Tourists pose for photos in front of a clothing store on Xinle Road in early March, as the blooming tulips drew people looking for an interesting backdrop. Photo: Tang Shi

Shanghai is home to several thousand coffee shops. Manner Coffee started as a 2-square-meter store in Shanghai in 2015. It has since grown into China’s largest boutique coffee chain. Photo: Tang Shi

A coffee shop owner surnamed Jia organizes kitchenware as he prepares to close down his cafe. Jia is shutting down his business just nine months after it opened in June 2024 because he can no longer afford the rent. Photo: Tang Shi

A hand-brewed coffee shop owner (left) poses for a photo with a customer on Feb. 27, the last day he was open for business. The owner noted how high rent was in Shanghai. He said he was moving to Japan. Photo: Tang Shi

A pedestrian walks past an empty storefront that was home to an internet famous dessert shop that closed this year. Photo: Tang Shi

An entrepreneur named Tizi works at her Japanese restaurant, one of seven restaurants of varying styles that she manages. In her experience, the factor that most often influences customer satisfaction is not how the food tastes, but how much they like the overall atmosphere. Photo: Tang Shi

A man walks past a storefront under renovation that will soon be a new coffee shop. The cafe’s owner, Yingzai, resigned from a large internet company late last year because she wanted to run her own business. Photo: Tang Shi

A worker hauls building materials on Yanqing Road. Photo: Tang Shi

A barber gives a neighborhood resident a haircut. The mom-and-pop barber shop on Jiashan Road offers haircuts for 15 yuan ($2). Photo: Tang Shi