NEWS
The "Fake Foreigner" Who Conquered City: from Banker to BBQ Star
On a regular day in Chongqing, a tall man with a stern face appears on a livestream, barking in local dialect:"Do you guys even want the deal or not?!"
Within seconds, a virtual "Pigsy" hat appears on his head—gifted by a cheeky fan. The chat explodes with laughter.
But this isn't just some ordinary livestreamer. He's Martin, a 1.94-meter-tall German who speaks fluent Chongqing dialect and now has over 760,000 followers on Douyin (China's TikTok). To his fans, he's not just a content creator. He's "the fake foreigner."
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From Frankfurt Finance to Chongqing's Chili Crowd
In 2015, Martin left behind his investment banking job and moved to China with his Chongqing-born wife. There, he opened a German restaurant. But cooking bratwurst in a city obsessed with spice wasn't easy. Locals wanted heat. Martin adapted—pairing German pork knuckles with local chili powder. It was tough, but business slowly picked up.
Still, the real breakthrough didn't come until 2022.
"暴躁" Livestreams and a Hat Obsession
Martin leaned into his strengths: humor, dialect, and authenticity. He began livestreaming in Chongqing dialect, playing up a grumpy, exaggerated persona.
"You laugh too much! Stop laughing! Do you still want the discounts?" he'd rant—only to get another digital hat plopped on his head.
His fans? Delighted.
Limited meal deals would flash on-screen—sausages, ribs, roasted chicken, and that infamous pork knuckle. Sold out in seconds. His account, @德国马丁Martin, exploded.
One short video about his Chinese neighbors gifting him eggs and mooncakes went viral with over 400,000 likes. Fans flooded the comments: "Send them German knives back!" "How about a BMW, which is also German?"
One simply wrote, "I wanted to help you, but you said '啷个办哦' like a local. I feel you don't need any help. You are a fake foreigner!"
The Power of Speaking Local
Martin realized dialect was a bridge—not a gimmick. It erased distance. He ditched German on camera, and even picked up local squats and slang. His favorite phrase? "猫抓糍粑——脱不了爪爪" (Like a cat with sticky rice—you're caught). It's vivid, funny, and oh-so-Chongqing.
This authenticity turned casual viewers into loyal fans—and loyal fans into customers.
Surviving the F&B Game—with Spicy Sausages and Viral Reels
Martin didn't stop at one restaurant. "香肠兄弟," his brand, now has five locations. But he learned the hard way—people didn't just come for the food, they came for him.
So he doubled down on content. A viral collab with a food vlogger brought thousands of new eyes. He joined Douyin's merchant programs, earning traffic and subsidies. Today, 10% of his orders come from Douyin, with livestreams pulling in tens of thousands of views—and thousands of yuan.
He even helps other restaurants sell through livestreams, bringing in up to 1 million yuan per session.
Still Just Martin
If it weren't for the heat, you'd still find Martin daily at his "lucky spot" near Chongqing's Raffles City, livestreaming while fans give him cartoon hats.
He's now a local tourism ambassador and even starred in a German documentary that reached millions.
Still, he shrugs it off: "I believe in the power of being real."
And maybe that's the secret. In a city known for spice, fire, and attitude—Martin didn't just blend in. He marinated in it.
Source: 四川新闻网, 新重庆-重庆日报
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