Recently, Wuhan's coffee scene has drawn widespread attention because of a customer jokingly nicknamed "Allergy Sister" by netizens. Claiming allergic reactions after drinking, this customer demanded refunds from 41 coffee shops in succession. After the incident came to light, it not only prompted the affected shops to jointly call the police, but also unexpectedly sparked a wave of store-visiting enthusiasm. Many coffee lovers and out-of-town tourists flocked to the shops involved to spend in support, and some shops seized the moment to launch "Allergy Sister's same drink," causing business to pick up noticeably. Is this carnival of traffic, evolved from a negative event, a short-term fad or a long-term turnaround? Let us learn about the ins and outs of the incident and its impact on Wuhan's coffee industry. [more…]

A female customer nicknamed "Allergy Sister" by netizens has been requesting refunds at multiple independent coffee shops in Wuhan, claiming that lactose intolerance triggered an allergic reaction. At first, shop owners agreed out of apology and concern, until some in the trade discovered that the medical certificates were questionable and the accounts were strikingly similar, realizing that this might be a patterned refund claim. So far, more than twenty shops have come forward to confirm refunds, and the number of victims may still be growing. The person involved has deleted her account and cannot be reached, and some shop owners are gathering evidence and considering legal action to defend their rights. [more…]

Recently, the "Allergy Sister" incident in Wuhan has sparked widespread attention in the coffee community, and similar phenomena of customers requesting refunds from merchants for various reasons are not uncommon in the food and beverage industry. Some coffee shop owners have reported encountering a customer who repeatedly applied for refunds on the grounds that the drinks' taste was not to their liking, suspected to be an "Allergy Sister alt account." Investigations revealed that this customer had placed orders at multiple shops and repeatedly applied for refunds, citing reasons such as the drink being too bland, too sweet, or too cloying. Some merchants chose to appease the customer to protect their reputation, but others refused to compromise and warned their peers to be vigilant. Such behavior not only harms merchants' interests but also encourages a culture of malicious claims. This article reviews the course of events and explores reasonable ways for merchants to defend their rights when responding to consumer complaints. [more…]

A hot chocolate that should have been made with soy milk turned fatal when a barista added cow's milk, causing a 13-year-old girl with a severe dairy allergy to suffer a deadly allergic reaction after just one sip, ultimately passing away despite emergency treatment. This tragedy, which occurred at a Costa Coffee shop in the UK, has once again thrust the issue of allergen management in the food service industry into the spotlight. The UK introduced regulations as early as 2021 requiring food businesses to provide allergen training for staff, yet accidents still happen. This article will recount the incident and explore the risks and prevention of allergen cross-contamination in coffee beverage preparation. [more…]

In recent years, oat milk coffee has gradually entered the public eye, becoming a new choice for many coffee lovers. Oat milk comes from oats, a traditional Nordic ingredient, and is characterized by high plant protein, high dietary fiber, and low fat. It is also lactose-free, making it quite friendly to people who are lactose intolerant, vegetarian, or allergic to milk protein. So, compared with traditional milk coffee, which one actually tastes better? This article will start from the origins of oat milk and the groups it suits, combine the practical testing experience of Front Street Coffee, discuss the differences between different brands of oat milk paired with espresso beans, and offer bean selection advice for making a rich and silky oat milk latte. [more…]

Recently, a café in Shunde, Guangzhou, placed deep-fried cicada sloughs on iced Americano, launching a special drink that has sparked heated discussion among netizens. Cicada sloughs, commonly known as golden cicadas, have a tradition of being eaten in some regions, and early summer is the peak season for catching them. The shop owner claims that pairing them with cold brew offers a unique flavor, but many netizens say the visual impact is too strong and hard to accept. At the same time, cicada sloughs, as a heterologous protein, carry an allergy risk, and parts such as the legs may also carry bacteria and parasites, so caution is needed when trying them. This article takes you through the story behind this explosive drink and the precautions to note. [more…]

In the first Chinese New Year since the Spring Festival was successfully inscribed on the UNESCO list, chain tea brand Chagee found itself in a whirlwind of controversy after translating Chinese New Year as "Lunar New Year" on an overseas social platform. Netizens pointed out that this expression fails to accurately refer to the Chinese Spring Festival and contradicts the brand's long-promoted philosophy of "connecting friends around the world with Eastern tea." Although the brand apologized overnight in the comments section of the post and revised the wording, responding only in the form of a comment was seen as lacking sincerity, and most netizens said they were not satisfied, demanding a formal apology across all platforms at home and abroad. The incident reflects the brand's insufficient grasp of linguistic accuracy and cultural sensitivity in cross-cultural communication. [more…]

