Could the secret behind action star Jackie Chan's unstoppable energy be as simple as a good, strong cup of coffee? The movie legend was certainly full of beans at the launch of his Beijing caf last week. Not one to mince words, the celebrity named his latest venture, Jackie Chan's Caf, with proceeds to benefit his other project, the Jackie Chan charitable foundation.
The coffee shop in Beijing's high-tech center Zhongguancun is the first on the Chinese mainland, but the third in a franchise, with other outlets recently opened in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The Hong Kong star was in his element last week, holding the first cup of coffee from his Beijing store aloft for the benefit of the gathered media scrum. After his ceremonial brewing of the first cuppa, Chan introduced two of his hearing-impaired employees to reporters, revealing that he is creating more positions for disabled people. Part of the cafe's revenue will be used to build charity schools, said Chan, whose charity has been helping to provide better medical services for young people since 1988. The cafe is decorated with comfy sofas and seats around 20 customers. It is a shrine to the kungfu legend, with four television sets screening Chan's latest films, and a wall of photographs of the actor posing with his fans. Souvenirs such as caps, T-shirts and cups will be available. A large latte costs 28 yuan (US$3.75), and a small one 22 yuan.
(China Daily 11/07/2007 page3)
