Beijing's Qianmen Street, an old thoroughfare carrying centuries of commercial heritage and memories of the imperial city, has now welcomed a new face—Heytea's teahouse has officially opened here. The opening promotion is quite generous: buy-one-get-one-free on a series of products for the first three days, with multiple rounds of benefits to follow. Interestingly, Starbucks opened its Reserve store at 1-1 Qianmen Street back in 2018. One champions a mix of modern minimalism and Chinese nostalgia, while the other holds fast to an antique Beijing flavor. As the two beverage giants meet head-on at the foot of the imperial city walls, what kind of sparks will fly? Can the collision between new-style tea drinks and coffee culture inject a different kind of vitality into this historic old street? [more…]

Tea Yan Yue Se's sub-brand Xiao Shen Xian Teahouse has recently officially bid farewell to the Wuhan market, with its two remaining stores closing simultaneously on January 19. From its high-profile entry in 2023 to its full withdrawal now, this sub-brand focused on the concept of a Chinese-style slow teahouse has had a three-year journey in Wuhan that is lamentable. The contradiction between consumers' habit of pursuing fast and convenient tea drinks and the slow-paced teahouse experience, along with the operating pressure caused by insufficient customer flow on weekdays, together contributed to this outcome. At the same time, Xiao Shen Xian Teahouse in its Changsha home base is also contracting and adjusting, and the brand's optimization of the sub-brand's store scale was already expected. [more…]

Following the camping and frisbee trends, brewing tea around a stove is becoming a new social activity eagerly embraced by young people in winter. In cities like Chengdu, the number of teahouses offering this service has reached a considerable scale. Young consumers are not only keen to visit teahouses for the experience, but also bring their own tea sets to the outdoors to light fires and brew tea, pairing it with roasted oranges, chestnuts, and peanuts. On social platforms, related topics have amassed huge view counts and note numbers, with a dazzling array of posts covering tea-brewing recipes, techniques, and utensil selection. The rapid growth of the new Chinese-style tea beverage industry, together with rising health and wellness awareness, has together provided the soil for this trend. Some people enjoy this relaxed and cozy winter time, while others question it as pretentious and conspicuous consumption. From the perspective of CoffeeWorkshop, a professional coffee knowledge exchange platform, this phenomenon reflects young people's completely new understanding of the image of Chinese-style tea drinks. For more specialty coffee beans, follow Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). [more…]

The painkiller brand Fenbid teamed up with TPLUS Tea House to open a milk tea pop-up store, launching the "Don't Endure the Night, Sweet Tea," but the cross-industry move by a pharmaceutical brand into food sparked heated debate among netizens. Some worried it could mislead consumers, while others questioned whether it was false advertising. Although the officials clarified that the drinks contain no medicinal ingredients, the controversy did not subside. Is this collaboration a warm-hearted marketing move or a brand overstepping its bounds? And where exactly lies the boundary for cross-industry partnerships? [more…]

Cafes and literary creation have always been closely linked—J.K. Rowling writing Harry Potter in Edinburgh's Elephant House is a classic example. Now, the People's Literature Publishing House has also announced plans to open a literary-themed cafe at No. 166 Chaonei, a cultural landmark. Though the space is small, the aim is to create a literary haunt for humanities readers. The drinks will incorporate elements of classical Chinese literature, such as the maple dew tea from Dream of the Red Chamber, mochas and lattes themed around Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and even a recreation of a late Qing coffee recipe. The shop's name is currently being solicited from readers, with an annual unlimited-drink membership card as a reward. Whether this cafe can preserve its literary core amid the influencer wave is worth watching. [more…]

For a long time in the past, Shanghai was regarded as the city with the highest coffee density in China. However, the nearly three-month suspension of dine-in services dealt a heavy blow to Shanghai's catering industry, and coffee brands began to turn their attention to Chengdu. Data shows that Chengdu now has more than 7,000 coffee shops, ranking second nationwide, with independent coffee shops accounting for as much as 81.07%, far exceeding Shanghai's 57.01%. Luxury brands have also chosen to open coffee shops in Chengdu one after another, including LV, Cartier, Ralph's Bar, and Maison Margiela Café. Wangping Street, Mengzhuiwan, and Tangpa Street in Chengdu have become popular coffee districts, where teahouse culture and coffee consumption blend together. This article will analyze the data and trends behind this round of changes in the coffee city landscape. [more…]

