A New Beginning

He wanted to open Tianjin’s first shop selling authentic Italian roasted chickens. He got to work by checking with local districts on requirements for getting a license. One of the first was to rent a place for the business. He choose a 23 square meter store at the corner of Yingkou Dao and Shanxi Lu in Heping district. (The address in Chinese: 天津市和平区营口道与山西路交口贵都大厦83号) Couch potatoes can peruse his goods online via the WeChat Store by searching the following Chinese characters: 彩饌 意大利进口食品 cǎi zhuàn yìdàlì jìnkǒu shípǐn.

As things would have it though, a lack of complete understanding in terms of regulations related to health and safety put a quick kibosh on his masterplan. To Enrico’s dismay roasting chickens onsite wasn’t going to be the best thing with residential apartments nearby. Still, his persistent personality kept the flame alive by quickly coming up with the idea of stocking his shelves with authentic Italian goods. This revision won the approval of the department of commerce and it wasn’t terribly long thereafter that Enrico was officially open for business!

Opportunity Awaits

This is big news for any Tianjin expat. After all, in years past, opening a WOFE was like spotting a unicorn. These days though, China’s doors are open for investment like never before. Enrico is a wealth of knowledge not only in fine Italian goods, but in starting a business from scratch. Anyone thinking about setting up company of their own would certainly do well to drop by his store where he is daily. His quaint little shop has about 100 different Italian items including things like chocolate, pasta, sauces, spices and snacks. A fan favorite is the micro-brew.