What Is Coffee Ice at Luckin and Why Is It Restricted?

A customer asked Luckin Coffee for extra ice and was refused. Customer service explained that ice is treated as a semi-finished product, allowed only in prepared drinks and not sold or given away on its own. The response drew online debate, with some calling the rule absurd while others pointed to food safety risks behind it.

Commenters recalled an undercover test that sent ice from chain restaurant stores for microbial testing, including checks for E. coli, prompting brands to formalize such rules. Starbucks and McDonald's reportedly have similar requirements. Staff can still provide ice water, which customers may drain and use, though what is coffee remains, for many shops, a drink rather than a separate component.

Recently, a customer at Luckin Coffee wanted to add extra ice after placing an order, but was told by the staff that it could not be provided separately. Luckin's customer service explained that ice is considered a semi-finished product, and company policy stipulates it can only be used in making beverages, not sold or given away on its own. This response quickly sparked discussion online, with some finding the rule absurd, while others explained that it is to avoid food safety risks. In fact, chain brands like Starbucks and McDonald's have similar requirements. This article will outline the incident, netizens' opinions, and Luckin's official response, and explore the logic behind ice management in chain beverage stores.

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Recently, a netizen posted that they bought coffee at Luckin, felt the drink wasn't cold enough, and wanted to add some ice separately, but was refused by Luckin staff.

The netizen then reported the issue to Luckin Coffee's online customer service. The customer service responded that since ice is a semi-finished product, it is only provided for prepared drinks, and company policy does not allow providing ice separately. The netizen considered Luckin's rule "too absurd" and couldn't understand it, so they posted the screenshot on social media.

As soon as this news came out, it attracted a lot of attention and discussion from netizens.

Regarding Luckin's hard rule of "no ice," many netizens took the initiative to explain that previously, someone had conducted an undercover investigation, sending ice provided by chain restaurant stores for microbial testing to determine if E. coli exceeded standards. To avoid a series of food safety lawsuit risks, this explicit rule was established and employees are required to strictly follow it.

As for Luckin store operations, experienced netizens also mentioned that although the rule doesn't allow giving ice separately, employees can provide ice water to customers. If ice is really needed, one can ask the staff for ice water and use it after draining the water.

Some netizens also noticed that this rule is not unique to Luckin Coffee; well-known chain brands like Starbucks and McDonald's have similar requirements. So, each store has different rules and regulations, employees just follow work rules and procedures, "there's no need to make things difficult for them."

In fact, this is not the first time Luckin has attracted netizens' attention for refusing to provide ice separately. Since 2021, netizens have been posting questions on Xiaohongshu, "Why can't Luckin give ice directly? Instead, they give ice water~" At that time, Luckin employees answered about the reason for not providing separate ice service.

According to Gongfu Finance, regarding whether ice can be purchased, Luckin Coffee's human customer service said that ice is a semi-finished product, stores cannot provide it, and it can only be used in drinks. "You can't buy ice separately, nor can you place an order for it." As for the feedback, customer service said they have made a detailed record and will report it to relevant departments.

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