Hualien returnee transforms abandoned house into serenecafe
Hualien returnee transforms abandoned house into serenecafe
2025-12-19
Another building in ruins has been given new life as a retro café. The second-generation owner of the house tucked behind a busy street in Hualien’s Yuli Township originally moved north. Without someone to look after it, the home fell into disrepair. But after the owner returned to Hualien to start a business, she was charmed by the vintage feel of the place. She spent over four months renovating it, transforming the house into a cafe that feels like it’s straight out of the Japanese colonial era.
With its green metal roof and concrete outer walls lined with plants, this short building beside a busy road in Hualien’s Yuli Township seems like nothing special. Without looking closely, it’s easy to miss the whole other world hidden inside.
Built with wood siding, from the exterior to the interior furnishings, everything was renovated expertly by the owner herself. It’s hard to imagine it was abandoned not too long ago.
When I took notice of this building, it was in ruins. The windows, doors, everything was broken. Even the roof had holes. I measured out every tatami myself. It took a long time. I figured I could lay tatami and put in tables like a teahouse, and it would make a pretty nice cafe.
Wu Kai-li spent over four months renovating the house to its original state. By not overdoing the furnishings, she preserved the antique feel of the place. A native of Yuli, Wu was one of the many who moved north before getting the opportunity to come back to Hualien to start a business. Apart from the enticingly unique architecture, she also offers a vegan experience.
Wu Kai-li
Cafe owner
I want to give people a place where they can relax and slow down. I don’t add milk to my coffee, and the cake doesn’t have egg or any dairy in it. There also isn’t AC, so that it feels more connected to the outside.
Customer
I came for a drink and was taken by the feel of the place.
As soon as you walk in, it feels like a place where you can let go. The coffee has a slight aroma of rice. It’s different from coffee I’ve had before.
Wu also seeks to use local ingredients, including coffee grown on small farms along the east coast. In this classic Japanese-style home, visitors can slow down and find peace while savoring delicious coffee and sweets.
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#cafe #coffeeshop #Hualien #entrepreneur #Japaneseera #homerenovation #vegan
花蓮百年老宅咖啡廳 北漂老闆返鄉改造保留日式風味
2025-12-19
廢墟老屋搖身一變，變成很有味道的店。花蓮玉里一間隱身在馬路旁的老宅，屋主第二代北上，房子沒人住又漏水，北漂老闆娘回家鄉創業，看上老屋的韻味，花了4個多月親手改建，讓老宅變成充滿日式風味的咖啡廳。
綠色鐵皮屋頂搭配水泥外牆，門口還擺放許多綠植，這一間矮房坐落在花蓮玉里熱鬧的大馬路旁，不太起眼的外觀，不仔細找，根本難以發現，不過，走進門，映入眼簾的卻像另一個世界。
由木頭一片片搭建而成，從房屋外觀到室內裝潢，恰到好處的擺設全是老闆娘親手改造，很難想像一開始的老屋，就像荒蕪的廢墟。
[[咖啡店業者 吳凱莉]]
“我注意到這間房子的時候，其實它像是一個廢墟一樣，破窗啊門啊，然後屋頂也有一些破這樣。每個榻榻米就自己量啊，反正就是花了很長的時間，就覺得可以擺上這個榻榻米，上面放個大桌子，像用茶席的感覺來喝咖啡也不錯”
花了4個多月，保留老屋的原汁原味，沒有過多的裝飾，古色古香的風格，讓咖啡別有一番風味。老闆吳凱莉是土生土長玉里人，曾是北漂一族，因緣際會下回到花蓮老家創業。除了獨特建築風格吸引人外，老闆還是一位素食者。
[[咖啡店業者 吳凱莉]]
“我也想給人家一種，一進來可以安靜下來跟慢下來的這種感覺。我的東西比如說，咖啡沒有加牛奶，蛋糕也沒有加蛋，就是沒有蛋奶的。我沒有冷氣，就是讓人家體驗一下，更接近大自然的感覺”
[[客人]]
“喝了就被這個環境給吸引住了”
[[客人]]
“走進來它有一種讓身心靈可以放鬆的感覺。咖啡喝起來就是，裡面有淡淡的那個米香氣，跟我之前喝過的不一樣”
主打自然風格的日式侘級風老宅，老闆也透過自身推廣在地食材，選用東海岸山脈，在地小農種植的咖啡豆，讓來店的客人不只能品嚐到好味道，也能放慢腳步，享受輕鬆愜意的時光。
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