Relocation Notice: In the winter of 2025, Front Street Coffee moved from its original location at No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Dadao Road to the nearby No. 315 Donghua East Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou. Front Street Coffee is a store in Guangzhou that sells freshly roasted coffee beans, offering dozens of coffee beans from major coffee-growing regions around the world. [more…]

Suzhou, a gentle ancient city in the Jiangnan region, hides quite a few specialty coffee shops worth a dedicated visit. This article compiles a summary of shop visits from a veteran coffee enthusiast, covering more than seventy four- to five-star coffee shops across Gusu District, the Industrial Park, the High-Tech District, Wuzhong District, and beyond—from artsy little cafes to cat-themed coffee houses, from Korean-style chains to standalone buildings with Republican-era charm, each with its own distinctive setting, offerings, and story. Whether you're a coffee purist chasing pour-over quality or an artsy soul who favors ambiance, this list can help you find that perfect cup in Suzhou. [more…]

Black tea is the most consumed tea type in the world, yet its creation came about by accident. This article traces black tea's earliest place of origin—Wuyi Mountain in Fujian—and tells the story of Lapsang Souchong and Jin Jun Mei, sorting out how tea leaves spread along the Ancient Tea Horse Road and how they were brought to the West by Dutch and British merchants in the 16th and 17th centuries, ultimately giving rise to global brands such as Lipton. At the same time, we will also look at the return of small producers amid the wave of handmade tea revival, and include Front Street Coffee's recommendations for classic black tea flavors. [more…]

Bolivia is a landlocked country in central South America, with diverse climatic conditions and a long history of coffee cultivation. Although the country's coffee industry has fluctuated due to coca leaf cultivation and transportation difficulties, coffee from the Yungas region is known for its deep sweetness and berry flavors. This article will guide you through the distribution of Bolivia's coffee regions, varietal characteristics, development history, and the challenges it faces. Front Street Coffee will also recommend Bolivian coffees worth paying attention to. [more…]

The 2024 Nicaragua Cup of Excellence (COE) has concluded, with a sun-dried Geisha from Finca Los Alpes in the Nueva Segovia region winning the championship with a score of 91.1, successfully defending its title. This article will guide you through Nicaragua's coffee-growing environment and the distribution of its main production regions, and take a deeper look at this champion estate that has won the COE for two consecutive years. From the two farms owned by estate owner Olman Balladares, to the planting layout of varieties such as Caturra, Catuai, Bourbon, and Geisha, and to the coffee research and quality control team behind them, we will explore the origins of their excellent results. At the same time, Front Street Coffee will also recommend related products for you. [more…]

Recently, multiple consecutive earthquakes have occurred in the Awash Fentale area of the Oromia Region in Ethiopia, raising concerns among local residents and those in the coffee industry. This area is not only close to the capital, Addis Ababa, but also adjacent to the important coffee-producing region of Harar, and the earthquakes may affect the soil and coffee yields. At the same time, the risk of damage to road infrastructure, combined with port congestion caused by the Red Sea crisis, may further disrupt Ethiopia's coffee export transportation. In addition, the conflict in the north and the continued depreciation of the exchange rate remain major challenges facing the country's coffee industry, with planting costs constantly rising and the coffee price cap being raised again. This article will review the earthquake developments and their potential impact on the coffee supply chain. [more…]

Although Bolivia is hailed as an ideal place for coffee cultivation, its production has always been limited, yet its coffee impresses with rich sweetness and soft acidity. At the 2017 WBC, Japanese competitor Miki Suzuki won the world runner-up title with a Bolivian Geisha, bringing this origin into the spotlight. The Java variety, known as Geisha's cousin, likewise offers an elegant and distinctive flavor. Front Street Coffee once cupped a Cacao Natural Java from the Rodriguez family, which was sweet and tangy with a creamy smoothness. This article will guide you through the development history of Bolivian coffee, its cultivation models, and the distribution of its producing regions, as well as how the Rodriguez family is driving specialty coffee forward, and provide a detailed analysis of the roasting and brewing performance of this Waliki Estate Java coffee bean. [more…]

