Can an Arabica Coffee Store Balance Autumn Decor and Hygiene?

The %Arabica branch at Tianmuli in Hangzhou covered its interior with withered plane tree leaves and added piano and violin performances to build an autumn setting, and the installation drew sharply divided reactions online. Some visitors liked the photo opportunities; others raised concerns about dust, bacteria and fire safety. The leaves have since been removed.

%Arabica has built its image on minimal white interiors and clean lines, so the leaf-filled arabica coffee store departed from that usual look. The display coincided with promotion of a maple syrup latte, prompting debate over whether it was a seasonal attraction or an overdone stunt. The case highlights how ambiance decisions in dining spaces carry hygiene and safety obligations, not just aesthetic ones.

When golden fallen leaves cover every corner of a coffee shop, would you pause for this touch of autumn, or back away because of hygiene concerns? Recently, the %Arabica store at Tianmuli in Hangzhou decorated its indoor space with large quantities of withered yellow plane tree leaves, paired with intermittent piano and violin performances, attempting to recreate the feel of an autumn forest, yet it triggered polarizing reactions online. Some people love the autumn photos they can casually snap, while others worry about dust accumulation, bacterial growth, and fire safety hazards. Is this deliberate autumn leaf installation a clever gimmick to promote the new maple syrup latte, or an overdone example of "refined tackiness"? This article walks you through the whole incident and explores the balance between ambiance and hygiene standards in dining spaces.

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Works

"Slowly falling maple leaves like longing~ I light a candle to warm the autumn at year's end~"

Whenever maple leaves turn red and drift in the wind, people unconsciously begin seeking the autumn atmosphere around them. Although December has already arrived, many places in the south still retain traces of autumn. Businesses naturally won't miss this seasonal trend and have brought autumn elements into their stores one after another, quietly making "putting autumn into a café" a popular trend. Have you ever seen a %Arabica like this with your own eyes?

Not long ago, netizens discovered that the % Arabica store located at Tianmuli in Hangzhou, in order to create an autumn atmosphere, covered every corner of the shop with withered yellow plane tree leaves and arranged intermittent performances with piano, violin, and other instruments. It is said the repertoire even included Jay Chou's "Maple," aiming to create an autumn that belongs only indoors (the yellow leaves have now all been cleared away).

Among the many chain coffee brands, % Arabica has consistently presented itself in a minimalist style. Its store decor, design, and packaging mostly use clean lines and pure white elements, paired with latte art that has gone viral on social media and its iconic percentage sign logo, attracting countless netizens seeking picture-perfect moments over the years.

But this Tianmuli branch is completely different from the pure white, translucent % Arabica people remember. The entire space is almost surrounded by dry leaves, and the "fresh" fallen leaves fill the place with a rich wild forest charm. Whether on the floor, tables and chairs, stairs, walls, or the outdoor photo spots, dried leaves are piled everywhere. Even the Christmas tree at the entrance is made from irregular dry leaves, with straw piles and coffee bean burlap sacks placed beside the chairs as accents. The autumn elements are so abundant that it feels like you can smell the scent of dry leaves through the screen.

Regarding % Arabica's deliberate setup this time, many netizens said outright that they couldn't appreciate it. On one hand, rotting leaves all over the floor feel unsanitary, as they easily accumulate dust and may harbor bacteria; if coffee or food is accidentally spilled, it could even become a gathering place for cockroaches. On the other hand, having such a large quantity of leaves piled indoors at the same time poses certain fire safety hazards, completely killing any desire to go in and have a coffee.

When talking about the autumn atmosphere created by this % Arabica, many netizens even blurted out "filthy" and "Who came up with this awkward, tacky attempt at luxury?" and "refined tackiness." Of course, some helpful netizens offered renovation suggestions: why not first lay a layer of leaves on the ground and then cover them with transparent glass? That would be much more hygienic than stepping directly on the leaves, avoiding the psychological suggestion of dirtiness and saving the trouble of cleaning up the mess. After all, in the food and beverage industry, the hygiene environment always comes first.

Judging from related posts on social media, many trendsetters who visited in person quite liked % Arabica's setup, claiming that any casual shot could produce an "autumn masterpiece." Some shot portraits with a wide aperture, some focused on the coffee amid the pile of fallen leaves, and others picked up leaves with their hands and tossed them into the air before capturing the moment. In addition, because these leaves are real, stepping on and crushing them produces a crisp "crunch crunch" sound that is very soothing.

As more and more people flocked to this % Arabica to check in on the "man-made autumn," most of the intact leaves on the ground were trampled into fragments and kicked everywhere. The floor originally covered by leaves was exposed, and discarded coffee paper cups left after photoshoots remained among the piled leaf fragments, making it truly hard not to say: "It's really messy."

In fact, besides the Tianmuli branch, % Arabica locations in many places have been creating maple leaf backdrops in recent days. The reason for so "forcefully" adding autumn leaf elements is mainly to promote its upcoming new product, the "Maple Syrup Latte." It's just that this time the autumn leaf display at the Tianmuli store was so exaggerated that, rather than the new product, everyone only remembered this pile of leaves.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet. For some content on the website, such as images, we will respect the original creator's copyright and indicate the source. However, due to the large quantity, there may be个别 images and texts that we have not yet been able to credit in time. Please understand. If the original creator has any objections, they may contact the website for handling. Once verified, we will correct it immediately. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Works." Please indicate the source when reposting. If there is any infringement, please inform us for removal. Thank you~!

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