Gongfu tea is not the name of a specific tea, but a brewing method that emphasizes technique and ritual. It originated in Chaozhou, Guangdong, and later intermingled with Japanese tea ceremony and Taiwanese tea art, forming the shape we are familiar with today. Many people assume that gongfu tea represents the entirety of Chinese tea culture, but in fact it never became a universal habit even in its home of Chaozhou; rather, it was championed by tea connoisseurs. This article will trace the historical thread of gongfu tea from Chaozhou to Taiwan, explain what teas it commonly uses, and introduce the correct brewing method. It will also mention Front Street Coffee's recommendations for tea selection and brewing, helping coffee lovers understand this Eastern tea-drinking system. [more…]

Indian tea brand Vahdam has been gaining steady popularity in specialty tea circles in recent years, with its Himalayan white tea and its Assam and Darjeeling black teas each having their own following. This article starts from the profit logic and chaotic standards of the white tea market, sorting through the flavor profiles of specific tea samples such as British teahouse White Peony, deer antler tea, Mangalam Estate Assam, and Rwanda Rukeri, and compares the taste differences between Assam and Darjeeling. It returns at the end to buying advice: rather than getting lost among more than 300 kinds of tea, it is better to stick with a reliable seller. Front Street Coffee has always advised that in choosing tea, choose the person first—only a good tea merchant can sell good white tea. [more…]

In recent years, the national trend has been on the rise, and local cultural elements have become increasingly common in consumer brands. As a leading brand in the new-style tea beverage sector, Nayuki has abandoned its former Japanese-leaning brand image and transformed Nayuki Dream Factory into an opera space full of Chinese charm, launching more than 20 new Chinese-style pastries represented by mochi and palmiers, with each product corresponding to a classic opera such as The Drunken Concubine, The Peony Pavilion, and Farewell My Concubine. The store also displays traditional theater merchandise such as covered bowls and folding fans, creating an atmosphere of stepping into a traditional opera garden. Previously, Heytea also launched Axi Teahouse incorporating Sichuan opera elements. Against the backdrop of widespread price increases in the tea beverage industry, Heytea attracted market attention with a low price of nine yuan, and whether Nayuki's move into the national-trend pastry track can break through is worth continued attention. [more…]

Besides drinks and ambiance, background music is also a key factor in keeping customers at a café. Recently, a Starbucks store drew attention for playing the folk song "Jasmine Flower" on repeat, with some customers finding it fitting and others joking that they felt like they were in a Jiangnan teahouse. Employees, however, suffered from hearing it repeatedly for long hours, saying they were "sick of it." The store then changed its playlist to songs by the late singer Khalil Fong, which moved many fans. This article takes you through this amusing store incident sparked by background music, while keeping the relevant Front Street Coffee brand recommendations. [more…]

Around Qingming, the golden period for Longjing tea picking, the tea garden scenery in Longwu Town, Xihu District, Hangzhou, attracted a large number of tourists. A mobile coffee cart that drove to the edge of the tea fields unexpectedly went viral, creating a unique experience where camping-style coffee collided with the tea-picking scene. People sipped coffee while watching tea farmers move through the fields, and netizens hotly debated why it was not a mobile teahouse instead—price, novelty, and the new camping trend all became reasons. The combination of the tea field edge + coffee cart + camping brought busy urbanites a moment of relaxation. Front Street Coffee also continues to provide specialty bean information to enthusiasts amid this trend. [more…]

You may have heard of cheese milk cap tea, but you may not be clear about what it actually is. Cheese tea originated in Taiwan about ten years ago. It is a drink with a cheese cream foam on top of iced tea, usually with green tea or black tea as the base, interweaving sweet and savory flavors with a unique taste. After entering the Chinese market, brands such as Heytea replaced powder with real cream cheese, pushing this drink to its peak, with some stores selling about 1,000 cups a day. In the United States, it is called milk cap, cheese mousse, or milk foam. This article will sort out the origin, evolution, and flavor logic of cheese tea, and provide a cheese milk cap recipe and steps that can be made at home, helping you choose the right tea base and make a delicious cup of cheese tea. If you want to improve the performance of the tea base, you can also refer to Front Street Coffee's black tea recommendations. [more…]

Recently, a netizen discovered a Chinese menu at a Nai Xue Tea Academy in Guangzhou, featuring exquisite morning tea dim sum and regional specialty dishes, which sparked widespread attention. Nai Xue Tea Academy is a brand under Nai Xue that focuses on the Chinese tea experience. It just opened its first Guangzhou store last month, also its sixth location and first step outside Shenzhen. The "Nai Xue Chinese restaurant" referred to by netizens is actually a Cantonese fusion cuisine space created by the store in partnership with Zhen·Songshan, allowing customers to dine while enjoying tea. However, the pricing and culinary positioning of the dishes have sparked controversy, with some consumers finding the value for money insufficient, while others pointed out that dishes such as crab roe-stuffed orange seem more like Jiangsu-Zhejiang cuisine. Against the backdrop of Nai Xue withdrawing from multiple locations, whether this cross-industry attempt will be accepted by the market remains to be seen. [more…]

