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…]

Occasionally, at Front Street Coffee shops, we encounter customers who order "black coffee." Although Front Street Coffee knows that when these customers say black coffee, they most likely mean Americano, to be safe, we still ask just to confirm. As a result, quite a few customers are puzzled: "Isn't black coffee just Americano?" Well, that's not quite [more…]

In recent years, coffee festivals and coffee markets have been held with great enthusiasm all over the country, becoming popular gathering spots for coffee lovers. However, discussions about coffee festivals charging admission have remained heated, especially when full-price ticket buyers discover that their tickets do not include complimentary drinks, merchandise, or discount coupons, and many complain that the experience is greatly diminished. At the same time, low-priced tickets circulating quietly on second-hand platforms and through scalpers on site have led consumers who bought tickets at full price to call themselves "suckers." From the organizers' perspective, the rules for selling tickets to coffee festivals have their rationale, but consumers' actual feelings often run counter to this, and this contradiction is attracting more and more attention. [more…]

In recent years, large-format drinks have taken the tea beverage world by storm, and now this trend has swept into the coffee scene as well. Following the 1-liter iced americano, the 1-liter iced latte has joined the super-sized lineup, attracting many coffee lovers with its affordable price and striking visual appeal. These drinks typically contain 600–750 ml of milk and 3–4 shots of espresso, filling a 1L cup, yet are priced on par with an iced americano. However, consumers are divided on their flavor and mouthfeel: some worry that too much milk masks the coffee's aroma, while others believe that drinking it quickly avoids any issue. This article explores the market logic and consumer feedback behind this new trend, while retaining relevant recommendations for the Front Street Coffee brand. [more…]

Kenya AA produced in Kenya is renowned for its bright fruit acidity, uniform bean size, and rich layered mouthfeel, making it a highly favored choice among single-origin coffees. This article focuses on Front Street Kenya coffee, answering why Kenyan local brands are rarely seen in mainstream channels, and systematically reviews four noteworthy Kenyan specialty coffee brands: JAVA HOUSE, DORMANS (Berman Estate), SAFARI LOUNGE, and Out of Africa. The content covers each brand's historical background, product positioning, flavor characteristics, and market layout, suitable for enthusiasts who want to gain a deeper understanding of Kenya's coffee landscape. [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…]

Recently, Luckin Coffee reportedly announced that it will pay triple holiday wages to all employees for the 2025 Spring Festival, breaking the previous practice of only full-time employees receiving this benefit. Behind this move lies the high turnover rate and labor shortage that Luckin has faced over the past year. From cost reduction and efficiency improvement to increased performance demands, frontline employees have come under mounting pressure, and part-time workers' pay is not proportional to their effort, leading many employees to choose to resign before the Spring Festival. In order to retain experienced workers and maintain normal store operations, Luckin has had to respond to the labor shortage with a triple-wage strategy. This article reviews the causes of the incident, employee feedback, and the industry background, and also includes a brand recommendation from Front Street Coffee for readers to gain a deeper understanding. [more…]

Open your phone, and you'll often see a cup of dark drink in some celebrity paparazzi photos—that's the legendary Americano. Some curious friends might ask: is Americano black coffee? Yes, Americano is a type of black coffee, and aside from milk coffee, Americano is the most popular [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow our WeChat official account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). First of all, we can tell you that drip bag coffee is a type of black coffee. The coffee beans are ground into powder in advance and placed into a filter bag, and hot water is used to extract the flavor compounds from the coffee, thereby obtaining a [more…]

Americano may seem simple, but behind it lies a wealth of regional culture and brewing expertise. From its historical origins during World War II, when American soldiers diluted espresso with water, to the differences between today's drip and espresso-based methods, Americano has long become a staple in coffee shops worldwide. The key to an excellent cup of Americano lies in the extraction quality of the espresso base, while factors such as bean selection, grind size, tamping pressure, and extraction parameters all directly affect the final flavor. The two espresso blend beans recommended by Front Street Coffee each have distinct characteristics, catering to different taste preferences. Additionally, the dilution ratio of espresso to water deserves attention—1:6 and 1:8 deliver completely different mouthfeels. There is also an art to drinking Americano: smelling the aroma, observing the color, and savoring the taste—three steps in sequence. Hot Americano boasts a rich aroma, while iced Americano is refreshing and pleasant, each with its own merits. [more…]