Why Do Luckin Coffee Solo Shifts End in Forced Closures?

Luckin Coffee stores often run with a single employee on duty. When that employee needs a restroom break, the receipt printer keeps printing orders and customers and delivery riders wait at the bar. Negative reviews affect wages, so some workers forcibly close the store, pausing online and offline orders, while others shut off water or coffee beans to suspend operations indirectly.

Staff at Manner and Cotti report similar pressure. Posting a notice or watching the bar camera during a short absence does not always prevent a bad review, which feeds into performance metrics and income. Understaffing lowers operational costs, but frequent closures interrupt orders and, over time, can damage a coffee store's image and customer trust.

At Luckin Coffee stores, it is not uncommon for a single employee to be on duty alone. When nature calls, leaving the counter to use the restroom becomes a challenge: the receipt printer keeps spitting out orders, customers and delivery riders are waiting, and negative reviews are tied to wages—all of which put immense pressure on staff. To handle personal needs with peace of mind, some employees choose to forcibly close the store, pausing both online and offline orders; others indirectly suspend operations by shutting off water or coffee beans. Meanwhile, employees at brands like Manner and Cotti face similar predicaments. Although understaffing can save on operational costs, it may lead to frequent store closures and, in the long run, damage the brand's image. This article explores the employee struggles and management conflicts behind this phenomenon.

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Just as you untie your apron to go to the restroom, by the time you return, the receipt printer has already spit out a long string of orders, and several customers and delivery riders are standing at the bar waiting to pick up their drinks. You have no choice but to jump right back into action, making coffee nonstop while occasionally soothing the impatient customers.

This scenario is all too familiar to many Luckin employees. Some follow the example of Manner staff, who also work alone, by posting a notice in a prominent spot when they briefly leave the bar to inform walk-in customers. Others carry the store phone with them and keep an eye on the bar's surveillance camera while in the restroom; if they spot any issue, they immediately rush back.

However, even with the utmost caution—not daring to linger in the restroom for even a second—they may still receive negative store reviews for briefly leaving their post, affecting both performance metrics and income. As a result, many Luckin employees have recently adopted the most direct solution to ensure they can handle personal needs with peace of mind—forcibly closing the store.

Employees report that when working alone, they inevitably encounter situations requiring restroom breaks or solo trips to the storage room to organize inventory. During these periods when no one is at the bar, forcibly closing the store is clearly the best option. Once closed, customers cannot place orders through delivery platforms or the mini-program—no notification sounds, no customers urging. Employees who use this method say, "Only by forcibly closing the store can you go to the restroom without worries."

Although forcibly closing the store is hassle-free, some believe this trick isn't applicable to all locations. Therefore, most choose methods like shutting off water or coffee beans to suspend normal order-taking, allowing themselves to handle personal needs with peace of mind.

Jokes aside, employees would rather the stores end the single-person duty model as soon as possible. Many say that as long as they're standing at the bar, they dare not drink water at all, fearing they'll need the restroom too often. Even when they have physical needs, they hold it in until they "really can't anymore" before reporting and leaving briefly. Some employees say that when working the morning shift, they dare not touch breakfast or water—partly because it wastes time, and partly to reduce the number of times they leave the bar.

The predicament of solo duty is not unique to Luckin; employees at brands like Manner and Cotti also face similar troubles. To serve orders on time and ensure store efficiency, staff generally dare not leave the bar for personal matters. When emergencies arise in the store, they can only handle them alone, and may later face questioning from management.

Undeniably, brands need to weigh many factors for profitability, and labor costs are something to control and adjust. Scheduling one fewer employee per store can save on operating expenses, but understaffed stores may frequently resort to closing, and over time, this could damage the brand's image.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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