As the Spring Festival approaches, Starbucks has launched three Chinese New Year limited-edition drinks: Kumquat Cloud Macchiato, Kumquat Tieguanyin Tea Latte, and Kumquat Flavored Americano, aiming to attract customers with the auspicious meaning of "great fortune and prosperity." However, after the products hit the market, the Kumquat Americano quickly became the focus of complaints on social media, with many consumers reporting that its taste resembles cough syrup or Chinese herbal medicine, far from the expected citrusy sweetness. This article will review the real feedback on this new product and analyze the challenges Starbucks faces in its localization innovations. [more…]

While the milk tea world perfectly combines ritual and local ingredients with jar-brewed milk tea, the coffee world's "new Chinese style" frequently sparks controversy due to its bizarre pairings. In fact, China's rich cooking techniques and tea-brewing methods can absolutely serve as sources of inspiration for the localization of coffee—double-boiled coffee, purple clay pot steamed coffee, and Macau clay pot coffee. These attempts all use principles such as low-temperature slow extraction and even heating to give coffee a smoother, richer flavor. This article reviews the practices of these Chinese-style coffee schools, explores how innovation can stay rooted in the soul of coffee, and offers new ideas for the local expression of specialty coffee. [more…]

Nayuki Tea recently quietly changed its store signage at a new outlet in Nanning, Guangxi, with the original "奈雪の茶" becoming "奈雪的茶," and the English logo also changing from NAYUKI to the pinyin NAIXUE. The company officially responded that this is an upgrade move for the brand's seventh anniversary and will be rolled out gradually nationwide. This new tea beverage brand, founded in Shenzhen in 2015 and listed in Hong Kong in 2021, is turning a new page in its eight-year brand history through a visual rebranding that removes Japanese-style elements. Since June this year, its parent company has intensively applied for multiple NAIXUE trademarks, and the signage replacement work at nearly a thousand directly operated stores nationwide has already begun. [more…]

Recently, the new Chinese-style tea beverage brand Jasmine Naibai announced that it has secured nearly 100 million yuan in financing, led by Alibaba Local Life, with Xiangyang Capital serving as the exclusive financial advisor. This round of funding will be directed toward product research and development, brand building, supply chain upgrades, and team expansion, while further empowering franchise partners and continuously refining the lightweight model. Since its establishment in 2020, Jasmine Naibai has started with Jasmine Dragon Buds and focused on the floral fresh milk tea segment, launching series such as Gardenia, White Orchid, and Osmanthus. It now has 785 stores nationwide, with revenue growth of nearly 400%, and is expected to surpass 1,000 stores by the end of the year. The brand is also expanding overseas, opening its first stores in New York and Bangkok, promoting Eastern tea beverage culture to the world. [more…]

In recent years, cross-industry ventures have become a popular trend, and even century-old traditional Chinese medicine shops are joining the beverage market. Following Tongrentang, Tonghanchun Tang, with a history of 237 years, has also tested the waters of national-style wellness tea drinks in Shanghai Yuyuan Mall, launching over 30 beverages including wellness teas, fruit teas, milk teas, sparkling water, and coffee. Among them, the wellness milk tea incorporates ingredients such as ginseng, goji berries, and donkey-hide gelatin, while the two wellness coffees focus on American-style black coffee and ginseng honey latte, priced between 20 and over 30 yuan, with the most expensive bird's nest product exceeding 100 yuan. Whether these time-honored brands can win consumer favor through innovation is worth watching. [more…]

In recent years, with the rise of the "national trend" culture, the "new Chinese-style" wellness concept has quickly gained popularity among young people. After saying goodbye to bad habits such as staying up late, smoking, and drinking, more and more young people are beginning to favor Chinese herbal medicinal diets and Chinese herbal teas. On social media, herbal milk tea frequently goes viral, and health teas dispensed by hospitals and herbal drinks launched by traditional Chinese medicine clinics through cross-sector collaborations are highly sought after. Data shows that over 70% of consumers are more willing to buy Chinese herbal teas and express satisfaction with their functional effects. Numerous pharmaceutical companies have entered the market, launching innovative products such as wellness coffee and herbal teas. However, experts also remind that although Chinese herbal teas are beneficial, they should be consumed in moderation, following the principle of "stopping once the illness is cured," to avoid counterproductive effects. [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…]

