Why Do Coffee Shops Stay Open Through Spring Festival?

Many coffee workers keep working through Spring Festival rather than resting, staffing the bar on New Year's Eve and the first day of the lunar year. Morning order rushes, delivery pre-orders, and customers drifting in after office buildings close for the holidays keep shops busy, and triple pay keeps some staff on duty while others head home before the holiday.

The holiday schedule gives most workers a break, but the coffee industry keeps running because demand does not stop when offices empty. Baristas describe long shifts, instant noodles on duty, and unpredictable customer flow once the lunch crowd disappears. Some leave early, and the split between who stays and who goes shapes the holiday reality behind the counter.

Staying up late on New Year's Eve and exchanging New Year's greetings on the first day of the lunar year—most workers can finally put down their work and take a break. But in the coffee industry, there's a group of people still standing behind the bar, facing the morning rush of exploding orders, delivery pre-orders, and the unpredictable flow of customers after office buildings close for the holidays. Some are fired up by triple pay, some hold out with instant noodles on duty until the New Year's bell rings, and some set off for home well before New Year's Eve. This article documents the real situations of coffee workers during the Spring Festival—let's see who's busy, who's slacking off, and who's secretly treating themselves to a latte during this holiday.

▲

Click to follow | Daily specialty coffee culture magazine Coffee Workshop

On the last day of the Guimao Year of the Rabbit, most people spent it amid the liveliness and excitement of staying up late on New Year's Eve, and by the time they woke up, the first rays of sunshine of the Jiachen Year of the Dragon had already spread out warmly. According to the statutory holiday schedule, most workers who have toiled all year can finally rest today—either chatting with the elders at home or gathering a few friends for an outing.

But there's a group of people who, whether it's New Year's Eve or the first day of the lunar year, are still stationed behind the bar, overwhelmed by the morning rush of orders. Yes, I'm talking about coffee workers.

Reading this, many netizens are probably wondering: Didn't all the 8 a.m. office crowd go home for the New Year? How are people still buying coffee? And orders exploding? You must be kidding, right? Don't your coffee shops close for the New Year? Has this industry gotten so cutthroat that there are no days off at all? …There are indeed plenty of questions, but the one asked most is probably whether coffee workers actually work during the holiday. Honestly, quite a lot of them do.

Scrolling through the comments, workers are checking in in real time: "I'm at work," "Who actually rests during the New Year?", "I'm at work ahhhhh," "Told you, I'm at work," "Working, working." Some even posted screenshots of their labels from New Year's Eve morning, captioned "Want to die first thing in the morning." Not a single order that should have exploded during the morning rush was spared—the world kept turning as usual, and the baristas staring at delivery pre-orders still had their mental state collapse.

Of course, plenty of others are much more relaxed. Once the 8 a.m. office crowd goes on holiday, order volumes drop accordingly—a perfect chance to slack off. Some, with nothing better to do, simply made themselves a latte as a reward for still being on duty on New Year's Eve.

Others sigh that while everyone else is at home having a big feast, watching the Spring Festival Gala, and enjoying a harmonious New Year's Eve together, they're alone in the shop, with a bowl of instant noodles as their New Year's Eve dinner, forcing themselves to hold out until the final moment of the new year. There's no way around it—many shops close on New Year's Eve, and even ordering takeout is a hassle, so instant noodles become the only option.

Those who started work on the first day of the lunar year seem as energized as today's sunshine. "Working, earning that triple pay hard," "Just raking in triple pay," "Work, work, triple pay, working until I cough blood," "Got to work, for tomorrow's triple pay on the third day," "I must secure that triple pay!" As the saying goes, money makes the world go round—holiday triple pay also keeps baristas standing at their posts, serving customers the first great cup of coffee of the New Year.

But not all coffee workers are on the job. Some had already entered vacation mode before New Year's Eve, taking the holiday to travel and relax, or heading back to their hometowns to gather with relatives and friends and catch up. "Been on holiday for ages," "Resting at home," "Hehe, I'm going home for the New Year!"

So, as a fellow coffee worker, are you right now spinning in circles behind the bar, or at home cracking sunflower seeds and watching TV?

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 copyright and indicate the source. However, due to the large quantity, there may be some images and texts that we haven't had time to credit. Please forgive us. 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 any infringement, please let us know and we will delete it. Thank you~!

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