Elderly get good deal at community cafeteria

Chen Guixiang, 78, eats with her husband, Lin Futang, 79, at a community cafeteria in the Gulou district of Fuzhou, Fujian province, almost every day.

Living just a five-minute walk from their home to the cafeteria's inexpensive but tasty food, they don't need to cook for themselves.

"We come for lunch almost every day because it is troublesome to cook for ourselves. Plus, the cafeteria food doesn't cost much," Chen said.

The cafeteria started up in September last year and has served more than 17,000 people — around 400 people daily — according to Chen Lyuyi, Party secretary of the Qingcheng residential community, where the eatery is located.

Each meal includes three dishes and a soup. It costs only about 10 yuan ($1.38) for elderly people aged 60 and above, she said, adding that younger customers can also eat there, but they pay a bit more.