyal customers and
for breakfast as she leaves Nanjing Road takeaway services.
The food mall on the B2 floor of the
W. Metro Station for the 10-minute walk
to work. Reel Department Store is a popular lunch
“When I saw the outlet reopened, I spot for local office workers. Like most
couldn’t wait to order a breakfast meal food venues, it has good business.
that I had missed so much,” Xu said. “It “I work in an office upstairs,” said Lil-
made me feel that my life has returned ian Li, who came to the food mall with
several colleagues. “I have kept a close
to normal.”
When she enters the McDonald’s, some eye on the pandemic, and I think Shang-
10 white-collar workers are already hai is doing a great job. Last month,
waiting for their breakfasts. Two or there were still very few people here,
three food deliverymen are busy get- but recently it seems to be getting back
ting on their mopeds to take orders to to normal. I feel no concern about health
customers. safety now.”
Not far away, people line up outside Du Qun, manager of the department
store, said popular eateries have re-
sumed brisk business.
“Some eateries have even had people
queuing up,” Du said.
At an eatery specializing in Japanese
cuisine, people used to have to wait
about half an hour for a seat during the
lunchtime rush. Recently, the wait has Residents begin returning to local eateries and reading rooms.
been more like 10 minutes. — Photos by Jiang Xiaowei
“I visit this eatery about once a week,”
said a white-collar worker surnamed can once again go out and work in the bars. It’s a daytime rendezvous for for-
Wu. “Even if I have to wait, I think it’s sunshine.” eigners and a popular nightlife spot.
worth it.” On a back wall, Starbucks has posted The pandemic stopped commerce, but
According to Du, previous restrictions messages: “Welcome back!” “Happy to see venues on the road have joined hands
required customers to stay 1 meter apart, you again! and “Be strong like coffee!” to fight back.
but that has been lifted. Diners are en- Mao Ting, operating manager of the “We have to save ourselves,” said Zhang
couraged to use separate chopsticks and outlet, said she is gratified by the public Jian, who is in charge of the road’s store
spoons for serving and eating. response since reopening. alliance. “Our 70 members are offering
At the Starbucks Reserve Roastery on “I was worried about the business,” help to one another. For example, a hair
Nanjing Road W., queues were common she said. “But our loyal customers have salon distributes leaflets for nearby piz-
every day before the COVID-19 out- given us confidence for the future.” zeria. Customers can order takeaway
break. After the venue reopened, crowds The outlet still follows strict preven- meals while in the salon.”
thinned but its popularity remained. tion rules, such as requiring customers The alliance also worked to convince
“I am used to taking my laptop and a to have their body temperatures taken landlords to give local shops rental re-
Starbucks cup of coffee while I work,” and show their green health codes. lief. About 70 percent of venues were
said Samuel Lin, who works at HKRI Dagu Road, a backstreet of Nanjing granted a one-month rent reprieve, val-
Taikoo Hui. “As the pandemic eases, I Road W., is dotted with restaurants and ued at 2 million yuan (US$282,000).