Kung Fu Coffee, which once made a high-profile debut with the concept of "Eastern tea plus Western coffee," quietly shut down its first national store at Shenzhen's Wongtee Plaza just seven months after opening. Incubated by the team behind "Benlai Buyingyou," the brand's first store was said to have cost over six million yuan to build, and it briefly became an internet-famous check-in spot thanks to its purple interiors and Chinese-element design, reaching an average daily output of 1,200 cups within ten days of opening. Yet consumer reviews were sharply divided, and coupled with the awareness and talent bottlenecks facing the tea-coffee category itself, Kung Fu Coffee's next moves are drawing close attention. [more…]

In recent years, more and more products and spaces with Chinese elements have emerged in the coffee field. From brands and bean sources to creative beverages and store designs, coffee's "Chinese flavor" has become increasingly pronounced. Data shows that in the third quarter of this year, searches for "coffee + art" increased by 3,025% year-on-year, searches for "specialty coffee" grew by 207%, and search interest in "Chinese-style coffee" surged by 4,713% year-on-year. Behind this phenomenon is not only the rise of local coffee brands and the improvement in the quality of Yunnan coffee, but also a reflection of the new generation of consumers' preference for national trends and local culture. Coffee shops have narrowed the distance between Chinese people and coffee through traditional tableware, Chinese-style interior design, and innovations with regional ingredients. Although Chinese-style coffee has not yet formed an independent school, its boundary-breaking exploration has already attracted widespread attention. 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 private WeChat of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex. [more…]

On Chinese New Year's Eve, Nayuki submitted a prospectus to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. This premium freshly made tea beverage brand, centered on "fruit tea + soft European bread," has completed five rounds of financing and is now valued at nearly RMB 13 billion. However, behind the glossy listing process, its 2020 net profit margin was only 0.2%, with net profit of just RMB 4.484 million, raising concerns about the cost pressures and profitability shortcomings brought by rapid expansion. Can Nayuki leverage its listing to become a dark horse in the new-style tea beverage track? This article will sort through the valuation, membership system, store expansion, financial data, and industry views for you one by one. [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…]

Valentine's Day is supposed to be a symbol of sweetness, and Starbucks duly launched a Cocoa Raspberry Mocha, with pink cream paired with raspberry syrup—visually, it's certainly eye-catching. However, many consumers who rushed to try it exclaimed, "I've finally tasted the bitterness of love." Some described it as resembling Banlangen, cold medicine, or even traditional Chinese medicine, and complaints poured in from all sides. What exactly is wrong with this limited-edition drink? Is it poor flavor integration, or is the freeze-dried dragon fruit dragging it down? Meanwhile, Starbucks has noticeably accelerated its pace of new releases over the past six months, yet its new products have repeatedly flopped in terms of reputation. The reasons behind this are worth examining closely. [more…]

Starbucks founder Howard Schultz has returned as CEO following Kevin Johnson's retirement, facing multiple challenges including the U.S. unionization movement, food safety controversies in the Chinese market, and damage to the brand's image. At the 2022 annual shareholders meeting, Starbucks announced plans for equipment upgrades, beverage innovation, employee pay raises, and store expansion. This article will examine Schultz's transformation strategy after his return, analyze whether he can lead Starbucks out of its difficulties in just half a year, and explore the competitive pressures in the Chinese market. [more…]

Recently, Chayan Yuese has frequently appeared on Weibo's trending topics due to employee salary issues, sparking widespread attention. The incident began when employees complained about low wages and reduced working hours, which subsequently led to a heated argument between company executives and employees in a group chat, even prompting founder Lü Liang to personally apologize. According to revelations, Chayan Yuese has internal problems such as chaotic management and severe classism, with the number of employees leaving the group once reaching over two hundred. Although the official response stated that the number of people leaving the group was about 87 and explained that the salary adjustment was a special arrangement during the pandemic, netizens did not buy it. As a leading brand in new Chinese-style tea drinks, this turmoil at Chayan Yuese has not only exposed internal conflicts but also triggered profound public reflection on brand management and corporate culture. [more…]