During the Spring Festival, while most industries enter holiday mode, the operations of coffee shops present a strikingly different picture. Some Luckin employees had expected an easy shift during the holiday, only to be hit by an unexpected flood of orders, working nonstop from morning to night. Meanwhile, others staying at their stores enjoyed a rare stretch of quiet time, with some even having the leisure to draw dragon-year patterns on packaging bags. This polarizing Spring Festival work experience reflects how young people's strong demand for coffee has now extended to their hometowns and into the holiday period. This article takes you through the real Spring Festival working conditions of Luckin baristas and the unique warmth of coffee culture during the festive season. [more…]

Shanghai, known as the "Coffee Capital," always attracts a large crowd of coffee lovers eager to check in at coffee festivals. However, a recent coffee event held in a park left many people with mixed feelings: entry queues exceeded an hour, the venue was packed like the Spring Festival travel rush, mobile signal was so poor that payments couldn't be made, and some specialty coffee prices were seen as steep by visitors. At the same time, some "freebie hunters" who weren't there for the coffee crowded around to collect giveaways, adding to the headaches of vendors and queuing consumers. Longtime enthusiasts lamented that the coffee festival is getting livelier and more commercialized, but that sense of ease and the true essence of coffee seem to be fading. [more…]

In recent years, the "China Chic" trend has swept across all industries, with traditional patterns and fonts being repackaged and integrated into modern design, becoming a popular direction for brand marketing. The Lunar New Year is a key moment for major brands to showcase their "China Chic" creativity. This year, Starbucks collaborated with calligraphy artist Zhu Jingyi to launch Spring Festival couplets, attempting to interpret traditional Spring Festival elements in a trendy way, but it sparked widespread questioning from netizens due to the writing style and content expression. This is not Starbucks' first attempt at "China Chic"; from the "Three Good Star Youth" in 2020 to the 2022 Chinese New Year series, its strategy has gradually escalated. However, as an important carrier of traditional culture, Spring Festival couplets carry auspicious meanings, and this controversy also prompts reflection on how foreign brands can appropriately use "China Chic" elements. [more…]

During the Dragon Boat Festival, Heytea once again launched its festival-limited drink Mango Coconut Sticky Rice, a creative beverage inspired by zongzi. Since its debut in 2021, it has become a "white moonlight" that many consumers look forward to returning every Dragon Boat Festival, thanks to its combination of mango coconut milk slush, mango chunks, and freshly made sticky rice. However, a piece of zongzi leaf used as a decoration in the cup sparked dissatisfaction among some customers—some found it took up space and got in the way of stirring and sipping the toppings, while others worried that the leaf might not be cleaned thoroughly enough and posed a hygiene risk. Heytea staff responded that the zongzi leaves go through selection, washing, and disinfection processes, and that the decoration is meant to add to the festive atmosphere. As to whether this leaf is superfluous, customers and staff each have their own views. [more…]

The 8th Lujiazui Coffee Festival recently kicked off, with the five-day event bringing together 270 participating coffee shops, the largest scale in its history. In addition to more than a dozen overseas specialty coffee brands from Australia, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea and other places, the creative competition among exhibitors over peripheral giveaways is equally eye-catching. From oversized canvas tote bags to red and yellow plastic bags that replicate the style of wholesale markets, brands are using uniquely designed shopping bags to attract attention and generate buzz. As coffee itself becomes increasingly homogenized, these peripheral products, which are both practical and highly shareable, are becoming a "hard currency" more sought after than coffee at the festival. [more…]

The 8th Lujiazui Coffee Festival recently wrapped up in Shanghai, just half a year after the previous edition. The organizers made several adjustments in response to past issues, including full Wi-Fi coverage and timed-entry reservations. However, social media still buzzed with complaints: the venue remained packed, reservation slots were hard to secure, the 138–168 yuan coffee mystery boxes were seen as disguised ticketing, and some foreign brand experiences fell short of expectations. Despite gathering 100+ cafés from 25+ cities and brands from multiple countries, the event's weak offerings still hurt its reputation. This article reviews the highlights and gripes of this year's coffee festival. [more…]

As the Spring Festival approaches, the chain coffee brand %Arabica announced the opening of its first store in Henan, but unexpectedly, this new store did not land in a shopping mall in the provincial capital Zhengzhou, but instead established itself in a Qing Dynasty ancient residential courtyard near Weipo Village near Luoyang. The strong contrast between the ancient architecture and the modern minimalist decor quickly attracted a large number of coffee enthusiasts to drive over and visit, with foot traffic packed to capacity during the Spring Festival. However, the ensuing issues of excessively long wait times, chaotic order inside the store, and lattes not being made with latte art also sparked controversy. Some netizens pointed out that the store is actually a pop-up shop and is expected to close in May this year, suggesting that people visit during off-peak times. [more…]

