Recently, a trendy café in Fuzhou, Fujian, became the center of online attention due to seven in-store rules posted at its entrance. The rules include prohibitions on standing to take photos, using flash, changing outfits for photoshoots, and all photography equipment; customers must agree to these terms before entering and making purchases. Some consumers reported that the café attracted traffic on social media by marketing itself as "photo-friendly," but upon arrival, they were told flash photography was not allowed, and even had disagreements with staff over the per-person ordering rule. The café responded that excessive posing for photos disrupts other customers' dining experience, and tables and chairs were damaged due to being moved around casually, so the rules were established to maintain the dining environment. Netizens have mixed opinions: some consider the rules reasonable as a matter of mutual choice, while others criticize the merchant's tone as too forceful. Front Street Coffee reminds that cafés, as public spaces, require mutual understanding from both sides to balance photography needs and dining experience. [more…]

Recently, a coffee shop in Fuzhou tried soaking green coffee beans in a lactic acid bacteria solution for post-processing, but unexpectedly, the beans sprouted. The owner decided to wash and dry this batch of sprouted beans and then roast them to test the flavor. After the incident was reported by the Straits Metropolis Daily, it quickly sparked discussions among netizens: Can sprouted coffee beans be consumed? Is there a risk of contamination by miscellaneous bacteria? Can sprouted green coffee beans grow into coffee trees? This article will sort out the sequence of events, invite professionals to answer various questions about the safety, flavor changes, and post-processing techniques of sprouted coffee beans, and provide a comprehensive understanding of this novel experiment in the coffee community. [more…]

After green pepper latte trended on social media, an eye-popping Fuzhou fish ball coffee appeared. This method, which involves hollowing out fish balls, filling them with espresso, and then pouring latte art with milk, left coffee lovers and Fuzhou locals collectively speechless. In recent years, from octopus latte to century egg coffee, from coffee rice noodle rolls to green pepper latte, all kinds of bizarre creative coffees have emerged one after another. Are these drinks, which seemingly practice the idea that "anything can be coffee," an innovative exploration of coffee culture, or simply a traffic game to grab attention? When taking photos and checking in becomes the main purpose of consumption, what will become of these creative coffees? [more…]

After leaving Luckin, Lu Zhengyao went through two not-so-successful food and beverage ventures, Qu Xiaomian and Shejian Yingxiong, before ultimately returning to the coffee battlefield he knows best. The first store of the brand-new COTTI COFFEE has officially opened in Fuzhou IFC, offering all-day dining that covers coffee, baked goods, light meals, and alcoholic drinks. The core team mostly comes from Luckin and the Shenzhou system, and the legal representative has been changed to former Luckin CEO Qian Zhiya. On the occasion of the first store's opening, Cotti also announced that it has become the China sponsor of the Argentina national team. Whether this highly anticipated coffee rookie can become Lu Zhengyao's comeback work, and whether it can add another major player to China's coffee market, is worth continued attention. [more…]

The combination of coffee and alcohol is becoming a new trend in the food and beverage industry, with "C in the morning, A at night" evolving from a skincare concept into a consumption model of "coffee in the morning, alcohol at night." Post Coffee, a coffee brand under China Post, recently launched the country's first daytime coffee and nighttime alcohol concept store in Fuzhou, along with two Fuzhou-exclusive drinks. Since its first store opened in Xiamen in 2022, Post Coffee has expanded to ten stores across four cities. Can this new business format offer new ideas for coffee brands venturing into nighttime operations? At the same time, brands such as Starbucks, Seesaw, M Stand, Tims, and even Cotti Coffee have also been entering this track, and coffee brands' attempts to expand from coffee into alcohol and extend operating hours are accelerating. [more…]

