Day in the Life of a Chinese Steamed Bun Shop Owner | 🇨🇳 43 & Starting Over

At 4 a.m., while most people are still asleep, Zhang is already making steamed buns. He's 43, and this tiny shop is his latest attempt at starting over. His previous businesses didn't work out. Now he has 14 hours to make this one work. This is a day in the life of a steamed bun shop owner in China. This is Zhang. He's 43 and runs a small steamed bun shop. He gets up at 4 a.m. every day and works 14 hours. A little over a month ago, he closed his losing butcher shop and opened a steamed bun shop. He's determined to turn a profit this month. Let's see how his new business is doing. Before he heads out, let's take a look at where Zhang lives. Look, it's pretty spacious. I'm curious, why does he need such a big place? Oh, that makes sense. It's actually pretty cheap for a place this size. Zhang's shop is about 10 kilometers from home. When it rains, he drives. It's not raining today, so he takes his electric scooter. Actually, more and more people in China are choosing not to drive to work. It's not the gas. It's the parking. It takes him 20 minutes to get there. When he arrives, it's still dark. In eastern China, this time of year, the sun doesn't come up until around 5.30 a.m. But Zhang's day is already starting. Wow, look at that. The shop is already fully lit up. Looks like someone got started early. Turns out, this woman works for him. This surprised me. I honestly didn't realize a steamed bun shop had to start working as early as 3 a.m. That's quite interesting. Unlike in the West, breakfast shops in China often open very early. Some older people head out around sunrise to buy groceries, get some exercise, and grab breakfast. They're often the first customers of the day. So breakfast shops need to open very early. Actually, here's something you might not know. In China, breakfast is often called zhaodian, which literally means early morning snacks. Look, Zhang is using a noodle machine to flatten the dough. Let's ask him what it's for. Ah, now I get it. No wonder homemade dough never turns out this good. We're missing the machines. Alright, while he's flattening the dough, let's take a look inside his shop. Zhang's shop is split into two parts. The back is the kitchen, with a fridge, work tables, and all kinds of machines. The front has the steamers and the counter. And what surprised me is that the whole shop is under 30 square meters. Now, you might be wondering the same thing I am. How much does he pay in rent for this tiny shop? Let's ask Zhang. So here's the question. How many steamed buns does Zhang need to sell each day to make a profit? I finally get it now. Zhang needs to sell at least 700 steamed buns a day. At 2 yuan each, that's at least 1,400 yuan in daily sales, about $200. That's just enough to cover his rent. It's 5.30 in the morning. Zhang and his co-worker have already made the first batch of steamed buns. But they can't steam them just yet. They have to wait another 10 minutes. This step is called proofing. It allows the dough to rise and relax before steaming. Without it, the steamed buns can turn out hard, flat, and less fluffy. While we're waiting for the dough to rise, let's take a look around Zhang's shop. Just 50 meters away, there's a market. In China, places like this get really busy in the morning. A lot of people stop here before work to buy groceries and grab some breakfast. Then they head to work. So I'm guessing Zhang picked this spot pretty carefully. But there's a catch. The competition is pretty intense. Look, there's a pan-fried bun shop right next to him. And there's a Chinese flatbread shop on the other side. There's even a noodle shop just across the street. And there are around 10 breakfast shops all around here. Honestly, seeing all this, I'm a little worried about Zhang. Look, Zhang is placing the first batch of steamed buns onto the steamer. In about 10 minutes, they'll be ready. See that? The steamed buns aren't even ready yet. And customers are already here. I wonder how business has been for Zhang. Zhang is from Jiangxi province in central China. Over the years, he's tried different jobs. From selling clothes to working as a delivery courier. After turning 40, with his children growing up, he decided to start a business of his own. His first attempt, a butcher shop. But it didn't go well. So now, he's putting his hopes into this small steamed bun shop. Now, the first batch of steamed buns is finally ready. Look, they're still steaming hot. And you can almost smell them through the screen. Before long, customers start coming in. Zhang uses pork from black pigs. They're raised free-range in the mountains and aren't fed commercial feed. The meat is firmer and more tender. Look at this. Zhang believes this is one of his advantages. While the first batch is selling fast, Zhang's co-worker is already in the back, preparing the dough for the next batch of steamed buns. Now, they're making steamed twisted rolls, known in China as fajue. It's a popular Chinese breakfast food. But you don't really see anything quite like it in the West. Let's see how they make it. First, they flatten the dough. Then they sprinkle on some chopped scallions and a little salt. Using a chopstick, they stretch the dough out. Then roll it back up. Ah, now I finally understand why they call them steamed twisted rolls. You actually have to roll the dough up. The funny thing is, I watched the whole process and thought I had it figured out. But I still couldn't make them at home. Have you guys ever tried one of these? Oh, wait. I just noticed something. We haven't seen Zhang prepare the filling yet. So let's ask Zhang about his daily routine. Zhang tells me his shop makes several kinds of breakfast foods. Meat-filled steamed buns, vegetable-filled steamed buns, steamed main tou, brown sugar main tou, and steamed twisted rolls. The filling has to be prepared ahead of time, so the flavors can really soak in. It's kind of like marinating chicken before you cook it. Oh, I just noticed someone else helping out in the shop. He looks pretty experienced and seems to know what he's doing. I didn't realize it at first, but he's Jiang's son. He couldn't have come at a better time. There are quite a few customers now. Up front, they keep selling steamed buns, while in the back, they're already making the next batch. The soy milk machine is running non-stop too. Besides fresh soy milk, customers can also choose from a variety of drinks. Interesting. She's weighing each piece of dough. Jiang is now gathering the steamed twisted rolls together. It looks like he needs to free up the steamer for the next batch. Things are getting busier. Let's ask him where he learned to make steamed buns. It's lunchtime, but Jiang doesn't have time to go out for lunch. He grabs a steamed bun and takes one bite. Then a customer walks in. Jiang has to put the bun down and serve the customer. Wow, that's really good news. A customer just placed a large order for extra large steamed buns. For Jiang, orders like this can really boost his daily sales. Things had just started to slow down a little. Now, everyone is busy again. I'm curious, how do you get orders like this? What a nice surprise. I take back what I was worried about this morning. I'm starting to feel more confident about this guy. It's 3 p.m., and business is starting to slow down. Jiang starts preparing the filling. For him, this is an important part of the job. In China, many small bun shops simply buy ready-made filling. But Jiang insists on making his own. He firmly believes that buying the ingredients himself is the only way to get the taste he wants. He believes this could be one of his competitive advantages. Look, these are the fresh ingredients Jiang just ordered. In China, businesses can order fresh food online just like households. It's often delivered within about an hour, right to your door. Pretty convenient. The filling is ready now. Jiang's work for the day is almost done. But before he can call it a day, there's one important thing left to do. Looking at Jiang, I can see that he still has plans for the future. His past hasn't exactly been smooth. But here he is, starting over again and thinking about what comes next. I don't know if he'll eventually get that bigger shop. But I hope he does. This is a normal day in the life of a small steamed bun shop owner in China. For more a day in the life stories from China, follow the channel. See you next time.