Recently, ChaPanda once again became the focus of public opinion due to food safety issues. On the evening of October 9, the brand's official Weibo posted two statements in succession, responding to the incidents of "using expired raw materials" and "a Ningbo customer complaining about finding a spider in a drink." Regarding the spider incident, ChaPanda said the source of the spider in the video was unknown and difficult to verify, and explained that the 600 yuan compensation was a response made by store employees to settle the matter, but this response did not calm netizens' doubts. A week earlier, ChaPanda had just apologized after a blogger's undercover investigation exposed the use of expired materials with replaced labels. In fact, since the beginning of this year, ChaPanda has been found multiple times in surprise inspections by market regulatory authorities in various places to have issues such as incomplete health certificates and expired raw materials. Although the brand emphasized that it had investigated and rectified stores nationwide, the frequent food safety hazards still make consumers worried. [more…]

ChaPanda's new store at Konkuk University Station in Seoul, South Korea, recently officially opened its doors to customers. This is the brand's second store in the greater Seoul area, following its first store in Gangnam District earlier this year. At the same time, ChaPanda's stock price has performed impressively recently, with cumulative gains of nearly 70% over the past six trading days. From choosing South Korea as its first overseas destination, to launching Korea-exclusive products, to local consumers accounting for more than 80%, ChaPanda is validating its store model in the East Asian market through a differentiated strategy. This article will review ChaPanda's expansion path in South Korea, its product strategy, and the latest developments in the capital market. [more…]

Recently, a consumer exposed that in a ChaPanda takeaway drink, they fished out a piece of avocado that had not been crushed and had already spoiled, sparking widespread attention. The drink involved was from ChaPanda's previously launched fruit and vegetable smoothie series, which in principle should not contain obvious fruit pulp residue. After the incident was exposed, many ChaPanda employees and netizens spoke out, directly pointing to serious dereliction of duty in store operations. At present, the customer has received a full refund and platform compensation, and ChaPanda has also proactively apologized and discussed compensation. This controversy has once again pushed the issues of ingredient quality control and employee operating standards at chain tea beverage brands into the spotlight. [more…]

Mainland new-style tea beverage brands continue to enter the Hong Kong market. ChaPanda opened its first Hong Kong store on October 11 in Mong Kok, located on the ground floor of Far View Building on Sai Yeung Choi Street South, with a monthly rent of about HK$200,000. Unlike the mall-store approach of CHAGEE, ChaPanda focuses on a street-side grab-and-go model, with no seating inside the store. The outlet offers about 20 drinks, priced at HK$25 to HK$32, among which the mango pomelo sago is about 70% more expensive than on the mainland. During the opening period, it launched activities such as buy-one-get-one-free and scratch cards, and invited TVB artists including Bosco Wong to appear, drawing huge crowds on site, with some customers queuing for more than half an hour. [more…]

After trending on social media in late September for using expired ingredients and tampering with expiration dates, ChaPanda once again sparked heated discussion in early October due to food safety issues. A consumer in Ningbo claimed to have found a spider in a takeaway milk cap sub-packaging box. Although the store involved provided kitchen surveillance footage and was willing to pay 600 yuan in compensation, the incident continued to escalate. Netizens shared similar experiences one after another, once again pushing the quality control challenges under the franchise chain model into the spotlight. This article will review the course of the incident, statements from both sides, and public reaction, and explore the deeper issues of chain coffee and milk tea brands in employee training and quality assurance. Front Street Coffee has long followed industry developments and reminds consumers to pay attention to beverage safety. [more…]

New tea beverage brands are all seeking differentiated breakthroughs through combinations of "vegetables + fruit + tea." ChaPanda recently launched its own super vegetable series, introducing two products at once: "Light & Refreshing Kale" and "Cleansing Wheatgrass." Kale has long been commonplace in the fruit-and-vegetable tea space, while wheatgrass, a somewhat unfamiliar ingredient, has sparked curiosity and discussion among consumers. From ingredient pairings to taste experiences, from cat owners' amusing associations to store employees' prep workload, this new product has generated considerable buzz on social media. This article walks you through the ins and outs of ChaPanda's new plant-based tea products and the real feedback from the first wave of tasters. [more…]

Recently, the new-style tea beverage brand ChaBaiDao has frequently made headlines due to "large foreign objects" appearing in its drinks. From "real spider milk tea" to nail clippers, and now the latest cockroach incident, consumer complaints have been continuous. These incidents coincide with ChaBaiDao's plan to go public in Hong Kong, sparking discussions about its food safety management and whether there are malicious claims. This article reviews the detailed process of the ChaBaiDao cockroach complaint, analyzes the disagreement between the consumer's claim of 1,000 yuan and the merchant's offer of only 200 yuan, and explores the potential issues of insufficient employee training and "loophole attacks" under the Food Safety Law amid the rapid expansion of chain brands. At the same time, we will also focus on the current state of food safety in the industry and provide professional information for coffee enthusiasts. [more…]

