Shine
15th May 2020
’Silent baristas' find respect and hope for better lives
by Hu Min
Xiao Jiang, 31, works in silence at the Love Concept Cafe. Utter silence. She brews coffee, uses gestures to communicate with customers and smiles timidly when they compliment her on the beverage she serves up.
Jiang, a native of Henan Province, is mute and deaf. She started working at the cafe more than two years ago.
Love Concept Cafe, hidden inside a typical Shanghai back alleyway along Xiangyang Road N. in Xuhui District, is true to its name.