TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's fashionable coffee shop CHLIV opened its second franchise outlet at Huashan Cultural Creative Park in December and founder Chris Lin (林子軒) shared his secrets to making a cup of delicious bamboo charcoal latte.
The 26-year-old CEO won first place in the latte art competition "Coffee Fest" in Tokyo 2016. Later, Lin and his friends opened a coffee shop but did not survive for long.
Lin told Taiwan News that people preferred to sit with their meals for hours. “No one seemed to be interested in having my coffee, while some reckoned that coffee with latte art is just another good-looking beverage.”
Based on the failure, he was determined to show his customers that what he does is more than just make coffee, but living a quality life. He opened CHLIV in Jiufen, a rural and tourist area in New Taipei, in 2019.
The white lines of the CHLIV logo capture the flow of pouring hot milk into coffee. (CHLIV photo)
Lin believed that Jiufen was where he could reach out to a diverse clientele, including international customers, in a relatively short amount of time. The brand set its mind on the overseas market from day one.
Bamboo charcoal latte is the brand's most popular item, costing NT$160 (US$5). In the Jiufen shop, the barista sprays golden foil on top to represent local history, as the area used to be famed for its gold mining.
Lin said COVID-19 hit after the store opened for a few months and severely affected business. Nevertheless, Lin held it together and led his team to set up pop-up shops that toured Taiwan.
Additionally, Prada, Micro-Star International, and other brands were keen on working with them. It was during the pop-up events that they arranged the tie-in with the Taipei-based culture hub, Huashan Culture Creative Park.
The charcoal bamboo latte (left) has gone viral. (CHLIV photo)
“We had been looking for a place to open a franchise for two years. We moved into the cultural venue as soon as they came to us,” said Lin, adding that “we just went with the flow.”
CHLIV is famous for its low-key style, from its logo, interior design, and pineapple cake, everything is black. However, Lin lights up the environment with his friendly staff and music.
Encountering numerous setbacks, Lin noted that the mind is powerful. “I keep telling myself to not let frustrations get in the way and keep working hard. My time will come.”
Lin also shared that they were slated to open a franchise in France after opening the first store three years ago. “Thank god the pandemic postponed the plan because if we hurried on expanding, it could have been a disaster as we were not ready.”
So what is the secret of brewing a cup of tasty latte? After finishing a beautiful black swan latte artwork, Lin revealed that he blends coffee beans from Colombia, Brazil, and Ethiopia. Additionally, it is crucial to finish making latte art in 15 seconds so that the milk foam and coffee will stay together, which gives a rich and smooth taste.
Inside the newly opened Huashan branch. (Taiwan News, Lyla Liu photo)
From furniture to the customized coffee machine, the color scheme is predominantly black. (CHLIV photo)
