After 16 years of operation, FamilyMart's coffee brand Let's Café has opened its first standalone coffee experience store, Let's Café PLUS, in Taipei, focusing on specialty coffee and a light food space. The store adopts a deep blue brand color scheme and offers single-origin coffee, cold brew, sparkling coffee, and other series, with the most expensive drink being the limited-edition Taiwan Yunlin Gukeng Geisha cold brew coffee. It also serves Twinings tea drinks, smoothies, and nearly 30 light food items, while continuing its environmental protection philosophy. In Taiwan, China, FamilyMart's Let's Café annual sales have reached 160 million cups, with a target of 200 million cups in 2023, and single-origin coffee is growing at an annual rate of 15%-20%. For more specialty coffee bean information, follow Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex. [more…]

The normalization of coffee consumption and the prevalence of takeout culture have made disposable cups a pollution source that cannot be ignored. Environmental issues have long ceased to be a novelty in the coffee world—packaging innovation, coffee grounds reuse, paper straw replacements, as well as bring-your-own-cup discounts and in-store reusable cup pilots, are all being continuously explored. Recently, FamilyMart announced that it will massively roll out reusable cups to 400 stores in the Taiwan region, becoming East Asia's first convenience store chain to introduce reusable cups at scale. Previously, Starbucks launched a "borrowed cup" pilot in Seattle, and McDonald's also partnered with the Loop platform to test reusable cups. Can these initiatives truly change consumption habits and drive the industry to reduce plastic? This article will walk you through the practical paths of these pioneers and the real challenges they face. [more…]

Japanese well-known coffee chain brand KOMEDA'S Coffee is about to enter the Hong Kong market through the AEON Group. Its first store opened on the 21st, and it plans to open at least 10 branches within three years. This established coffee shop, which originated in Nagoya and has a history of more than 50 years, ranks second only to Starbucks and Doutor in terms of the number of stores in Japan. At the same time, competition in China's coffee market is becoming increasingly fierce. Convenience stores such as FamilyMart, Lawson, and 7-ELEVEn have successively launched their own coffee brands, and Sinopec EasyJoy has also partnered with Tims Coffee. Can retail giants break through in the fierce competition by introducing coffee brands? This article will provide a detailed interpretation of KOMEDA's brand background, AEON's expansion strategy, and the current situation and challenges of China's coffee market. [more…]

Suning Xiaodian's first dedicated coffee shop has begun trial operations in Nanjing, marking Suning's official move to step up its presence in the coffee market. The store adopts a "convenience store + coffee" model, offering 27 beverages across five major categories, including coffee, tea drinks, and frozen treats, with prices ranging from 12 yuan to 28 yuan. Leveraging the network advantages of more than 5,000 Suning Xiaodian stores nationwide and operational data within a three-kilometer radius, Suning Coffee has clear competitiveness in customer acquisition and daily operations. This is also Suning's fourth format for expanding coffee consumption scenarios, following vending counters, express delivery, and unmanned self-service machines. As players such as Mengniu, Nongfu Spring, Coca-Cola, Sinopec EasyJoy, and OYO successively enter the market, the battle for the coffee market has gained another variable. [more…]

In the public perception, chain coffee stores usually require a certain amount of space for tables, chairs, and storage, so their scale is not too small. However, Cotti recently announced the launch of a convenient store format called "COTTI Express," using a store-in-store model to compress the minimum opening area to one square meter, greatly reducing both investment and the break-even point. In fact, brands such as Manner with Lianjia and Tims with Sinopec Easy Joy had already tried similar partnerships. Although this model enables low-cost rapid expansion, it has also raised concerns among franchisees about internal competition, pressure from convenience stores' own coffee brands, and quality control and food safety. Whether the store-in-store model can ultimately help brands capture a larger market still needs time to be tested. [more…]

On a scorching summer day, a refreshing glass of sparkling water never fails to win over consumers. Recently, a drink called "Swimming Burger Sparkling Water" has rapidly gone viral on social media—simply drop a store-bought gummy burger and ice cubes into a glass, pour in sparkling water, and you'll see the gummy candy bobbing up and down in the glass. This drink originally came from a bartender's signature cocktail, and after going viral, beverage shop owners kept creating variations featuring gummy bears, goldfish, and more. Due to regional price differences, it sells for anywhere from just over ten yuan to more than thirty yuan, and brands like Haidilao, Auntea Jenny, and FamilyMart have all jumped on the bandwagon to recreate it. However, the gummy candy neither dissolves nor changes the drink's flavor—so is the core selling point of this beverage its taste or its emotional value? It's worth pondering. [more…]

