Leading American coffee chain Starbucks has opened a 'silent cafe' in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, in which nearly half of the staff are hearing-impaired, as part of an initiative to support the employment for people with disabilities.
Currently, Seattle-based Starbucks, dominates China's coffee scene and has over 3,800 stores in the country.
"This might be the quietest Starbucks of over 3,800 shops on the Chinese mainland," said Leo Tsoi, chief operating officer of Starbucks China, was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Fourteen of the 30 staff at the shop, located in Yuexiu district and officially opened over the weekend, are hearing impaired. The shop has a specially-designed ordering system that allows people to place orders without saying a word.
For example, all the drinks and food are numbered to facilitate the ordering, and customers can also choose to write down their specific needs.
"We cannot hear you but would like to share a tasty coffee with you," said Chen Siting, who works at the store.
"I believe more people like me could find a career they are passionate about in the future."
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