Alibaba's Qwen App launched the "Spring Festival 3 Billion Free Orders" campaign, where users could order 1-cent coffee and milk tea with a single AI command, surpassing 10 million orders in just 9 hours. Chain brands like Luckin Coffee, Chagee, and Jasmine Naibai were instantly overwhelmed by a flood of orders—store printers kept spitting out tickets, employees were urgently called back, and online channels were forced to shut down. Consumers waited hours only to receive random drinks, while delivery riders "grabbed orders" in the chaos. This AI-driven freebie frenzy made tea shop workers exclaim it felt like "reliving last year's delivery wars," with systems crashing, trending topics dominating social media, and officials urgently expanding capacity and extending the validity of free-order cards. [more…]

These days, walking into many tea shops, ordering a drink directly from the staff seems to be getting harder and harder—scanning a QR code, registering, and ordering online have become the standard process. Recently, a netizen shared an experience of being refused when trying to order directly at the counter because they were feeling unwell, sparking widespread discussion. Some people agree that ordering by scanning the code is efficient and saves time, while others question why on-site ordering is still not allowed when there are no other customers. Tea shop employees revealed that factors such as not being equipped with a cash register system, difficulty making change for cash, and insufficient staffing make QR code ordering a helpless choice for most stores. This debate over ordering methods reflects the difficult balance between efficiency and humanized service. [more…]

Recently, Luckin Coffee has once again become the focus of heated discussion. An investigative reporter's on-site tests revealed that some stores do not offer direct offline ordering service; customers can only place orders by scanning a QR code via the mini-program or app, and when staff place orders on their behalf, payment must be made at the original price, which differs by several yuan from the discounted price after using coupons online. Meanwhile, the reporter also noticed that Luckin's mini-program requires users to provide their phone number and other information during the login process, and its privacy policy mentions the possible collection of browsing history, app installation lists, and other content, raising doubts about excessive information collection. In response, Luckin customer service explained that the discount calculation in the ordering system is complex, and staff-assisted orders may result in price discrepancies, while many consumers expressed understanding, believing that ordering on-site means giving up online discounts. This article will provide a detailed review of the incident and the views of all parties involved. [more…]

Recently, many users on social platforms have been sharing milk tea orders that include non-drink items such as tissues. This is not a brand promotion, but rather the result of consumers being forced to add extra items to meet the minimum order threshold for delivery. Many chain tea and coffee shops set their delivery minimum at 20 to 30 yuan, while a single cup of drink often costs only around ten yuan, leaving customers who just want one cup unable to place an order directly. They can only add tissues, snacks, or upgrade to a larger size to reach the required amount. Some orders also require a minimum actual payment to qualify for free delivery, further adding to the consumer's burden. Store operators say the minimum order fee and delivery rules are set uniformly by brand headquarters and the platform, and franchisees have no authority to adjust them. This discussion surrounding delivery thresholds reflects the real conflict between the demand for single-person, single-cup consumption and platform operating rules. [more…]

Bawang Chaji celebrates its seventh anniversary. All stores in Malaysia launched a tear-the-cup lucky draw campaign on the 16th and 17th, with prizes including discount vouchers, branded backpacks, electronic products, perfumes, and lipsticks, attracting a large number of consumers to place orders enthusiastically. However, after the campaign began, order volumes surged at many stores, with some stores having more than a thousand or even over three thousand drinks awaiting preparation, leading to a series of problems such as excessively long waits to pick up orders, the ordering system being unable to cancel orders, and declining product quality. Consumers expressed dissatisfaction one after another, believing that the brand should have anticipated the campaign's popularity in advance and adopted flow-control measures. This article reviews the course of the incident and feedback from all parties, for the reference of coffee and tea beverage enthusiasts. [more…]

A smartphone launch event unexpectedly caused a sudden surge of group orders at nearby Luckin Coffee stores in the evening, catching staff off guard and keeping delivery riders constantly on the move. It turned out that the Honor CEO demonstrated an AI ordering feature on stage, buying 2,000 cups of Light Jasmine from Luckin with a single sentence. Because of the limit on the number of items per order, the AI spread the demand across multiple stores, causing Luckin outlets near the convention center to be flooded with orders at once. This move showcased Honor's intelligent AI interaction and also, unintentionally, gave Luckin a round of publicity for its efficient order fulfillment. [more…]

