Blue Bottle Coffee Rumored to Open Three Beijing Stores

Recently, a Beijing netizen spotted listings for three new Blue Bottle Coffee stores on a third-party platform. The locations were China World Mall, Jiulongshan, and Sanlitun, which sparked widespread discussion among coffee enthusiasts. Since entering China in 2022, Blue Bottle has opened only 13 stores in three years, a slow expansion pace, yet the brand remains highly sought after. The rumor of three Beijing stores opening at once has fans sharing mixed opinions.

Some point out that Blue Bottle has recently made new moves in Shenzhen and Hangzhou, suggesting an acceleration in expansion. Others believe the brand values site selection and cultural integration, and would not cluster stores in core commercial districts. Whether true or not, Beijing fans are all looking forward to the day they can drink Blue Bottle in their own neighborhood. The discussion continues as the brand expands in China.

Recently, a Beijing netizen spotted listings for three new Blue Bottle Coffee stores on a third-party platform, located in China World Mall, Jiulongshan, and Sanlitun, sparking widespread discussion among coffee enthusiasts. Since entering China in 2022, Blue Bottle has opened only 13 stores in three years—a slow expansion pace, yet it remains highly sought after. Is the rumor of three Beijing stores opening at once true? Fans have mixed opinions. Some point out that Blue Bottle has recently made new moves in Shenzhen and Hangzhou, suggesting an acceleration in expansion; others believe the brand values site selection and cultural integration, and would not cluster stores in core commercial districts. Whether true or not, Beijing fans are all looking forward to the day they can drink Blue Bottle in their own neighborhood.

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Recently, a Beijing netizen, while ordering coffee on a third-party platform, inadvertently came across listings for three new Blue Bottle Coffee stores.

According to the screenshots circulating, the three stores are located in Beijing's China World Mall, Jiulongshan, and Sanlitun. The pages not only specify their exact locations but also note the distance to the nearest subway station. Seeing Blue Bottle Beijing store information prominently listed, the coffee community instantly buzzed with excitement, with everyone chiming in about these three not-yet-opened stores.

As a benchmark brand in the specialty coffee field, Blue Bottle has opened only 13 stores in the three years since entering the Chinese market in 2022, with 11 in Shanghai and 2 in Shenzhen. Compared to other well-known chain brands, this pace of expansion is remarkably slow, yet every new store opening always draws a crowd of loyal fans eager to visit and check in.

The Blue Bottle Shanghai IFC store, which just opened last week, is a prime example. The opening coincided with Typhoon "Zhu Jie Cao" passing through Shanghai, bringing wind and rain that shrouded the entire city, but even the harsh weather couldn't dampen fans' enthusiasm. On social platforms, many could be seen braving the rain to visit the store, just to get that limited-edition fridge magnet.

Onlookers had plenty to say about this, with some digging up old records: as early as January 2022, Blue Bottle had already registered "Blue Bottle Coffee (Beijing) Co., Ltd.," but it wasn't until October 2023 that it held a pop-up store in Beijing, which indeed attracted a large number of fans. However, after the pop-up ended, the brand did not strike while the iron was hot to select a site for a permanent store in Beijing, and the matter of "Blue Bottle entering Beijing" has remained unresolved ever since.

So after two years, seeing news again that Blue Bottle might land in Beijing, the anticipation among coffee lovers is entirely understandable.

However, netizens' attitudes toward the authenticity of the news are not uniform. Some pointed out that Qichacha information shows Blue Bottle recently registered a third store in Shenzhen, and a Hangzhou netizen photographed the brand putting up hoarding at a storefront in Hangzhou MixC, concluding that the brand intends to accelerate its pace of opening stores. The rumored "three Beijing stores at once" may not be groundless.

But fans who disagree believe that Blue Bottle is quite particular about store site selection, emphasizing integration with local cultural tones. Shanghai's Yutong store and Zhangyuan store, among others, blend seamlessly with surrounding architecture, forming unique landscapes. In the eyes of loyal customers, if Blue Bottle were to open its first Beijing store, it should choose a building with local cultural character, rather than clustering stores in bustling core commercial districts.

Additionally, some people, after comparing screenshots, found differences in how the store names of the Beijing locations and the already-opened Shanghai locations are written on the third-party platform. They pointed out that store information on third-party platforms can actually be created and edited by users themselves, so the possibility that these three new Blue Bottle Beijing stores were fabricated by fans cannot be ruled out.

That said, whether the news is true or false, Beijing's Blue Bottle fans are all hoping the brand will land soon, fulfilling the wish they planted two years ago—"to drink Blue Bottle at their doorstep."

Image source: Xiaohongshu

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