LOCK CHUCK creates a unique culture embassy by traveling around the world, observing different cultural elements, and integrating them with admiration.
Fifteen years ago, the idea of coffee culture thriving in Guangzhou was met with skepticism from locals, “¥30 for a cup of unnecessary luxury that resembles traditional Chinese medicine? No, thank you!” Yet with the city’s ever-changing skyline, booming economy, and morphing cultures, Guangzhou has undergone a metamorphosis of sorts, and coffee-drinking has now become an indispensable part of daily life. Let’s face it, colleagues are now leaving their teapots and teacups behind and heading to the nearest Starbucks – we all need that caffeine fix some time during the day. Thus, in this wave of coffee enthusiasm, LOCK CHUCK COFFEE found its place and meaning in the city.
LOCK CHUCK COFFEE was founded in 2015, located on the third floor of a low-key building at the time. The only sign suggesting our location were the LED neon lights by the window, spelling DELAY NO MORE. On one hand, it serves as a reminder that life is too short to slack off, and we got to do what we got to do, a motto to which we stay true everyday. On the other hand, it serves as a homophonic reference to a Cantonese slang. Yes, we can be mischievous, but it’s also little details like these where you get to observe different dimensions of a language. After all, that is what we try to enforce, for every guest that comes through our doors to leave the store seeing the world a little differently.
Hung on this idea of creating a cultural embassy, the founder of LOCK CHUCK COFFEE, Chuck Chan, started experimenting different methods of connecting people, one of which was by setting up an English workshop amidst the Brooklyn styled environment. Knowledge-thirsty young people, led by their curiosity, began flooding in despite our lack of advertising, and soon, the space was filled with similar-minded individuals sipping coffees and discussing issues. LOCK CHUCK was able to plant a seed in the minds of the future generation, and help them integrate locally as they move to study and live abroad.
Seeing the satisfaction that the experience brought, we were determined to expand the scope of our audience to those who are curious about the outside world and those who have just arrived in the city and are eager to stay connected.
This time around, we moved to No.6 Xiniu Road. Through integrating different elements we have observed around the world, we came to create a little sphere with a unique character of its own, allowing ideas to flow and strangers to break the ice. It is here where East meets West, like our signature bike, a main installation in our shop; the frame is one of China’s oldest bicycle brands, Phoenix, but we replaced the wheels with Brooks’ from London.
LOCK CHUCK COFFEE Guangzhou is – a learning process itself – built to discover diversities and integrate the cultural elements we admire. Our explorations to cities such as New York and Tokyo filled us with a sense of wonder, and it has been our ambition to share that the same feeling with you through the celebration of various cultures connections.
We proudly collaborate with Irving Farm Coffee Roasters in New York, the best kind of partner one could ask for. They care deeply about ethically conscious farming and roast their beans with consistently admirable artisanal skills. We aim to bring their coffee to your table in its finest form while embodying the spirit of Japanese hospitality service and careful consideration to details, Omotenashi. The LOCK CHUCK team strives to satisfy your requests before you even ask.
We invite you to step inside and embark on a voyage of endless possibilities. Every interaction we have here at LOCK CHUCK serves as an opportunity of explore the world around us. For years, we have been the eager pupils, soaking up inspiration and knowledge to play our part in a bigger sphere. After years of honing our craft as coffee artisans, we have embraced a new opportunity to share our expertise with others – as such, we now offer consultancy services to business clients, not only limiting to the coffee industry, but leveraging our cultural connections to help create new partnerships and opportunities.
In 2020, we were gladly joined by Ms. Shi Xiaofan, whom is a visionary in the fashion industry and also shared our devotion to bridging cultures. In China, the fashion industry was struggling to break free from years of fast manufacturing and selling with rare culture considerations. To put it in a simpler way, the fashion industry was in dire need of a fresh perspective. The pandemic further severed connections, making our role in keeping businesses open to the outside world more vital than ever. In the wake of the pandemic and having been through the rough, we are now reaping the rewards for the hard work that we learnt from both the coffee and fashion industry – with our expertise in cultural connections, we helped to inject new ideas and inspiration into the industry, creating a more open and inclusive environment for creativity to thrive.
But we didn’t stop there. We continue our journey by teaming up with our old friend Seiji Iwaki, a passionate enthusiast from Japan who keens on connecting people and cultures, to create LOCK CHUCK Japan. Our goal aims to bring the LOCK CHUCK experience to the dynamic coffee scene in Tokyo, connect the Chinese fashion industry with their counterparts of Japan, and forge new connections between cultures. Even before launching our physical stand in Tokyo, we are already leading clients from China on tours that are fused with our love for Japanese fashion and culture, along which new inspirations, opportunities, understanding and appreciation are sparked off.
At the heart of LOCK CHUCK, is our love of culture and the power of connections. We believe that curiosity is the seed that grows into a mighty tree, and we are dedicated to nurturing such curiosity in our customers and among ourselves – it is truly the magic of cultural connections.