More than a store

The opening of Jenny Lou's Green on Oct 28 marks a milestone for the company that has grown from a small produce stand to a 10-branch foreign-food supermarket brand known to nearly all foreigners and a growing number of Chinese in Beijing.

The new branch, which also features a cafe and restaurant, was opened by 25-year-old Lu Qi, the son of the couple who founded the company the year he was born.

Lu Xudong and his wife, Wang Jianping, started their fruit-and-vegetable stall in Beijing's Sanlitun area, which contains many embassies, in 1993.

The couple says overcharging foreigners was common in the neighborhood back then, but Lu Xudong and Wang believed honesty would better serve everyone.

They adjusted their focus from basic produce after a growing number of foreign customers requested items they didn't have, including imported staples.