Not too many people are able to combine their work with their hobbies. But Liang Wei, a 43-year-old Wuxi native, is among the few exceptions.
Liang, who is 188 centimeters tall, opened a restaurant on the bustling Xizhouzhong Road in Xishan district six months ago, and now spends the bulk of his time catering to a growing number of loyal customers, many of whom are basketball fans just like him.
"The idea of running a basketball-themed restaurant came to me late last year as my friends and I were looking for a permanent place to hang out and watch sports games. And I said to myself 'why don't we just do it ourselves?'"
He quickly turned his words into actions. Several months later, the Wei Zhi Lan restaurant opened complete with a striking basketball-themed interior.
Unlike a standard Western sports bar, Liang's restaurant incorporates traditional Chinese elements –– starting with its menu.
"We offer a variety of Chinese foods, especially dishes from Huaiyang and Shanghai, as well as spicy Sichuan cuisine. That's what we are best at," says Liang.
And it isn't just sports fans that come in here, he adds.
But serving great food isn't enough –– the restaurateur knows his establishment needs to have the right ambience to draw in customers.
I visited plenty of sports bars across the country before deciding on the design for this place, he says.
