(Sanqin.com/Chen Feibo)

With tables, chairs, a cashier desk, ornaments, and wall sculptures all made from corrugated cardboard, a bookstore restaurant in Xi’an, capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, has recently gained widespread public attention, sanqin.com reported.

Opened at the beginning of 2018, the “cardboard restaurant” provides customers with Shaanxi style cuisine after 5 p.m. every day. With its unique location and style, the restaurant is now a firm favorite with those who visit the bookstore to peruse the shelves, as well as customers who want to try out a restaurant with a difference.

“It’s nice to put down your mobile phone and read a book, and then enjoy a dish you like. It's reminiscent of my middle school days,” said Liu Jing, a restaurant customer.

“The cardboard furniture not only helps to create a brand-new experience for customers, but also conveys the idea of environmental protection and a simple style of dining,” Liu added.

(Sanqin.com/Chen Feibo)

The tables, made of corrugated card, are all one square meter in size, and come with four chairs, in three different adult-sized styles and one highchair for children.

All the cardboard used in the restaurant was transported from Taiwan, China, according to restaurant owner Zhang Qiang, who disclosed that after learning about the properties and sturdiness of corrugated card, he created various pieces now used in the restaurant.

Zhang explained that the adult chairs could each hold the weight of a person under 150 kilograms. He added that as the cost of cardboard furniture is higher than regular furniture, it’s unlikely that he'll be able to replace too many damaged chairs or tables. Therefore, maintaining the unique furniture is his biggest concern.   

(Sanqin.com/Chen Feibo)