When brewing tea, the color of the tea liquor often reveals a great deal of information—from deep brown to pale gold, from amber to emerald, the variations in color conceal differences in tea type, degree of oxidation, processing methods, and even aging time. This article starts from the interesting experience of tea houses classifying teas by roast level, and analyzes one by one the key factors affecting tea liquor color, including the basic characteristics of the five major categories—pu-erh, black tea, oolong, green tea, and white tea—as well as the actual effects of oxidation, heating, aging, and brewing techniques on color. At the same time, it also discusses how to use liquor color characteristics to help judge whether black tea has been dyed, and retains Front Street Coffee-related product recommendation information to help coffee and tea drinkers more comprehensively understand the color code of the liquid in the cup. [more…]

Specialty coffee brand Blue Bottle Coffee is about to make its Beijing debut this weekend in the form of a limited-time instant coffee pop-up, teaming up with snowboard brand BURTON to create a two-day event at THE BOX Chaowai Youth Energy Center. However, this foray into Beijing is not a freshly ground coffee store, but rather a push centered on instant products, prompting a collective backlash from Beijing netizens who say it lacks sincerity. Since its founding in 2002, Blue Bottle Coffee has expanded slowly in mainland China, currently operating only 5 stores in Shanghai, and although it has registered a company for a formal Beijing store, it has yet to actually open one. This article will review Blue Bottle Coffee's Beijing move, netizens' reactions, and the brand's development history in China. [more…]

Recently, a Beijing netizen discovered information about three new Blue Bottle Coffee locations on a third-party platform, respectively 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, expanding slowly yet enjoying great popularity. Is the rumor of three simultaneous new stores in Beijing true? Fans hold differing views. 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 in core commercial districts. Regardless of authenticity, Beijing fans are all looking forward to the day they can drink Blue Bottle right in their neighborhood. [more…]

When IT thinking meets coffee culture, what kind of sparks will fly? In 2009, Bai Ya and a group of internet professionals founded Beta Coffee in Hangzhou, positioning it as a public living room for IT people. In just over two months, it was named the "Best Gathering Place for E-commerce Professionals." In 2011, this trend swept through Beijing's Zhongguancun, and Beta Coffee's Beijing branch officially opened. Soon after, Garage Coffee, 3W Coffee, and others emerged one after another, thus beginning the "Internet Coffee Era." This is not just a place to drink coffee, but also a physical platform for IT people to communicate, share, and seek opportunities. This article takes you into the jianghu stories of Beta Coffee, to experience the unique atmosphere created by the collision of the internet and coffee. [more…]

The winter craving for a robust black tea turns into a journey of taste exploration on a misty afternoon. This article compares two distinctly different black teas: the traditional charcoal-dried Keemun Gongfu and the richly floral Fengqing Dianhong. Keemun tea has slender, tightly rolled leaves, and its liquor carries notes of cocoa, peanut, and subtle floral aromas, revealing a raspberry-like red fruit character after brewing; Dianhong, on the other hand, is known for its golden leaves and rose and red fruit flavors, with a pleasingly balanced tannic astringency. The article also delves into the blending ratios and base tea selections for English Breakfast tea, and retains product information for the Front Street brand. Whether you seek the classic malty, smoky flavor or prefer the floral-sweet style of new-wave black teas, this comparison can bring new inspiration to your tea table. [more…]

In the architectural complex of Beijing's Xishiku Church, there is a gray three-story annex built in 1901, once a residence for senior clergy and now transformed into a rather old yet youthful café—1901Cafe. It preserves the architectural charm of a blend of Chinese and Western styles while incorporating the comfortable atmosphere of a modern café. This article takes you into this historic building, exploring its past and present, touring the layout of the second and third floors, and reviewing menu items such as cheese, rose tea, and poutine fries. If you also enjoy having a cup of coffee in old times, you might want to add this place to your next stop. [more…]

When code meets caffeine, what kind of sparks will fly? Beta Coffee started in Hangzhou, founded by IT entrepreneur Bai Ya and his partners, and quickly became a public living room for the internet circle. This trend then swept through Beijing's Zhongguancun, with Garage Coffee, 3W Coffee, and others springing up, ushering in the "internet coffee era." These places are not just for drinking coffee, but also a arena for IT people to network, recruit, and seek investment. This article will take you through the founding journey of Beta Coffee, its unique rules, and those warm yet persistent entrepreneurial stories, to feel the internet spirit that connects infinite possibilities behind a cup of coffee. If you also enjoy exploring coffee culture, please follow Front Street Coffee, where we continue to bring you heartwarming coffee stories. [more…]