Luckin Coffee experienced abnormally low-priced orders on the Ele.me platform due to an operational configuration error. After a large number of users rushed to place orders, Luckin handled the situation by unilaterally canceling orders and temporarily suspending online operations. This move sparked strong dissatisfaction among consumers and also drew attention from the legal community: lawyers on one side argued that canceling paid orders was suspected of infringing on consumer rights; the other side pointed out that if it was a major misunderstanding, the contract could be revoked in accordance with the law. If there was intentional malicious marketing, it could also constitute fraud. In the end, Luckin promised to bear all losses and issue compensatory vouchers. This article sorts out the course of the incident, netizen feedback, and lawyers' views, so that coffee lovers can understand the full picture of this controversy. [more…]

Recently, an elderly consumer encountered trouble at Luckin Coffee because they did not know how to order using a mobile phone, sparking widespread discussion online. Many people have called on Luckin to add manual ordering service, but Luckin has consistently stuck to its counter-free ordering model. What business logic lies behind this approach? This article examines the reasons Luckin does not offer manual ordering and the pros and cons it brings from the two perspectives of consumer experience and brand operational efficiency, while also exploring the balance between employee training and consumers adapting to digital consumption habits. [more…]

Recently, a photo of a milk tea shop order receipt sparked widespread discussion on social media. In the photo, the receipt clip above the employee's head is stuffed with orders, with words like "SB" and "said sweet" written in black marker, leading the photographer to mistakenly think they were all curse words. Subsequently, netizens and milk tea industry workers offered interpretations, suggesting these abbreviations were more likely markers for order notes or emotional venting by employees. The incident reflects the real situation of food service workers under the pressure of order surges and understaffing, and also triggered discussions about mutual understanding between customers and employees. [more…]

Recently, some consumers have reported encountering inconvenience when using cash to pay at Luckin Coffee stores. Staff repeatedly guided them to place orders via mobile phone, and only after a long wait did another employee accept the cash and operate the order on their behalf. Similar situations have been mentioned by netizens before, with one elderly customer left at a loss in front of the counter because they were unfamiliar with mobile ordering. In response to the difficulty of paying with cash, Luckin's official customer service stated that stores can accept cash, and after customers arrive at the store, staff can assist them in placing orders through the app or mini-program, and they can pay in cash after confirming the information. Some analysts believe that Luckin's adoption of a small-store, low-staff operating model, with no dedicated order-taking personnel, is based on efficiency considerations, but there is still room for improvement in terms of service awareness. [more…]

When ordering milk tea, getting stuck by the minimum delivery price and delivery fees—wanting just a single cup but having to force yourself to add more—is a daily frustration for many consumers. Some people order an extra cup they can't finish just to meet the threshold, while others add toppings and then have to leave a note begging the staff not to include them, going to great lengths just to enjoy one cup. Recently, the established milk tea brand Yidian Dian launched a pack of pocket tissues priced at 0.57 yuan, which netizens have dubbed a "order-filler神器" (order-filling神器), with a post receiving over 19,000 likes. This pocket tissue comes in four fresh designs and is currently only sold in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Sichuan, and Henan. As coffee enthusiasts, Front Street also often follows such consumer topics—let's see how single-cup drinkers tackle the order-filling dilemma. [more…]

After winter sets in, many office workers are unwilling to brave the cold wind to visit Manner stores, and instead turn to delivery platforms to place orders—only to get stuck on the minimum order threshold. Manner drinks are mostly priced between 15 and 25 yuan, while delivery minimums are generally above 30 yuan, making it impossible to order just one cup. Consumers are forced to add bread or bottled water to reach the minimum, and during peak hours some stores even raise the minimum order to 80 or even 100 yuan, with delivery fees also drawing widespread complaints. Some regular customers believe the high threshold can ease pressure on staff, but more consumers are calling on the brand to add more staff or simply cancel its delivery channel, so that neither customers nor employees are left struggling—one to make up the minimum, the other overwhelmed by a flood of orders. [more…]

Recently, some Starbucks locations have turned their employee-only order-taking devices toward customers, attempting to let customers order self-service or have staff step out from behind the counter to assist with ordering. However, this move has sparked quite a bit of awkwardness and controversy: customers are at a loss facing the complex ordering system, internal sales scripts have been accidentally leaked, and staff are run off their feet even more during peak hours. Some baristas say the new rules not only fail to improve efficiency, but actually make the work more burdensome. This article will walk you through the ins and outs of this incident, as well as the real thoughts of Starbucks workers. [more…]