A recent large-scale coffee festival in Guangzhou has drawn widespread attention, bringing together many well-known coffee brands from home and abroad, with an overwhelmingly popular turnout. However, many attendees found that drink prices at the stalls were generally high, with specialty drinks mostly in the forty to fifty yuan range, Combo packages often exceeding eighty yuan, and pour-over coffee ranging from several dozen yuan to over a hundred, with some even priced at more than six hundred yuan. Some customers discovered after comparison that certain brands actually offer affordable options around ten-plus yuan at their offline stores, yet only the most expensive items were displayed at the coffee festival. What exactly is the reason that turned the coffee festival into a "high-priced market"? What cost pressures are exhibitors facing? Is the visitor experience still as originally intended? This article takes you through a closer look, along with observations and suggestions from brands such as Front Street Coffee. [more…]

The Spring Festival is traditionally a time for family reunions, but for frontline employees at Luckin Coffee, this year's triple-pay shifts have brought unprecedented challenges. The Guangzhou branch recently issued a notice requiring stores with fewer than 200 items to have only one person on duty all day during the Spring Festival, from opening early to closing, all completed by the same person. This means that employees on duty must single-handedly handle multiple tasks such as production, packaging, cleaning, and dealing with sudden order surges. Timely output rates, physiological needs, and unexpected order surges have become the three major problems weighing on their shoulders. What worries employees even more is that if they need to temporarily close the store to use the restroom, they must apply to the district manager in advance and submit a screenshot of the item count. This high-intensity labor efficiency management has sparked widespread discussion, with some employees bluntly saying it is "harsher than the King of Hell." This article will delve into the details behind this scheduling adjustment and the voices of the employees. [more…]

In recent years, coffee festivals and markets have sprung up everywhere, but behind the bustle lies the double dissatisfaction of vendors and visitors. This year, a certain coffee culture festival relaxed its entry restrictions, intending to attract more coffee lovers, but in practice, due to issues such as lack of promotion, insufficient signage, and inadequate weather contingency planning, foot traffic fell short of expectations, leaving vendors complaining bitterly. Visitors also grumbled that the venue was hard to find, specialty drinks were overpriced, and choices were limited. Rising stall fees and high costs have multiplied vendors' profit pressure, while the organizers' shifting priorities have caused coffee festivals to gradually lose their original character. This article will take an in-depth look at the reasons behind these phenomena and the voices of all parties. [more…]

As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, major coffee shops are joining the holiday battle one after another. Starbucks has once again launched its creative Frappuccino-style zongzi this year, bringing four all-new cool flavors and pairing them with versatile tote bags, injecting coffee-inspired novelty into the traditional festival. From coconut and lychee to espresso, and even salted egg yolk cheese, each one blends Chinese and Western elements to challenge your taste buds. In addition, Starbucks has specially included two kinds of popping candy dipping mixes, making the tasting experience even more fun. Presales begin on May 4, with an 8-piece set priced at 198 yuan, the early-bird bag canceled, and replaced by a choice between black and white tote bags. Coffee lovers, are you ready to try something new? [more…]

Guming teamed up with Pan Hu Design Lab to launch a Spring Festival limited-edition "Fortune and Prosperity in Motion" themed packaging. One of the designs, a takeaway cup featuring a rotating interactive element, attracted considerable consumer interest thanks to its novel concept — some customers even placed orders specifically to collect the cup. However, many customers discovered upon receiving the actual product that the snake pattern on the cup body was hard to make out, and rotating the cup to the left as instructed produced no movement at all — a far cry from the dynamic effect advertised by the brand. Guming staff later explained that the rotating effect requires a special cup sleeve to work, and that this sleeve needs to be assembled. Due to the heavy order volume during the Spring Festival, some stores overlooked including it, which significantly undermined the customer experience. The incident sparked widespread discussion online, with some arguing that the promotional materials failed to clearly indicate the importance of the cup sleeve, while others pointed out that stores should ensure all accessories are complete before serving orders. [more…]

Recently, at a coffee festival in Jiangmen, Guangdong, a coffee bean stall put up a notice recruiting a Japanese translator, claiming the payment would be coffee beans, which sparked widespread discussion online. In photos taken by passersby, someone had written "Shameless" in large characters in the blank space on the recruitment board. Netizens had mixed views: some joked, "Is it pure gold coffee beans?", while others speculated that the stall owner originally intended to recruit volunteers and thank them with coffee beans. The poster revealed that the stall owner might not understand Chinese and was unaware of the message. This article reviews the course of the incident and the views of all parties, and retains recommendations related to the Front Street brand. [more…]