The British had long relied on importing tea from China, spending huge sums each year to purchase millions of pounds, and this unsustainable trade prompted them to seek to cultivate it locally in India. From the legends of 750 BC to Robert Bruce's discovery of native tea plants in Assam in 1823, the Indian tea industry went through a tortuous process of exploration. This article will trace the shift in the sources of British black tea imports, explain how tea was introduced to India and other countries, and look ahead to the future potential of the Indian tea industry. Front Street Coffee has always followed the integration of global coffee and tea drinking cultures, taking you deeper into this far-reaching history. [more…]

Sexytea has recently announced the removal of the English logo "Sexytea" from its newly opened stores and promised that future stores will no longer use the name, with existing stores' English logos also being gradually replaced. The brand explained that "Sexy" was intended to mean "charming," hoping customers would feel surprise in every cup of tea, but due to the word's multiple meanings causing controversy, they deeply apologize. The statement also mentioned that the team had discussed optimizing the English name during a mid-year review, but progress was slow, and this online discussion served as a wake-up call. Additionally, netizens dug up past incidents where Sexytea had apologized twice—once for a mug with the phrase "pick up leftovers" and once for tea bags labeled "Officer, I want it"—sparking renewed discussion about the boundaries of brand creativity. As a representative of Changsha's local guochao tea beverage scene, how Sexytea balances creativity and values is worth watching. [more…]

Milk tea has once again become a hot topic, this time because Guangdong's milk tea consumption has jumped to first place nationwide. Alipay's spring report shows that warmer weather has driven an overall 10% increase in milk tea consumption, with online orders from middle-aged and elderly groups surging by 25%. From the fact that southern provinces account for 80% of consumption to Guangdong residents drinking 2.5 more cups per week per person than those in the Northeast, the data behind this reflects the deep penetration of milk tea culture. This article will trace the thousand-year evolution of milk tea from Mongolian butter tea to Hong Kong-style and Taiwanese-style, and then to new-style tea drinks, analyze the capital layout and brand echelons under a market scale of hundreds of billions, and remind readers: although milk tea is good, do not be greedy. [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…]

Following Li-Ning's launch of Ning Coffee, another sporting goods company has begun to stake out the coffee market. According to Qichacha, Xtep (China) Co., Ltd. has applied to register multiple coffee-related trademarks, covering categories such as food and beverage services and accommodations, convenience foods, and advertising and sales. In recent years, from tea beverage brands to time-honored traditional Chinese medicine brands, and from education companies to tech giants, cross-industry forays into coffee have emerged one after another. Is Xtep's move this time a continuation of its approach of innovating the in-store experience, or is it intended to open up an entirely new business territory? This article will review Xtep's coffee layout moves and look back at typical cases in recent years of brands from various industries crossing into coffee. [more…]

The NAIXUE store in Bao'an Uniwalk, Shenzhen, debuted as the "second NAIXUE Tea · green light drinks and light meals store nationwide," but customers noticed that the wording on the light sign had changed from "by NAIXUE" to "by Naisnow NAIXUE." On social platforms, some netizens also shared that two stores had adopted the "Naisnow NAIXUE" name and a new snowflake-shaped logo, sparking widespread discussion. NAIXUE was originally called "Nayuki," but because it was often mistaken for a Japanese brand, it gradually changed to "NAIXUE" in 2023. Tianyancha shows that its parent company submitted 8 trademark applications in March this year, including "Naisnow NAIXUE." Netizens have mixed opinions on the new name. Some speculate that it is paving the way for overseas expansion, while others think it is neither Chinese nor Western, hard to remember and hard to pronounce. The new logo has also been said to resemble a biotech company or a software icon. Whether frequent brand name changes affect brand awareness has become a point of concern. [more…]