The integration of coffee brands with the convenience store format is accelerating. Recently, NOWWA Coffee announced a strategic partnership with Jianfu, the largest convenience store brand in Fujian, and the two parties will jointly operate stores through a co-management model, with the first batch of 150 partner stores already launched. This move not only helps NOWWA expand rapidly by leveraging the convenience store’s mature supply chain and low-cost operating advantages, but also adds a new category to the convenience store’s diversified operations. Against the backdrop of intensifying competition among brands such as Luckin and Cotti, NOWWA is exploring lower-tier markets through offline channel cooperation and plans to launch 500 co-managed stores in 2024 and 2,000 in 2025, covering the four provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi, Sichuan, and Jiangsu. [more…]

Recently, a netizen tried to find a Cotti Coffee store using mobile navigation, only to be surprised upon arrival to discover that the coffee shop was actually located inside a soup dumpling restaurant. This netizen's sharing quickly resonated with consumers everywhere, who then posted their own encounters with Cotti stores in places like Lawson convenience stores, service halls, ramen shops, pet hospitals, and even skateboard shops. Since launching its convenient store model in May this year, Cotti has claimed that "a store can be opened with just 1 square meter," and plans to expand by 8,000 convenient stores in the second half of the year, aggressively penetrating into various small and micro commercial scenarios with rapid expansion. However, while the brand accelerates its layout and strives to achieve "Cotti within 100 meters," consumers have raised serious concerns about the hygiene conditions, product quality control, and food safety risks of this store-within-a-store model. Front Street Coffee is also paying attention to this industry phenomenon, believing that balancing convenience and quality will be an urgent issue for Cotti to address. [more…]

In the past two years, convenience store cocktail mixing has unexpectedly gone viral, with netizens using soft drinks, coffee, and mini liquor bottles to create all kinds of DIY concoctions. 7-Eleven recently piloted a self-service cocktail mixing area at a store in Beijing, offering four popular base spirits along with trending online recipes, allowing consumers to experience coffee cocktails at a lower cost and in a more elegant way. This move not only lowers the barrier to DIY but also reflects young people's blurring of the boundaries between coffee and alcohol consumption scenarios. This article takes you through the past and present of convenience store cocktail mixing and explores whether alcohol and coffee can be consumed together. [more…]

A convenience store selling Geisha—doesn't that sound a bit surprising? Taiwan region's 7-ELEVEN, operated by Uni-President Group, recently announced that it would offer a limited-time release of three Geisha coffees from Alishan at 18 stores with specialty coffee sections, priced at NT$250 to NT$500, equivalent to about 57 to 114 yuan. Once the news broke, discussions among netizens quickly heated up: some complained it was expensive, arguing that convenience store coffee should follow an affordable路线; others applauded, feeling this could make Geisha seem more approachable. This batch of beans comes from Fengshan Village in Alishan and the Doyuxiang Geisha Estate, the latter of which just won first prize in the Geisha category at this year's Alishan Coffee Estate Elite Exchange Competition. Is 7-ELEVEN's move an attempt to elevate its brand image, or a test of the convenience store coffee pricing system? This article takes you through the full backstory of the event and discusses the price and value of Geisha coffee. [more…]

Cotti Coffee recently announced an ambitious expansion plan: adding 8,000 convenience stores in the second half of the year, reaching a scale of 50,000 stores within three years, and striving to achieve a layout where "Cotti is within a hundred meters." However, as of the end of July, its actual operating stores were fewer than 7,000, still some distance from the goal. Meanwhile, Luckin has launched a counterattack with a scale of over 20,000 stores, curbing Cotti's growth through dense store placements. The two sides have shifted from a 9.9 yuan price war to a battle for locations. How will this competition between two brands from the same roots evolve? This article sorts out the store rivalry, strategic adjustments, and industry impact of the two major brands. [more…]

Guming's mini-program has quietly launched a new product called "Morning Fresh Milk." The only ingredient is fresh milk, available in hot or cold options, priced at 8 yuan per 500ml. After trying it, consumers discovered that the cup contains exactly the same refrigerated fresh milk brands used in stores for making tea drinks—Yue Xian Huo, Weigang, and Renyangyitouniu—tasting no different from what's sold in supermarkets and convenience stores. Once the news broke, netizens reacted with sharply divided opinions: some felt the price was completely uncompetitive, arguing it's better to just buy from a supermarket or convenience store, and joked that this was "forcing out a product with no real substance," with R&D staff cobbling together a new item just to meet KPI targets; others thought they could simply add espresso or toppings themselves to make a low-cost latte. Some netizens even let their imaginations run wild, speculating that Guming is testing the waters for a foray into the breakfast market. This article will sort through the discussions sparked by this new product and the possible business logic behind it. [more…]

At convenience stores, you can get a freshly ground Americano just by pressing a button—but is this kind of coffee really the same as the Americano you drink in a coffee shop? The key lies in the type of machine—convenience stores commonly use atmospheric-pressure drip Americano machines, while the Americano produced by coffee shops is based on pressure-extracted espresso. This article first clarifies the extraction differences between the two types of machines, then explains the origin of Americano and the mixing ratios, and finally gives bean selection suggestions for two scenarios: drip filtration and espresso: atmospheric-pressure drip machines are suitable for hand-brew-style single-origin beans, while pressure espresso machines are more suitable for freshly roasted blends. The article also compiles a variety of Front Street Coffee beans suitable for making Americano, making it easy to match them by flavor. [more…]