The subsidy war among food delivery platforms continues to heat up. After Meituan rolled out free redemption vouchers for Luckin Coffee, a large number of consumers rushed to place orders for "0-yuan coffee." Yet just half a day after the promotion began, Luckin stores across the Jiaxing area were successively shown as temporarily closed, with delivery channels almost entirely shut down. Pickup counters were piled high with drinks, takeaway bags occupied the customer area, staff worked nonstop with no time to eat, and riders even switched to three-wheeled flatbed carts to make deliveries. This sudden surge of overwhelming orders not only exposed the disconnect in communication between the platform and merchants, but also placed enormous pressure on store operations and the delivery process. [more…]

Recently, many loyal customers of Manner Coffee have been complaining on social media that they keep getting stumped by the minimum order fee when trying to order a drink through delivery—a 30-yuan minimum is now the norm, and in some areas it is as high as 80 yuan. To get a cup of coffee, some people search everywhere for a "coffee buddy" to pool an order with, some are forced to add bottled water or bread to their cart, and others end up drinking two cups in a single day. By comparison, brands such as Starbucks and Luckin have lower delivery thresholds, which makes Manner's delivery strategy stand out all the more. What exactly is the reason Manner sets such a high delivery threshold? And how should consumers respond? This article takes you through it. [more…]

Luckin Coffee is known for its fast order fulfillment, but recently customers have complained that employees scan codes to mark orders as ready in advance, before the drinks are actually completed. In response, Luckin's headquarters has begun strictly cracking down on such violations. Once auditors discover early order fulfillment, the store will directly have 100 baseline points deducted, causing the performance of all staff to suffer and requiring the store to close for rectification. Faced with the new policy, employees are caught in a dilemma: fulfilling orders early may lead to heavy penalties, while not doing so causes the on-time fulfillment rate to drop noticeably. In understaffed stores, baristas are forced to make a difficult choice between "performance point deductions" and "ugly data," and work pressure has surged. This article compiles feedback from employees in various regions to present the real store ecosystem under Luckin's new rules. [more…]

Recently, the food delivery competition between JD.com and Meituan has yet to subside, and Ele.me has now joined the fray with a large number of coupons and subsidies. While delivery users enjoy low-priced milk tea, staff at brands like Molly Tea are under unprecedented order pressure. Drinks that originally cost a dozen yuan per cup have seen their prices plummet to five or six yuan after platform subsidies, or even just a few cents, causing order volumes to instantly double or surge, with some stores handling as many as five or six hundred orders per day. Understaffing, material shortages, riders urging them on, and customer complaints have become the daily reality for these coffee and milk tea workers. This article will take you behind the scenes of this delivery subsidy frenzy to see the real working conditions and helplessness of frontline employees. [more…]

The subsidy war among food delivery platforms continues to heat up, with large-value coupons frequently being thrust at consumers, and the pressure on in-store production has surged accordingly. Recently, Meituan released a batch of delivery coupons for Heytea that can be expanded to "18-18," meaning a drink priced at over twenty yuan costs only a few yuan after the discount, and can even be made nearly free by stacking red envelopes. As soon as the news came out, netizens rushed to place orders, and Heytea stores in many parts of the country saw orders surge in a short time. Delivery rider capacity could not keep up, and delays, stuck orders, and no one accepting deliveries occurred one after another. Some stores, facing shortages of both materials and staff, could only temporarily close and reopen after all the backlogged drinks had been made. At the same time, frontline employees poured out their daily experiences of order explosions on social platforms, busy from morning to night, with no time even to eat or drink. [more…]

Manner Coffee has entered Changchun for the first time, opening a three-month pop-up store in MixC, with operating hours consistent with regular stores. The opening day coincided with a weekend, and on-site order volume far exceeded expectations. The mini-program was forced offline due to the surge in orders, materials were once in short supply, and even milk ran out. Some customers waited more than three hours to get their coffee but still felt it was worth it, and they hope the store can become a permanent location after the event ends. [more…]

This morning, delivery orders for Starbucks and Luckin Coffee experienced widespread disruptions, with many consumers waiting in vain for riders to pick up their orders after placing them on Ele.me and the brands' official channels. It is understood that the problem stemmed from an anomaly in the rider information service database of SF Intra-city, the delivery partner for both brands, which prevented orders from being dispatched and recipient information from being displayed. Store employees were forced to act as customer service representatives, calling customers one by one to apologize and suggesting they pick up their orders in person, while multiple store locations on the Ele.me platform temporarily showed as "closed." As of press time, none of the three parties involved had issued a formal response, and online stores had gradually resumed accepting orders. [more…]