Coffee at a time like this? Yes—yes, there’s always time for coffee. And especially right now.
Let’s face it. Our world is hurting, and one way we can help is by supporting small businesses. Theres been something weighing on my mind, though—what are practical ways that I can help? And who should I start with when I’m stuck at home and can’t visit shops?
And then it hit me. Through my time traveling and writing on Google Maps about the places I visit, I’ve built up some great friendships with the people I meet. That’s where I should start—with the people I already know.
My trip to one of my favorite places, Hanoi, Vietnam, began right when the coronavirus was gaining traction in Asia during the Lunar New Year period. This was when countries were still letting everyone travel around, but they were beginning to have health checks at border crossings. I had decided to travel by train from my home in Hong Kong over to Hanoi for a weeklong respite (and soaking up all the delicious coffee). Everyone knew that the coronavirus was problematic, but at that time, no one could see how far-reaching and long lasting it was going to become.
I’ve grown to love Hanoi for its coffee culture—the fact that you can find great coffee on nearly every street, and most of the cafes are not global franchises. I found this cafe called NYNA Coffee when I signed up for a coffee making class to learn the art of Hanoi’s famous egg coffee. It’s tucked away down a little alley—you would never see it if you were just walking by. The class was fantastic, the teachers were friendly, and I knew that this place was going to be my new go-to cafe during my stay. I started chatting with the owner, Mạnh, about how the small cafe was doing amongst the onslaught of other cafes out there, and I mentioned about how I was looking forward to writing a great review about them on Google Maps. This soon led to us talking about ideas for the cafe and how they could attract more customers and provide service that encouraged those customers to share their reviews. Mạnh and his team really took our chat to heart and, coupled with their experience in the hospitality industry (and their awesome coffee!), have expanded their online presence, and gained about 40 more reviews (more than double what they had when I first visited). I returned to NYNA Coffee almost every day of my time in Hanoi, and built up a real friendship with the team there. Little did I know that when I returned back to Hong Kong, our friendship would inspire me like it has.
So they got a lot of reviews. Awesome! But reviews can only do so much, right? When tourism has come to a halt and no one is going out on the streets to eat or drink, what can a cafe do? This is when the idea came to mind where I can order coffee directly from my friend Mạnh and his team, having them ship it to me in Hong Kong. I’ve placed an order for 4 large boxes filled with bags of their aromatic robusta roasted beans. I am already thinking about how I can turn these bags in to gifts for my friends here, further expanding NYNA’s network and building up a potential tourist base for the future. It’s just a small way that I can do my part to help friends and their small business during an especially difficult time. If I can’t be there in person to buy and drink their coffee, then I’ll buy it and drink it at home until things calm down.
So, what is the most interesting thing I’ve done as a Local Guide? I’ve built friendships and bridges across cultures, and found tangible, meaningful ways that I can support others during this world crisis. I would encourage all Local Guides to find their own unique way of giving back and supporting the businesses they’ve built a connection with. Let’s turn this into the biggest time of rejuvenation for our world community.