Blue Bottle Coffee, which has established itself in the specialty coffee wave with fresh roasting and professional service, recently announced the launch of an espresso instant freeze-dried coffee, priced at $25 for 48 grams. This move has drawn attention: when the pandemic blocked in-store consumption and demand for coffee at home rose, Blue Bottle chose to respond to the demand for convenience with an instant product. CEO Karl Strovink said the company will vigorously develop its instant coffee line and plans to add instant coffee drinks to its store menus within one to two years. Blue Bottle is currently controlled by Nestlé and has more than 100 stores in the United States and Asia. This article examines the market logic and executive statements behind Blue Bottle's new instant coffee product. [more…]

Many people are curious: for a cup of coffee sold at 25 yuan in a café, what is the real cost? Starting from the basic definition of cost, this article sorts out the pricing logic of coffee as an internationally traded commodity, explains how the New York Arabica and London Robusta futures markets affect coffee prices, and breaks down various expenses such as coffee beans, water and electricity, packaging, labor, transportation, rent, and equipment depreciation. The article also compares the cost structures of different business formats, including full-service, self-service, coffee shops, and convenience stores, explains why convenience stores can sell coffee for 8 yuan, and why dark roasts cost more than light roasts, helping you understand the industry chain behind a cup of coffee that is supported by many participants. [more…]

On September 13, Starbucks interim CEO Howard officially unveiled the company's reinvention plan at an investor briefing, announcing a series of initiatives to enhance the customer and barista experience through improved employee benefits, reimagining the third place, innovating beverage production processes, simplifying operations, and expanding digital services, with the goal of achieving a business turnaround by 2024. Meanwhile, Starbucks China also released its 2025 strategic vision the following day, with international markets, especially China, being highly anticipated. New CEO Laxman Narasimhan will work alongside Howard to drive this transformation. [more…]

Convenience store freshly ground Americano is just one click away, but how does it differ from the Americano at a coffee shop? The key lies in the extraction method: drip filtration uses normal pressure, while espresso machines rely on pressurized extraction. This article provides a detailed comparison of the construction and output characteristics of the two types of coffee machines, and analyzes the origin of Americano and its mixing ratios. For different extraction devices, Front Street Coffee offers bean selection advice: for normal-pressure drip filtration, any pour-over bean can be chosen; for pressurized espresso, a blend is recommended to ensure balance and stability. Finally, we highlight the recommendation of Front Street Classic Espresso Blend, where the dark roast brings rich crema, balancing both Americano and latte. [more…]

Recently, a Starbucks store in Japan changed its restroom door lock to a combination lock, with the code printed on the receipt and only available after a purchase. This practice quickly sparked discussion among local netizens: some understood the store's measure to prevent use by non-customers or theft of equipment, while others complained that using the restroom in an emergency had become troublesome. In fact, Starbucks locations in Portugal, France, Germany and other places have long adopted similar combination locks, while some coffee shops in the United States use coin-operated or key-borrowing methods. Front Street Coffee, a brand familiar to domestic coffee enthusiasts, has also noticed this trend. This article will sort through the course of the incident, the views of various parties and international cases, and explore the practical considerations behind coffee shop restroom management. [more…]

Tianyancha information shows that EasyJoy Coffee (Beijing) Co., Ltd. was included in the list of businesses with abnormal operations by the Changping District Market Supervision Bureau of Beijing for failing to publicly disclose its annual report on time. This company, wholly owned by Sinopec EasyJoy with a registered capital of 60 million yuan, was once an important vehicle for Sinopec's exploration of the coffee business in gas station scenarios. From launching the brand in 2019 in cooperation with Lian Coffee, to Lianxiang Business withdrawing in 2024 and Sinopec fully taking over, and then to reaching a strategic cooperation with Tims China, the development trajectory of EasyJoy Coffee reflects the opportunities and challenges in the gas station coffee track. At present, Sinopec has not yet responded to this matter. [more…]

There is another new case of a domestic food and beverage brand crossing into coffee. Hefu Lao Mian has officially announced its coffee brand "Pick ME no Coffee & Hot Food" and has intensively applied for related trademarks, from "Hefu Yibei Coffee" to "CAFE PICK ME Coffee Convenience Store," making frequent moves. The brand is positioned to provide young people and office workers with good-tasting, affordable coffee, paired with quality hot food, in an attempt to create a new coffee consumption scenario. At the same time, brands such as Xtep and Nayuki Tea have also recently entered the coffee track, making cross-industry competition increasingly fierce. This article sorts out the details of Hefu Lao Mian's coffee layout and includes boutique bean information channels such as Front Street Coffee for coffee lovers' reference. [more…]