Wu Pao-chun’s first overseas flagship store sparks controversy with Shanghai opening statement

Text / MOOK Scenic Spots Home compiled report
 
Wu Pao-chun, a renowned Taiwanese world bread champion, has brought his “Wu Pao-chun Maison” to mainland China. The first outlet recently opened in Shanghai and drew large crowds during its trial operation.

However, many irrational insults appeared on Chinese websites, and some netizens claimed that years ago Wu Pao-chun had refused to invest in mainland China, which stirred outrage and led to verbal attacks against him.

But the general public in Shanghai has taken the matter calmly. Even on a weekday afternoon, the bakery still saw a steady stream of customers, with some saying they had visited Taiwan and heard of Wu Pao-chun’s bakery back then, and really liked the taste of the bread.

Currently, Wu Pao-chun Maison has a flagship store in Kaohsiung, a Bread Story Museum in Taipei’s Xinyi District, and a theater bakery in Taichung linked to the National Theater. It also opened a “delicious-to-go” bakery at Taichung High-Speed Rail Station, capitalizing on the foot traffic there.

Wu Pao-chun’s bakery expansion in mainland China follows a partnership model, collaborating with Singaporean pastry group BreadTalk. After Shanghai, new stores will open in Beijing, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou.