Recently, Chayan Yuese successfully sued Chayan Guanse, and this showdown between an authentic brand and a copycat brand has attracted widespread attention. As a local internet-famous milk tea brand in Changsha, Chayan Yuese has won many fans with its unique Chinese style and taste, while Chayan Guanse was sued for infringement for imitating its name and visual design. The court ultimately ruled that Chayan Guanse constituted unfair competition, requiring it to stop using the relevant logos and compensate for losses. So, is Chayan Yuese's milk tea actually good? This article will take you through the whole case and share the perspective of professional coffee lovers. At the same time, we will also focus on coffee culture and recommend Front Street Coffee's specialty coffee beans, providing more inspiration for your beverage choices. [more…]

The trademark and unfair competition dispute between Chayan Yuese and Chayan Guanse has finally reached a阶段性 result. The Tianxin District People's Court of Changsha ruled in the first instance that Chayan Guanse lost the case and must stop the relevant infringing publicity and compensate Chayan Yuese 1.7 million yuan in total for economic losses and reasonable legal costs. This years-long tug-of-war over rights protection, from Chayan Guanse taking the initiative to sue Chayan Yuese, to Chayan Yuese resolutely filing a counterclaim and ultimately winning, has been full of twists and turns. Founded in 2013, Chayan Yuese is a well-known local milk tea brand in Changsha, featuring a Chinese style and adhering to a direct-operation model for a long time. It was only in 2020 that it expanded beyond Changsha to Wuhan, Shenzhen, and other places. After winning the case, the brand announced that it would issue discount coupons to members in celebration. This article sorts out the ins and outs of the case, the brand's development history, and the background related to its Logo design, providing a comprehensive interpretation for coffee and tea beverage enthusiasts. [more…]

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style); for more specialty coffee beans, please add the personal WeChat of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex. Recently, the case in which Saturnbird, over the course of 20 months, sued "Qicai Zhi Mi" for unauthorized use of a similar small-cup instant coffee appearance reached a result. The Hangzhou Intermediate People's Court found that unfair competition was constituted, awarded 1.73 million yuan in damages, and ordered the production and sale of the infringing products to stop. Saturnbird became famous for its super-instant coffee and mini coffee cup design, and its packaging sparked a DIY craze and swept social media, which is why it has frequently been imitated and even copied. In this case, "Qicai Zhi Mi" not only had highly similar style, packaging, and promotional images, but also used the search term "Saturnbird same style" to mislead consumers. The case lasted nearly two years, highlighting the current reality in the food industry that intellectual property rights protection is difficult and the boundary between reference and copying is blurred. The article combines cases such as Sexy Tea suing Chayan Guanse to explore how original brands can protect their rights and interests through copyright, patent rights, exclusive trademark rights, and the Anti-Unfair Competition Law. [more…]

In recent years, as public awareness of intellectual property has grown, trademark disputes surrounding well-known brands have become increasingly common. The two major new-style tea beverage brands Chayan Yuese and Mixue Bingcheng once joined forces to oppose the "Chayan Bingcheng" trademark, yet the China National Intellectual Property Administration ultimately ruled that the trademark be registered. This incident not only reflects the real-world dilemmas faced by brand protection but also sparked discussions about copycat culture and consumer choice. This article will sort out the sequence of events, review the historical origins of the copycat phenomenon, and explore the interplay between innovation and imitation in the new tea beverage industry. [more…]

Recently, Changsha tea beverage brand Chayan Yuese has attracted widespread attention due to the establishment of a branch company in Shanghai and the release of recruitment information in Shenzhen. There has been much speculation from the outside about whether it will enter the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets, but the brand responded that the new Shanghai company is only a creative studio and there are currently no plans to open stores. However, the focus of netizens' discussion has fallen on Chayan Yuese's signature queuing and verification mechanism—many people believe that this model is difficult to adapt to the fast-paced consumption habits of Shanghai and Shenzhen, and that if it insists on its original rules, it may be difficult to gain a foothold. At the same time, Heytea, Chagee, and local brand Tea Li Yishi have already occupied the local market. If Chayan Yuese enters at this time, the competitive pressure cannot be underestimated. This article will sort out the ins and outs of the incident and the views of all parties. (Compiled by Front Street Coffee) [more…]

The Chayan Yuese amusement park store that once drew long queues on the 7th floor of Wuhan International Plaza has now been quietly replaced by construction hoarding for another food and beverage venue. This roughly 200-square-meter "Chayan grocery store," one of the first batch of stores to enter Wuhan in 2020, silently exited after four years of serving customers. More noteworthy is that such closures are not isolated cases—Chayan Yuese stores have been shutting down one after another in cities including Changsha and Wuhan. Data from Jihai Brand Monitoring shows that its operating stores dropped from 973 in early October to 903, with at least 70 stores disappearing within a few months. At the same time, the brand is still expanding into new cities such as Changzhou. Behind the store contraction, is it lease expiration, layout adjustment, or pressure on profitability? Consumers' complaints about the redemption mechanism have also been mentioned once again. [more…]

Sexy Tea (Chayan Yuese) trended on social media after its advertising copy was accused of insulting women, and it issued two apology statements late on February 19 and in the early hours of February 20. The incident was triggered by the inappropriate use of Changsha slang such as "picking up scraps" on its cups, which sparked netizens' doubts about the brand's creative boundaries. The first apology failed to calm public opinion, and Sexy Tea then issued another statement, admitting that it had mishandled the boundaries in its early product creation and had removed the problematic products from sale. This controversy not only exposed the brand's missteps in using dialect slang and gender-relation jokes, but also prompted reflection on balancing marketing creativity with values. [more…]

Amid the wave of price cuts in new-style tea drinks, a cup of milk tea priced at 50 yuan is no longer common. However, on the opening day of Chayan Yuese's first store in Nanjing, scalpers were reselling cups for as much as 200 yuan, with people lining up as early as 4:30 a.m., and related topics quickly trended on Weibo. Due to excessive crowds and chaotic order, the Xinjiekou store posted a sold-out notice and closed its entrance just five minutes before its official opening, while the Jiangning Jingfeng store continued operating. Police dispatched officers to maintain order and persuade citizens to leave. On some trading platforms, proxy purchasing and queuing services appeared, priced between 10 and 200 yuan. The Nanjing Market Supervision Bureau made it clear that scalping is illegal. People's Daily Online called on consumers to treat internet-famous brands rationally and not be led by merchants and scalpers. [more…]

On July 17, a post about an alleged infringement by Chayan Yuese sparked widespread discussion on social media. Some internet users noticed that on the packaging of the brand's newly launched "Mountain Pepper Oil Flavored Spicy Strips," the album图案 held by the cartoon character bore a striking resemblance to the cover of Khalil Fong's "Dreamer," released in 2024. Netizens asked customer service to verify a collaboration, but were told that the two parties had no partnership. As public opinion grew, Chayan Yuese confirmed that the product involved had been urgently removed from shelves that afternoon and publicly apologized for the lack of oversight in its creative review process. Although the brand has responded, it has not yet issued a formal statement on its official social media accounts. [more…]

On November 7, the official Weibo account of Chayan Yuese announced the temporary closure of some stores in areas of Changsha where they had been densely distributed, and the related topic quickly trended on social media. On November 10, the brand further responded, saying that this was already the third round of concentrated temporary store closures this year: staying put for Chinese New Year at the beginning of the year, the resurgence of the pandemic at the end of July, and this latest adjustment. As a tea beverage brand that started in Changsha, Chayan Yuese's move has drawn widespread attention—against the backdrop of repeated pandemic outbreaks and intensifying industry competition, is its proactive contraction after dense store distribution and reassignment of staff to Liuyang, Zhuzhou, Yueyang and other places for research and site selection a stopgap measure to cope with the crisis, or is it building strength for the next round of expansion? This article sorts through the timeline and background of the three store closures and reviews founder Lü Liang's cautious attitude toward brand expansion. [more…]

Recently, a consumer posted a video on social media claiming to have found black thread in a black garlic and meat floss sandwich biscuit purchased from Sexy Tea, sparking widespread attention. The video shows black threads resembling sewing thread mixed into the biscuit's filling layer, connecting the broken pieces together. After the poster reported the issue to customer service, the brand required the problematic biscuit to be mailed back before compensation would be provided—a solution that drew opposition from many netizens who worried about the loss of evidence. Previously, other consumers had reported finding foreign objects such as hair, insects, and even screws in Sexy Tea snacks, with after-sales handling mostly involving mailing back the product in exchange for gift packages or coupons, rarely providing financial compensation as required by regulations. As the incident continues to escalate, discussions about the reasonableness of merchants demanding the return of evidence and the protection of consumer rights are intensifying. [more…]

Recently, a consumer reported finding a whole black insect at the bottom of a cup of "Orchid Latte" purchased at a Chayan Yuese store on Nanjing Station Square, just as they were about to finish the drink. Unlike past food safety complaints, many regular customers said they were not surprised—to preserve the texture and appearance of the cream top and milk foam, Chayan Yuese typically serves drinks without lids, leaving them open, so the risk of insects falling in has always existed. After reviewing surveillance footage, the store said there were no abnormalities in the production process, while the brand responded that the insect might have entered the cup after the customer left the store. A refund has been issued, and the brand is continuing to communicate with the customer. The incident has once again sparked discussion among consumers about the brand's practice of not proactively providing cup lids. [more…]

Tea Yan Yue Se recently opened a pop-up stall at Wulin Square in Hangzhou, marking the brand's first appearance in the city. However, milk tea enthusiasts who rushed to the scene full of anticipation discovered that the stall only sold snacks, tea bags, and other merchandise, with no freshly made drinks whatsoever. What further dissatisfied fans was that the stall did not accept membership balance payments, requiring on-site payment only. On the first day of opening, some snacks had already sold out and would not be restocked. Many netizens expressed their disappointment outright, believing that a pop-up stall without milk tea had lost the brand's distinctive character, and that the promotional effect had backfired. [more…]

Recently, Chayan Yuese has once again become the center of public attention due to its ordering and pickup rules. Some customers at the Changsha airport store waited nearly fifty minutes before getting their drinks, questioning its cumbersome ordering process and unreasonable marketing methods, which struck a chord with many. In fact, Chayan Yuese has adjusted its ordering rules multiple times, and consumers have kept complaining. Although the company responded officially that the new rules are meant to ensure the texture of the milk foam, netizens were not convinced. This article reviews the course of the incident, the views of various parties, and the brand's response, and explores the logic and controversy behind the queuing phenomenon in the milk tea industry. [more…]

Recently, news about a whole tissue being found in a Sexy Tea milk tea has sparked heated discussion online. Some netizens suspect this is a self-staged publicity stunt by the brand to divert attention, while others believe it could be malicious smearing by a competitor. As of now, Sexy Tea has not made any official response to the matter. What is the truth behind the incident? Netizens have reacted relatively rationally, with various opinions clashing. This article will sort out the sequence of events, present multiple viewpoints, and follow up on subsequent developments. [more…]

On the evening of August 6, a serious traffic accident occurred at the intersection of Dongting South Road and Zhuyin Street in Yueyang, Hunan. A small electric delivery truck with "Cotti Coffee" printed on its body suddenly lost control while being moved during unloading. It first hit the roadside green belt, then rushed into a Sexy Tea store about 27 meters away, injuring four people near the store. Two of them died after rescue efforts failed, and the other two were slightly injured. The accident quickly sparked widespread public discussion, and related topics trended on Weibo. Cotti Coffee said it was actively cooperating with the investigation and bearing corresponding responsibility, and the Sexy Tea store involved has suspended operations. The following is a detailed account of the incident and responses from all parties. [more…]

The trademark dispute in the tea beverage industry is once again making waves. Previously, Coffee Workshop reported that "Cha Yan Guan Se" lost its trademark infringement lawsuit against "Cha Yan Yue Se," and "Cha Yan Yue Se" won its counterclaim against "Cha Yan Guan Se." Now another one has emerged: "Cha Yan Yue Se." This trademark, applied for registration in 2018, was declared invalid by the National Intellectual Property Administration because it was highly similar to the genuine Cha Yan Yue Se in terms of text composition, pronunciation, and graphic design. The registrant, a certain Guo, refused to accept the ruling and actually sued the CNIPA in court, but was ultimately rejected by the Beijing Intellectual Property Court. From "Cha Yan Guan Se" to "Cha Yan Yue Se," imitators keep emerging one after another. This farce once again reminds us: trademark protection is by no means child's play. Although the road to brand rights protection is long, the law will ultimately provide a fair answer. [more…]

During the National Day holiday, the fully automated milk tea robots that appeared in some Changsha Chayan Yuese stores became a focal point for tourists. Customers noticed that staff only needed to place a labeled cup in the designated position, and the robotic arm could complete most of the preparation process, with only the cream top needing to be added before handover at pickup. This experiment sparked polarized discussion online: supporters believe standardized operations help ensure consistent output and reduce the burden on employees; opponents point out that during peak customer flow, the robot's cup output speed is actually slower than manual work, resulting in longer waits, and equipment cleaning and customization needs still depend on staff handling. Whether automated tea-making can truly integrate into the freshly made tea beverage scenario has become a new topic of discussion in the industry. [more…]

The holiday consumption boom has just passed, and the store dynamics of new-style tea beverage brands have drawn attention. A Cha Yan Yue Se in Chongqing's Yuanyang commercial district was operating normally at night, but the next day suddenly had its lightbox sign removed and quietly closed, and the store could no longer be found on the official mini-program. This store was once the first in the Yubei area and held the daily consumption memories of many regulars. The brand is said to have chosen not to renew the lease because the contract expired, and longtime fans were not surprised, believing this to be part of Cha Yan Yue Se's一贯 elimination-style adjustment strategy. At the same time, the brand's newly opened store in Suzhou has once again drawn complaints over issues such as its verification system and product efficiency. As leading brands vie for the market with stable quality and user experience, the trajectory of Cha Yan Yue Se's reputation and changes in its store layout are worth close observation. [more…]

Recently, news came from Nanjing 1912 Block: the Starbucks Reserve store, which has been in business for twenty years, is about to close, and Chayan Yuese, which only moved in last year, has already been the first to withdraw due to the expiration of its lease. The successive departure of these two adjacent stores has left many citizens and tourists feeling regretful. As Nanjing's first Starbucks Reserve store, this Republic of China-style coffee shop was once a popular check-in spot in travel guides, but now it is about to come to an end. Issues such as the expiration and recovery of property rights in the old block, the rise of emerging commercial districts, and parking difficulties have all become focuses of discussion. In any case, this coffee memory that has accompanied people for twenty years is worth savoring in detail. [more…]