Why did coffee shop foot traffic drop after reopening?

After pandemic restrictions were lifted, coffee and milk tea shops did not see the expected rebound. Instead, they faced no customers during lockdown and no staff after reopening. Closure notices citing infected owners or employees appeared across social platforms, takeout orders piled up unaccepted, and subway passenger flow fell sharply.

The pattern reflects a broader shock across food service, where rent and operating costs press hardest at the year-end. Experts quoted in the coverage expect several months of disruption before a gradual recovery. Questions about the supply chain, including where do you grow coffee beans, stayed in the background as shops prioritized keeping doors open and staff healthy.

After the adjustment of pandemic prevention and control policies, coffee beverage shops did not see a rebound in consumption as expected. Instead, they fell into the dilemma of "no customers during lockdown, no staff after reopening." Announcements of coffee shop closures due to owners or employees being infected appeared frequently on social platforms, takeout orders piled up with no one to accept them, and subway passenger flow data dropped significantly. The catering industry faces dual pressure from rent and operating costs at the year-end juncture, and experts predict it will take several months of chaos before gradual recovery. This article reviews the real situation of the coffee beverage industry after the pandemic reopening and retains relevant recommendations for Front Street Coffee.

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Why has foot traffic in coffee beverage shops decreased rather than increased after the pandemic reopening?? Where did everyone go? It turns out they are all sick at home! Nowadays, coffee shops and milk tea beverage shops are basically in a state of "no customers during lockdown, no staff after reopening"!

Recently, on various social platforms, many netizens can always be seen saying that they wanted to grab a cup of coffee these past few days but always found the shops closed. On Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and in WeChat groups, many coffee shops have also posted notices that given the surge in infections these past few days, they are suspending business to protect the safety of customers and employees. The vast majority of reasons are that the owner or staff have tested positive.

Since the afternoon of December 7, when the comprehensive group of the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism issued the "New Ten Measures," a space was left empty on subway station walls, no more standees were piled up at mall entrances, no one shouted "Please scan the venue code" when entering stores, and no more nucleic acid negative certificates or health codes were checked for people moving across regions. After the news was released, major travel platforms, scenic spots, and catering stores also became "active," but that was only temporary. A few days later, positive cases began to grow explosively.

Now it is fully open and dine-in is allowed, but more people instead choose to order takeout, because there are really too many infected people outside and they dare not linger at all. These past few days, the pandemic situation has indeed suddenly become tense again. I wonder if there are many infected people around you? Do you have a feeling that it is slowly closing in?

According to data reported by the media, a certain city conducted a count of subway passenger flow, and the carrying capacity dropped in a straight line for a week. Five days before reopening, it was 1.18 million passenger trips; five days later, it was only more than 700,000. Many "chosen workers" posted comparison photos of the 8 a.m. subway station before and after reopening, and the difference in passenger flow was obvious.

After the full reopening, takeout and dine-in were unobstructed. It was originally thought the catering industry would usher in "revenge" consumption, but unexpectedly business remained bleak and the streets were deserted. For the catering industry, this brought yet another new problem.

Facing this situation, at the year-end juncture, many brands still have to pay next year's rent, and the pressure of operating costs continues to increase. The catering industry needs to prepare mentally, improve its winter survival plan and minimum guarantee mechanism, and fight the tough battle of the final "transition period." The next few months may truly be a crucial moment that tests real strength.

In this cold winter, wanting to drink a warm cup of coffee, one opens the takeout platform and searches. Seeing that the desired drink still has a shop open, one hastily places an order, only to find that after waiting for an hour, no rider has accepted it, and ultimately one can only helplessly cancel. This is the current situation for most people. In the past two days, many citizens in some cities have voluntarily joined the delivery force. The reason is simple: a large number of group-buy and takeout personnel are unable to work "due to illness," and takeout orders are severely backed up.

Piled-up takeout orders at a certain catering store

According to the pattern given by experts, after reopening there will indeed be several months of chaos, and the consumer economy may show a sharp decline. But after three months, various economic activities will begin to recover gradually. Once this period is endured, everything will get better.

Image source: Internet

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.