The daily work life of milk tea shop employees has always been a hot topic on social media, but recently a post by a ChaPanda employee unexpectedly went viral because the kitchen scenes were too "creepy." Dark red mulberry juice covered the counter, blender, and filter bags, and combined with the scene of black gloves squeezing the juice, many netizens said it looked like a horror movie. It is understood that these scenes come from ChaPanda's daily operation of freshly squeezing mulberry juice when preparing ingredients for products such as "Wu Qi Ma Hei" and "Triple Berry Goodnight Cup." Because mulberries are high in anthocyanins and have a deep color, the juicing process is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also very likely to stain clothes and the work area. Employees have complained one after another on social media, and even turned these scenes into jokes such as the "ChaPanda Mulberry Man-Eating Incident" to share, triggering a lot of resonance. [more…]

The first half-year report delivered by ChaPanda after its listing in Hong Kong shows that both revenue and net profit declined in the first half of 2024, with net profit falling by nearly 60% year-on-year. The company attributes this to increased support for franchisees and greater market investment. At the same time, the number of stores continues to grow, but its market value has shrunk significantly, and its reliance on external suppliers for its supply chain is also seen as a key weakness. This article will sort through the core data in the financial report, the adjustments to franchise policy and their knock-on effects, and compare the competitive landscape of the industry, to help coffee and tea beverage enthusiasts understand the challenges this brand currently faces. [more…]

After Heytea launched a Litsea cubeba drink, ChaPanda also incorporated this southwestern specialty spice into its new products and rolled out a promotion where buying a large cup earns a wild Litsea cubeba charm. However, this merch, jokingly dubbed the "little wooden stick" by netizens, drew widespread complaints over its shrunken size and warped shape. This article breaks down the flavor profile of Litsea cubeba, ChaPanda's marketing strategy, and the disconnect between what consumers received and what was advertised, giving you the full picture of this "wooden merch" controversy. [more…]

Recently, ChaPanda teamed up with the local luosifen brand Luo Ba Wang in Guangxi to launch a limited-edition drink called the "Spring Outing Cup," combining a tea beverage and luosifen in the same takeaway cup, quickly sparking heated discussion online. Some people immediately called it a "dark crossover," while others were curious enough to go and try it. In fact, this product uses a top-and-bottom divided packaging structure, and the luosifen is not mixed with the tea beverage, allowing consumers to slurp noodles while drinking milk tea. However, this pairing has also brought considerable controversy, including issues such as stomach irritation, flavor transfer, and a worsened taste. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the creativity, experience, and evaluations from all sides regarding this novelty crossover drink. [more…]

In the season when bayberries hit the market, tea beverage brands are rolling out limited-edition drinks to capture the market. ChaPanda's new offerings this year, "Bayberry Yogurt Shake" and "Bayberry Popping Ice," use the selling point of "about 9 real bayberries per cup" to attract many consumers to try them. However, for frontline store employees, this bayberry craze has become a veritable "calamity." To preserve the fresh fruit texture, the brand requires stores to peel and pit the fruit on-site, but without specialized tools, employees can only do it bare-handed, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and prone to injury. Morning shift staff are already busy brewing tea, cutting fruit, and making drinks, and now they have this new task added on, leading many to complain that the R&D department is out of touch with reality. This article will take you through how ChaPanda's workers are coping with this bayberry prep challenge. [more…]

ChaPanda recently officially announced singer Huang Zihongfan as its LOHAS brand ambassador, launching a variety of freshly made fruit drinks and limited-edition merchandise bundles, which attracted a large number of fans to snap them up. However, after the campaign went live, problems kept cropping up: system crashes, orders being forcibly canceled, and insufficient stock of merchandise, one after another, sparking consumer dissatisfaction. Some netizens questioned whether the limited-edition merchandise had been intercepted internally by employees, but more witnesses and ChaPanda staff came forward to explain, saying that stores were equally caught off guard and that employees were under enormous pressure amid the chaos. The company apologized that same evening and promised to speed up restocking and put the items back on sale. [more…]

