What the Doi Coffee Case Says About Huang Coffee Shop Marketing

A coffee shop in Huangpu District, Shanghai, trading as Doi Coffee, was fined 30,000 yuan by the district market supervision authority over a store name and menu item names that were held to violate public order and good morals. Regulators said the heavier penalty reflected serious negative public reaction online. The shop has since closed, and the person in charge cited poor business.

Penalty records show the shop sold 170 cups of the flagged drinks through online channels for 2,350.41 yuan before the case was opened in July, and it later corrected the names on its electronic coffee restaurant menu. The episode has renewed industry discussion about where creative naming ends and regulatory red lines begin, and what huang coffee operators should watch for in their own menus.

A coffee shop that attracted attention with a suggestive name ultimately paid the price for its marketing approach. In July of this year, a coffee shop in Huangpu District, Shanghai, named "Doi Coffee," was investigated by market regulators for a store name and product names suspected of violating public order and good morals. After several months, the penalty result has finally landed—a fine of 30,000 yuan, with a heavier punishment due to the severe public opinion impact. Now the shop has quietly closed, and the person in charge said business was so poor that they are no longer operating. Behind the incident is a collision between the bottom line of marketing in the food and beverage industry and the red line of regulation, and it has also sparked public discussion about the boundary of vulgar marketing. Front Street Coffee reminds practitioners that creative marketing must have limits, and respecting public order and good morals is the way to long-term business.

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

In July of this year, Coffee Workshop reported on a café in Shanghai named "Doi Coffee," which was investigated by the Huangpu District Market Supervision Bureau because its store name and product names were suspected of being vulgar.

This afternoon, Jiupai News reported that the shop was fined 30,000 yuan by the Shanghai Huangpu District Market Supervision Administration for selling products that violate public order and good morals. The topic #DoiCafeFined30KForVulgarMarketing# quickly surged onto Weibo's trending searches, sparking widespread discussion.

Penalty information shows that in July of this year, the party operated under the name "Doi Coffee" on multiple online platforms, and several coffee names in its electronic menu contained words that violate public order and good morals. As of the time of the case, the party had sold a total of 170 cups of the above beverages through online channels, with sales amounting to 2,350.41 yuan. At present, the party has completed rectification of the relevant coffee beverage names.

In view of the fact that the party's illegal actions triggered considerable public opinion online, causing relatively serious negative social impact and harmful consequences, the Shanghai Huangpu District Market Supervision Administration decided to impose a heavier penalty on the party. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Online Transactions, the party was ordered to make corrections and fined 30,000 yuan.

On December 12, the person in charge of the restaurant told reporters that the coffee shop had continued operating after changing its name and menu, but later closed due to poor business and is no longer operating. When asked whether the fine had been paid, the other party did not respond, but mentioned that "the store manager has no intention of applying for administrative reconsideration."

Online trading platforms show that the shop registered on the platform in July 2023. On July 26, a netizen commented on a food delivery platform: "What kind of trend is this? I don't know what kind of people drink coffee named like this."

In response to netizens questioning the coffee shop's use of vulgar-themed marketing, the shop once replied that the netizen had not visited the store to consume, and it was a malicious negative review or a review from a competitor. The shop also said that only vulgar people would associate it with vulgar culture, and Shanghai is a highly inclusive city. "It's fine if you don't think it's good, but there's no need to scold everyone. This is normal culture." After several rounds of communication, the netizen said they had reported it to 12345. Subsequently, on various online trading platforms, the café was delisted and could not be found in searches .

In response to the situation, the Huangpu District Market Supervision Bureau announced on July 28 that "a coffee shop in Shanghai engaged in vulgar marketing," and that its product names contained content violating public order and good morals. The shop was suspected of violating Article 11 of the Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Online Transactions, and an investigation had been opened.

According to media reports, when asked why it was named this way, the person in charge of the café involved responded that, " At the time, I didn't think that much. "

Disclaimer: Some images in this article are from the internet. For some content on the website, such as images, we will respect the original author's copyright and indicate the source, but due to the large quantity, some images and texts may not have been credited in time. Please understand. If the original author has any disputes, they can contact the website for handling. Once verified, we will correct it immediately. Compiled and edited by "Coffee Workshop." Please indicate the source when reposting. If there is infringement, please inform us for deletion. Thank you~!

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