Irish bar thriving once more in Nanjing

NANJING — Ian Ross, a Scot who runs a bar in the historical Qinhuai district of Nanjing in Jiangsu province, is delighted to see business pick up following the changes to COVID-19 restrictions.

"Business greatly increased during and after the Spring Festival holiday. We have been so full, at times that we had to turn people away due to the lack of seats," said Ross, adding that he hired three new staff members to serve the stream of customers.

"I have also seen quite a number of new people from other countries who have recently arrived in the city. Compared to last year, there are about 80 percent more customers in the bar," Ross said.

Ross has been in Nanjing for 20 years, having first arrived in the city in 2003 to work for a Scottish oil company. He opened an Irish bar called Finnegans Wake in 2008.

He opened the bar with the simple intention of providing foreigners in Nanjing with a place to enjoy Western food and beverages.

"We chose to open an Irish bar because Ireland has promoted itself very well through Irish bars in major cities around the world. Nanjing is no different. It is a big international city," he said.

At first, Ross struggled to connect with people and promote his bar, as most Nanjingers still considered a smartphone a luxury at the time.

So he advertised his business by handing out flyers and sending emails to potential customers.

His bar serves Western cuisine and a wide selection of wines, and aims to offer a welcoming atmosphere for every customer that walks through the doors.

"So for foreigners, that means getting the food that they want. For Chinese, it means trying new foods, new drinks," Ross said, noting that more distilleries in Scotland are releasing whiskeys exclusively for China, due to its growing popularity in the country.

Compared to the past, when around 80 percent of the bar's customers were foreigners, the majority are now Chinese. It hosts weekly English talk shows, staged by regulars.

Ross has forged a tight bond with his staff. Many of his employees have been working at the bar for over a decade. "I think most Chinese people I work with give me a lot of support. Without them, I couldn't do the job. We rely on each other to do it."

The local government, too, has been generous with help, especially during the epidemic.

"We got a lot of support from the government and our landlord. Everybody helped each other, we just had to keep going," he said.

Now that there are a new set of COVID-19 response measures in place, Ross has seen renewed liveliness and vigor at his bar.

"When the policy changed, we started seeing a change. Our usual customers are all here again," he grinned.

Xinhua