Franchisees Speak Out About NOWWA Coffee Challenges

Several NOWWA Coffee franchisees have taken to social media to express their frustration with the brand. They report a lack of promotional support when stores first open, supervisors who do not provide meaningful help, and company policies that force them to order more materials than needed. When trying to relocate after a lease ends, franchisees say they face bureaucratic obstacles and must buy specific sign components from the company, delaying reopening.

Consumers have also raised questions about the brand's ability to compete with larger chains like Luckin and Cotti. Some netizens list problems such as exaggerated store counts, supply chain disruptions, and insufficient training for new franchisees. These accounts highlight the operational and trust issues currently facing NOWWA Coffee, offering a cautionary perspective for anyone considering a coffee franchise investment.

Recently, multiple NOWWA Coffee franchisees have spoken out on social media, exposing the brand's various failures to act and unreasonable restrictions in store operations. From the lack of promotional support in the early opening period, to forced stocking, blocked relocations, and products whose taste is not accepted by consumers, franchisees have expressed regret and helplessness. At the same time, some consumers have also raised doubts about the brand, believing it is difficult for it to compete with chain brands such as Luckin and Cotti. This article will synthesize feedback from franchisees and netizens to sort out the trust and operational crisis currently facing NOWWA Coffee, providing reference for readers interested in coffee franchising.

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Recently, a NOWWA Coffee franchisee posted on social media, saying bluntly that they regret joining the brand.

According to the franchisee, when the store first opened, the brand did not provide promotional support, and the supervisor sent by the company did nothing after arriving at the store, only playing on the computer in the store for two days. In subsequent operations, the franchisee was also subject to many restrictions from the company, such as when ordering materials, "it cannot be less than 8,000 yuan, and there are all kinds of forced allocations, and goods you don't need are also sent."

What really broke the poster was the brand's various forms of non-cooperation when relocating after the store lease expired: "You have to go through the relocation process before you can get on delivery platforms," "You must buy certain sign components from the company." The poster said that after nearly 3 months of back-and-forth struggling, the new store still could not open normally due to obstruction from the brand, and instead they had built up a belly full of anger.

Another franchisee who felt the same way also shared the bizarre situations encountered in their operations: "They (referring to the brand) can't even get a delivery menu done properly, and the franchisee still has to check it themselves and clean up the mess."

In addition to the complaints of the above two franchisees, some netizens summarized several "crimes" of the brand based on the experiences of other NOWWA franchisees: exaggerating the number of stores to franchisees, frequent problems in the product supply chain, failure to provide professional and comprehensive operational guidance to inexperienced newcomers, and exemption clauses in contracts that make it difficult for franchisees' rights and interests to be fully protected.

The netizen said that a series of disappointing actions by the brand have left many franchisees trapped in it filled with regret, admitting that they should not have rashly rushed into the coffee industry they did not understand because of a momentary impulse.

After hearing the tearful complaints of franchisees, some onlookers also had their own views on the NOWWA brand: "The store style makes me have no desire to go in at all," "What's funny about this brand is that one year when I went home, I saw a promotional sign saying it was from Shanghai, but the key thing is I've basically never seen this brand in Shanghai," "As someone who drinks coffee every day, I bought it once and then that was it," "I just drank it yesterday, it was bland and tasteless."

Most consumers spoke bluntly, believing that compared with chain brands such as Luckin and Cotti, a major problem with NOWWA at present is that the taste of its drinks is not accepted by buyers, and many people are unwilling to repurchase after a brief try because the products do not meet expectations. Some even blacklisted the brand and discouraged others who were somewhat curious about it.

In addition, some netizens pointed out that although NOWWA's development model is similar to Luckin and Cotti, it is difficult for users to remember the brand by any one of its characteristics, and the products themselves are not very able to attract customers to repurchase. Franchisees also said that although the brand launches new products and co-branded activities from time to time to attract customer attention, the benefits this marketing strategy brings to stores cannot fill previous losses.

After recognizing the reality, some franchisees cut their losses in time, closing or transferring their quiet stores, but a small number are still struggling to hold on and barely surviving, trying to recover some losses. They advise entrepreneurs who want to join through franchising to think carefully before acting and make decisions only after fully understanding the situation, so they will not end up regretting it as they do now.

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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