What happens to prepaid card balances after a coffee store closes?

A Mann Coffee location inside the Aeon Mall in Fengtai, Beijing vacated its premises on the night of October 13, before its lease had expired. The mall issued a public notice saying the coffee store shut down unilaterally without providing a plan to handle prepaid card balances, and it may report the matter to authorities or file a lawsuit.

The closure left nearby customers unsure where to claim remaining balances, since the store did not notify the mall in advance or reach any agreement with it. Mann Coffee has long been known as a Korean-style cafe brand, and the sudden exit raises questions about how prepaid card holders can recover their money.

Recently, a Mann Coffee location inside the Aeon Mall in Fengtai, Beijing, was reported to have suddenly vacated its premises on the night of October 13 before its lease contract had expired. The mall issued a public notice directly accusing the store of unilaterally shutting down without providing a plan to handle prepaid card balances, drawing widespread attention from nearby consumers and the coffee community. Why did this longstanding Korean-style café, once regarded as a "city landmark," exit in such a manner? And who should prepaid card holders turn to in order to claim their remaining balances? This article sorts through the sequence of events, the mall's statement, and the rise and fall of Mann Coffee over the years, inviting readers to observe together the real difficulties now facing this cup of "romantic Korean-style coffee."

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Recently, a consumer posted online saying they had planned to go to Mann Coffee to sit, read a book, and study a bit, but when they arrived at the door, they discovered the store had already closed, with no one inside, and a "closure notice" posted on the glass door. Only when they looked closer did they realize that the store had not closed temporarily, but had quietly vacated days earlier under the cover of night.

From this "store withdrawal notice," it can be seen that the store involved is Mann Coffee, located inside the Aeon Mall in Fengtai, Beijing. The notice pointed out that the store, without fulfilling its contract obligations, vacated overnight on the evening of October 13.

As the landlord, the mall stated that the store had failed to perform its due obligations under the lease contract, and that the lease contract had not yet expired at the time. The store had neither provided an effective solution for prepaid card balances, nor notified the mall in advance as agreed, nor reached any consensus through consultation with the mall, but instead unilaterally shut down the store, seriously harming the lawful rights and interests of the mall and consumers. The mall said it would continue trying to communicate with the other party and did not rule out reporting the matter to relevant administrative departments or filing a lawsuit in court, firmly safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the mall and consumers.

In addition to the issue of contract performance, the mall also specifically mentioned top-up payments: "If you still have unused prepaid cards, please contact the store as soon as possible to handle them. We also remind everyone that the prepaid and stored-value business activities carried out by this store are its own independent business conduct. Please properly keep relevant evidence from the stored-value transaction process and assert your rights against the store through lawful means."

After news of Mann Coffee's closure spread, many nearby residents, beyond being shocked, felt even more reluctance and sadness. As part of everyone's memories, this Mann Coffee location opened around the same time as the mall and had accompanied local consumers for many years. It had also been praised by many as "the most comfortable," "my favorite place to go," "the best waffles," and "especially good service," which is why there had been multiple top-up records.

In the eyes of these customers, as long as there was still money on the recharge card, they would always go back to spend it, and Mann Coffee would keep operating. No one expected it to end in a "midnight runaway" fashion, which is truly lamentable.

Public information shows that Mann Coffee is a brand under Man Chuangyi Catering Management Co., Ltd. It was founded in 2011, with its first store opening in Beijing. By 2019, the number of Mann Coffee stores had reached 150.

Founder Xin Zixiang hoped to turn the café into a place convenient for people to talk business and relax, focusing on a romantic Korean-style living space. With spacious interiors, gorgeous lighting, comfortable sofas, and tasty coffee and desserts, Mann Coffee quickly became popular among young people for a time, and many websites even treated it as a landmark café in the city. As a "veteran internet-famous brand," Mann Coffee could be said to be in the "first tier" of chain brands in the domestic market.

However, by 2020, reports emerged that the once-glorious Mann Coffee had fallen into a wave of store closures. About two-thirds of the brand's stores in Beijing were shown to have closed, and it began to fall from grace. According to the latest data from Zhaimen Canyan, as of October 7, Mann Coffee had 111 operating stores nationwide, most of them mall locations.

Although in the past two years there has still been news online of Mann Coffee opening new stores, feedback on social platforms shows that the brand's popularity is already far below what it once was. In addition, with the domestic coffee market currently in fierce competition and all kinds of novel approaches emerging one after another, this type of old-school Korean-style café is finding it hard to attract the attention of new young consumers.

Image source: online screenshot

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