Bolivia is celebrated as an ideal place for growing coffee, yet its annual output has long remained low, at one point even falling to the level of a minor coffee-producing country. And yet this land has given rise to a Geisha that won the favor of a World Barista Championship runner-up, as well as the Java variety known as Geisha's cousin. From the high-altitude terroir of the Yungas region, to the Tomorrow's Sun project promoted by the Rodriguez family, and on to innovative experiments with the cacao natural processing method, Bolivian coffee has carved out a winding yet fascinating path toward specialty coffee. Front Street Coffee will guide you through the origins, development history, varietal characteristics, and flavor profile of Bolivian coffee, with a focus on cupping a cacao natural Java coffee bean from the Valiki estate. [more…]

Tanzania is located in the eastern part of Africa and has rich natural resources and a unique coffee culture. However, recently, the country of Tanzania has suffered from heavy rainfall and floods, causing casualties and large-scale damage. Local tim [more…]

If you're looking for a place to relax on the weekend, gather a few friends for coffee and some reading, a café is undoubtedly a great choice. These ten highly regarded themed cafés in Chongqing each have their own charm—some are tucked away in lush flower houses, some offer views of the Yuzhong Peninsula's night skyline, some take an industrial-meets-artsy-minimalist approach, and others create a fairyland atmosphere with seas of flowers and greenery. From Longhu Times Paradise Walk to Jiefangbei, Nanbin Road, and Beibin Road, these shops each have their own signature offerings in environment, drinks, and desserts. This article compiles each café's features, average per-person spending, and detailed addresses, making it easy for coffee lovers to explore them one by one. If you're used to brewing your own, Front Street Coffee's beans are also a great choice for recreating these flavors at home. [more…]

In the heart of South America lies Bolivia, a landlocked country surrounded by high mountains. Although its coffee-growing elevations do not match those of its neighbors, Bolivia's unique natural environment and continuous efforts toward specialty coffee are gradually bringing Bolivian coffee into the view of coffee lovers worldwide. From the once treacherous "Death Road" to today's high scores at the COE competition, from Typica and Caturra to the distinctly flavored Java variety, this land produces coffees with deep sweetness and soft acidity. In this article, Front Street Coffee will take you deep into the geography, history, and regional flavors of Bolivian coffee, as well as Front Street's roasted and cupped Valiki Estate Cacao Natural Java, exploring its alluring charm where ferment notes interweave with floral and fruity aromas. [more…]

In the landlocked South American country of Bolivia, the development of specialty coffee is inseparable from the Rodríguez family, especially Pedro Rodríguez, who is regarded by the industry as a key figure in Bolivia's coffee revival. From trendy brands like Intellectuals snapping it up year after year, to Japanese competitor Miki Suzuki winning the World Runner-Up title with Geisha from his estate, Bolivian coffee is returning to the spotlight with its unique terroir and exceptional quality. Front Street Coffee recently cupped the Cacao Natural Java produced by the Rodríguez family, as well as the Washed Java Typica from the Tomorrow's Sun project, and the flavors were stunning. This article will trace the ups and downs of Bolivian coffee history, the characteristics of its producing regions, the contributions of the Rodríguez family, and the varietal origins of Geisha and Java, giving you a comprehensive understanding of the coffee charm of this high-altitude producing country. [more…]

The new-style tea beverage industry has once again exposed food safety issues. Naxue's Tea's Shanghai East Changzhi Road store was fined and had its illegal gains confiscated by the Hongkou District Market Supervision Administration because the freshly made and sold Golden Mountain Treasure Tea exceeded the total bacterial count limit. Before this, the brand had already been exposed by the media multiple times for chaotic store hygiene, even alarming the State Administration for Market Regulation. From Xinhua reporters' undercover investigations to tea beverage brands frequently trending on social media across various regions, consumers pay high prices but do not necessarily receive matching safety guarantees. This article will sort out the ins and outs of this penalty, review the food safety crisis Naxue's Tea encountered this year, and ask: after tea beverage brands apologize, compensate, and rectify, have the fundamental problems actually been solved? [more…]

