Danish café chain Wagas is transforming Chinese tastes one bite at a time. Photo: Li Hao/GT

If you ask what is the most popular, healthy and affordable Western restaurant in Beijing's central business district, you would probably be told to try Wagas, a café chain of strong Scandinavian tradition boasting fresh salads and sandwiches. Operating over 50 cafés across China, Wagas stands out thanks to its dedication to making drinks and meals appealing to modern youth and urbanities. In a recent interview with Global Times (GT), Wagas' managing partner, Jackie Yun (Yun), talks about how the chain rides dining trends in China.

GT: The names of food and drink on the Wagas menu are sometimes funny: "Mama Said" and "Doctor's Orders." How did you come up with them?

Yun: They are playful and fun. We take our food and products seriously, but we don't take ourselves so seriously. When I was a kid, mom often told me to eat carrots because it was good for my eyes. "Mama said" is a combination of freshly juiced carrots, apple and ginger, and it's one of our bestselling juices of all time.

GT: What are some of the changes in Chinese people's dining habits over the past few years?

Yun: The changes in dining habits have been immense. In 2001 in Shanghai, our Chinese customers rarely ordered sandwiches or salads [because they are cold or uncooked]. Today, particularly in first-tier cities, our Deli salads are hugely popular. There is a definite trend towards healthier eating and a more active lifestyle, and we believe it will continue to grow and change. Chinese customers are also demanding better quality food and have higher hygiene standards. At our bakery brand Baker & Spice we have seen a huge spike in Chinese customers buying our healthy wholegrain or sourdough bread.

GT: How does Wagas balance food quality and price?

Yun: Quality continues to be Wagas' No.1 priority. Quality does not mean exorbitant prices. For example, our Bolognese is made of imported Australian beef, Italian pasta, Spanish olive oil, and Italian Parmesan. All that is for 55 yuan ($8.5). In selected stores, we even make our own handmade pasta.

GT: Wagas also uses social networking apps to interact with consumers, can you describe it?

Yun: Wagas launched our official WeChat account in March 2015, and now has 180,000 followers. Our weekly posts not only keep our customers updated with store news and promotions but also help us spread the concept of leading a healthy lifestyle to an even wider audience. We recently launched our Wagas loyalty program where customers can register, earn and redeem points on purchases and introduced Alipay in our stores, which makes payment faster and easier. We also have plans in the pipeline to roll out our own delivery service.

GT: What is the lifestyle that Wagas wants to promote to Chinese people?

Yun: We see Wagas as a lifestyle brand.  We put a lot of emphasis on the design of our stores. Our design is Danish-inspired - simple, clean lines. Wagas has a wonderfully talented in-house design team led by our founder and managing partner, John Christensen. When customers visit our cafes, they are getting a snapshot of Scandinavia juxtaposed with the dynamic buzz of China.