Cramming before an exam is a scene you might not expect to see in a milk tea shop. Recently, netizens captured a ChaPanda employee hunched over a stack of color-printed materials at the counter, muttering to themselves and occasionally looking up to memorize things silently. Upon investigation, it turned out this was tied to ChaPanda's soon-to-be-officially-announced global premium brand ambassador, Cheng Yi. It's not unusual for a brand to have employees familiarize themselves with ambassador information in advance, but at the same time, they strictly prohibit any early leaks. Material control is so tight that stores must send back photos of unopened watermarked materials every night, and violating stores even face financial penalties and contract termination. Many interpret this as having learned from the disastrous Gu Ming x Love and Deepspace collaboration. However, some consumers believe that rather than spending so much effort memorizing materials, it would be better to thoroughly study the recipes and techniques—after all, drink quality is the foundation of repeat business. [more…]

On February 7, ChaPanda launched a new bamboo-aroma oolong series. Among them, Bamboo-Aroma Kiwi uses Anxi Tieguanyin from Fujian as its tea base, paired with kiwi fruit pulp and wheatgrass. The official claim is that it uses kiwi from Zhouzhi County, Xi'an, highlighting selling points such as fresh fruit pulp, natural healthiness, and low calories to cut greasiness. However, after the new product launch, many consumers posted on social platforms reporting discomfort after drinking it, such as astringent mouthfeel, numb lips, and throat irritation. Some speculated that it was caused by unripe kiwi, while others suspected an allergic reaction. In response, ChaPanda has not yet made an official response. This article reviews the course of the incident, consumer feedback, and analysis of possible causes, and recommends related products from Front Street Coffee for coffee lovers. [more…]

As demand for autumn and winter drinks heats up, Tea Baidao has launched a milk baijiu series, including two products: milk baijiu oolong and milk baijiu mochi milk green. The official emphasis is on traditional fermentation techniques, 0 flavorings and no additives, but consumers who tried them reported that they were too sweet, the alcohol taste was too light, and some even described the aroma as strange. This article reviews the new product formulas, process characteristics and market response, and looks back at Tea Baidao's previous attempts at alcoholic drinks in cooperation with Luzhou Laojiao. For coffee lovers, Front Street Coffee has always paid attention to beverage innovation trends, and this article also provides observations from the perspective of flavor balance. [more…]

ChaPanda collaborated with Disney's Frozen to launch limited-edition fruit teas and merchandise, among which the snowflake phone charm was highly sought after for its attractive design. However, less than 12 hours after the launch, multiple consumers reported that the phone charm snapped with a gentle tug, sending beads scattering everywhere. Subsequently, issues such as paint peeling and cracking on the hand mirrors, and scratches and chips on the goblets, were also exposed one after another. Fans who had rushed to buy in for the IP were greatly disappointed, questioning the brand's control over the practicality of the giveaways. This article compiles consumer feedback and various perspectives to help you understand why this collaboration merchandise became a "beautiful piece of junk." [more…]

Recently, consumers reported finding foreign objects resembling paper scraps and twigs in drinks from ChaPanda, sparking concern. The store later explained that these substances were actually sweet potato roots mixed into the taro paste ingredient, a natural component of the raw material rather than external contamination. The incident continued to spread on social media, with consumers raising questions about quality control and raw material handling processes at chain beverage brands. This article reviews the course of the incident and the store's response, and also includes professional coffee knowledge exchange channels and specialty coffee bean recommendations for beverage enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

When a cup of fortified Purple Grape Jelly drink was almost finished, a large insect was found wrapped in the pearl toppings—an experience that left the consumer both nauseated and frightened. Even more surprising, during compensation negotiations with the ChaPanda merchant, although the other party eventually verbally agreed to pay 1,000 yuan, they required the consumer to sign an agreement and delete related posts and comments. The consumer believed this move was an attempt to portray them as a malicious claimant and refused to sign. Both sides stuck to their own accounts, and the local food and drug administration has also intervened and summoned the parties. How will this food safety dispute ultimately end? What obstacles did the consumer encounter on the path to defending their rights? This article sorts out the entire process of the incident for you. [more…]

Recently, a trendy dessert called "solid mango pomelo sago" has quickly gone viral on social media. Its form falls somewhere between a drink and a traditional dessert, prompting many netizens to share photos of it. The chain tea brand ChaPanda seized the opportunity to launch its own version, officially priced at 19 yuan, and after discounts it can cost as little as a single-digit price, which many consumers consider quite cost-effective. However, after the new product hit the market, reviews were polarized: some praised it for its generous ingredients and sweet-and-sour taste resembling a dessert, while others complained that the actual product differed noticeably from the promotional images, jokingly calling it "fruit topping porridge" or "mango pomelo sago-flavored sugar water." In response to the feedback, ChaPanda staff explained that bumpiness during delivery caused the yogurt and coconut milk to mix and thin the texture, while some stores' mangoes were not fully ripe due to issues with the ingredient batch and insufficient ripening time. [more…]