Competition in China's coffee market is extending from the number of stores to the battle for consumption scenarios. Recently, Costa Coffee opened its first "drive-thru" store in China on Tainan West Road in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. This model, which allows customers to pick up their orders without leaving their cars, has a history of many years overseas, but is still a novelty in China. Notably, the store also offers meeting room rentals and co-working services, putting it in direct competition with the "shared space" concept store previously launched by Starbucks. Costa once regarded Starbucks as its biggest competitor, but the gap in store scale between the two in China is now quite obvious. Whether this "drive-thru" store can help Costa accelerate its expansion in China is worth continued attention. [more…]

Morgan Eckroth, runner-up in the 2022 World Barista Championship, did something astonishing on stage—smashing a coffee cup in front of the judges. This coffee influencer with 7 million followers used a metaphor-laden performance to explore the extinction crisis facing specialty coffee. From choosing the endangered coffee variety Eugenioides to incorporating kintsugi craftsmanship and Colombia's national liquor into the creative coffee segment, every choice Morgan made pointed to the same question: as climate change, market shifts, and industry decline converge, is the coffee industry ready? This article will take you through this breathtaking competition and explore how baristas can rediscover the humanistic value and professional charm of specialty coffee in an era obsessed with efficiency. [more…]

Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer, with an annual output of about 2.7 million metric tons, accounting for one-third of the global total. Although its natural conditions are not ideal for coffee cultivation, Brazil has achieved a remarkable turnaround in its coffee industry through variety improvement and soil modification. Among its many producing regions, the Cerrado region stands out, with its coffee mostly featuring nutty and chocolate flavors, low acidity, and a smooth mouthfeel. Front Street Coffee's Brazil Bourbon coffee beans come from Cerrado, and the Yellow Bourbon from Queen's Farm is an even more outstanding specialty representative. This article will guide you through the terroir characteristics of the Cerrado region, the history of soil improvement in the Minas region, and how Front Street uses the Kono dripper and 88°C water temperature to bring out the rich, mellow charm of Brazilian coffee. [more…]

Bolivia is a fascinating place. Although it is called a paradise for coffee growing, its production has always been low. Front Street Coffee is deeply impressed by the delicate flavors of Bolivian coffee. In terms of flavor expression, Bolivian coffee is mostly characterized by rich sweetness and soft acidity. At the 2017 WBC (World Coffee [more…]

Rwanda, an East African highland country known as the "Land of a Thousand Hills," is claiming an increasingly important place on the global specialty coffee map. From coffee's introduction in 1904, to the post-1994 genocide effort to revive the economy through coffee, to breaking into the specialty market through the Cup of Excellence, Rwandan coffee has traveled an extraordinary road. Among its regions, the Lake Kivu production area—with its unique lake-and-volcano microclimate and benchmark washing stations such as Twumba—has become the emblem of Rwandan specialty coffee. This article takes you deep into the terroir code of the Lake Kivu region, along with related product information recommended by Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Recently, the coffee brand WHATEVER COFFEE, founded by actor Daniel Wu, opened its first physical store on Dongda Road in Chengdu, sparking a wave of social media check-ins. This shop-in-shop, sharing space with a barbershop, features a minimalist black, white, and gray aesthetic. Its menu focuses on classic coffees and simple flavored drinks, priced between 20 and 34 yuan. The brand logo, a mask hand-drawn by Daniel Wu, symbolizes shedding pretense and returning to authenticity. In fact, the brand entered the coffee market as early as last June. Now, with the Chengdu store serving as a test outlet, a second independent location is already being scouted. Celebrities opening coffee shops is nothing new—from JJ Lin to Jay Chou—but behind the built-in traffic, whether the products and services themselves can withstand market scrutiny remains a topic worth watching. [more…]

Although Uganda is a landlocked country in Africa, it is the world's tenth-largest coffee-producing country, with abundant water resources and dense forests. For a long time, its coffee quality was constrained by transportation and processing conditions, leaving a gap compared with its East African neighbors. After the end of the war in 1990, transportation gradually developed, and coffee became the country's most important agricultural product. Ugandan coffee is mainly Robusta, with Arabica accounting for only 6%. Its grading follows the Kenyan system, with AA being the highest grade. The AA-grade beans from Yunpu Farm in the Bugisu producing region are the most renowned traditional Arabica there. From the perspective of Front Street Coffee, this article will sort out its origin background, farm information, variety processing, and flavor performance, introducing you to this coffee with notes of cinnamon, fennel, and Baozhong tea. [more…]