I've presented you the blue pill... now for the red pill, deeper down the rabbit hole we go:

Most landlords of guesthouse properties consist of local Dali residents, who've rented out their sought after lakeside locations to tenants all across China. From Sichuan to Dongbei, these guesthouse tenants transmigrated to Dali, boldly investing in infrastructural renovations that transformed the outlook of the town... synergizing modern eclectic flair with traditional, architectural nuances of the Bai ethnic minority... en route to a richer tapestry of colors.

Like the soul searchers drifting from breakup, free-spirited artists/poets/musicians, and couples escaping the bustling cities in search of a romantic, rustic getaway... out-of-town entrepreneurs and sightseers alike have congregated here in collective solitude to form a vibrant community of guesthouses/eateries/bars/shops enveloping the lake. This rendezvous melting pot of domiciled voyagers in addition to the picturesque mountain lake backdrop, have fused the mystique and the word-of-mouth draw of Dali.

Over the years, local Dali landlords have notoriously increased rent prices manifolds, reaping the rewards of the bygone tourist boom. There are numerous accounts in the Chinese grapevine of tenants selling off everything back home in order to start their new life as Dali guesthouse owners. Many do so by taking out high interest bank loans to absorb the high rents and refurbish/operation costs... only to be suspended indefinitely by the new environmental protection mandate before breaking even, let alone turning a profit.

For the past year, hospitality/dining related activities within 100-200 meters of Erhai Lake were ordered to cease. Without customers nor steady income, many owners unwillingly abandoned their Dali dream to return home, sunk costs notwithstanding. The laketown once blooming with life has since shriveled into a barren, quasi-ghost town. The bleak contrast from its flourishing heydays has turned off many would be vacationers.

Dali locals with fingers on the pulse have griped on WeChat Circles/Weibo feeds that shutdowns have drastically reduced tourism. Citywide revenues along the entire vertical & horizontal supply chain have seen much better days. From local fishermen & farmers... to Dali women & men that rely on wages in housekeeping, laundry, dish-washing, serving, cooking, transport/delivery, construction, etc.... to aforementioned "waidi" owners of these discontinued establishments & services that once put the local workforce on payroll.

One notable complaint on social media was a local granny who as a living does street-side hair braiding for female tourists. She complained about not landing one single business for an entire month.

Her distraught voice resonate the sentiments of EV renters, street vendors, mom & pop shops, mid-size stores, restaurants, and bars in Dali's Old Town where closures aren't even enforced, yet all indirectly hit hard by the decline in tourism... don't get me wrong,

I'm all for protecting the ecology of Erhai Lake, but it definitely comes with social ramifications. The recovery will take some time.

From the outside, the new store looks like a bar.

Right, but most of us city slickers probably left our previous high-octane lives for a slow dripped brew in Kunming, especially if strolling past old street.

The upcoming Zhengyi Fang branch may be a Starbucks Reserve store in lieu of the full-scale roastery version.

Yunnan is featured on the Starbucks Reserve website:

www.starbucksreserve.com/origin-yunnan

The Starbucks Reserve Roastery will soon open at the newly renovated Zhengyi Fang branch (facing Renmin Zhong Rd.), which may feature rare, small-lot coffees from around the world.

For coffee connoisseurs who seek fully immersive coffee wonderlands, you may have heard of the world largest Starbucks that opened in Shanghai. That megastore is also one of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery & Tasting Room chains, which target more upscale & sophisticated customers.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery in their own words:

"It is a place where you can experience coffee from the unroasted bean to your cup of coffee. You can watch it being roasted. You'll see the burlap sacks it comes in. You can watch it being loaded into the green coffee loading pit. You can buy it scooped at the coffee scoop bar. You can experience your coffee as a pour over, Siphon brewed, Clover-brewed, a shot of espresso, espresso beverages, and more."