Recently, a Fuzhou branch of the chain tea brand Bao Zhu Gong became embroiled in a public opinion storm over an ordinary customer complaint dispute. A consumer claimed that after their milk green tea was made incorrectly, they received a refund and coupon compensation, but then got into an argument with the store over the usage rules. Subsequently, comments appeared that seemed to be from an employee leaking information, claiming that management fired all store staff because of the customer complaint, and even dredging up an old issue where a student employee had previously been fined 1,000 yuan. The incident quickly escalated, with tens of thousands of comments forcing the original post to be deleted. At noon today, an account claiming to be the owner of the store involved issued a statement, saying that the online rumors were all false and that the person involved had gone to the police station to give a statement and file a report. What is the truth? Front Street Coffee takes you through the full picture of the incident. [more…]

In just half a month, Cotti Coffee established 13 new branches in 9 major cities nationwide, demonstrating the rapid momentum of Lu Zhengyao's team returning to the coffee industry. Starting with its first store in Fuzhou, the brand has made a high-profile sponsorship of the Argentine national football team and set a goal of 10,000 stores in three years. Currently, the mini-program has launched nearly 60 products, covering coffee, tea drinks, cold brew, and other categories, including some of Luckin's hit items. The store model is divided into standard stores and mini stores, with the former accommodating dining and bar scenarios. However, the all-day multi-functional service has not yet been fully implemented, and food and alcohol are still not available. Whether Cotti can use Luckin's "magic" to defeat Luckin is worth continuous attention. [more…]

Over the past weekend, a large outdoor coffee market in Fuzhou attracted hundreds of brands, but temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius, even approaching 40 degrees, turned what was meant to be a relaxing coffee gathering into something far less pleasant. Although the organizers adjusted the event hours to the evening and took some cooling measures, the temperature difference between the inner and outer areas was stark. Vendors in the outer area felt as if they were trapped in a steamer, while visitors complained repeatedly about unclear signage and insufficient lighting. When holding outdoor events in extreme weather, there is clearly still considerable room for improvement in heatstroke prevention plans and on-site management. [more…]

Recently, a conflict between a customer and an employee occurred at a Manner store in Fuzhou, and related videos sparked widespread discussion online. In the footage, a customer repeatedly threw cups, labels, and other items from the counter into the preparation area, appearing highly emotional, while only one employee was on duty in the store. The store later responded that the incident began when a staff member reminded the customer after the coffee was made incorrectly, which may have upset the customer. The incident not only brought Manner's long-criticized "one-person shift" problem back into the spotlight, but also led many regular customers to complain about excessively long wait times. Front Street Coffee follows industry developments, and this article sorts through the course of the incident and the responses from various parties. [more…]

Since the broadcast of Wang Yibo's documentary "Exploring the Secret Realm," rock climbing in Gushi Village, Lianjiang, Fuzhou, has quickly gained popularity. Nowadays, while experiencing cliff climbing, visitors can also check in at a café built on the cliff, where they can savor aromatic coffee while gazing at the sea view of the Matsu Islands in the distance. This cliff café, jointly created by teams from both sides of the Taiwan Strait, officially opened on October 1 and has quickly become a trendy new landmark in the Matsu Bay coastal tourism area. This article will introduce this innovative project that blends outdoor adventure with coffee culture, as well as the story and features behind it. [more…]

Coffee consumption is spreading from first- and second-tier cities to third-, fourth-, and fifth-tier markets, yet the price threshold for freshly ground coffee still makes many office workers hesitate. Lu Zhengyao has opened the first outlet of his new brand Cotti Coffee in the Fuzhou IFC International Financial Center, with all drinks priced at 9.9 yuan during the soft-opening period, continuing a familiar low-price playbook. The product line covers more than 40 items, including coffee, tea, smoothies, and sundaes, featuring popular items such as coconut latte and cheese latte, with original prices ranging from 18 to 32 yuan. Facing pressure from the two giants Luckin and Starbucks, as well as cross-industry players such as KFC TO GO and Mixue Bingcheng's Lucky Cup, whether Cotti can replicate Luckin's achievement of opening 2,073 stores in its first year is worth watching. [more…]

Cotti Coffee was recently spotted by netizens opening a directly operated store in Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea, while its 5,000th store in China opened at Sanlitun SOHO in Beijing. From its first store in Fuzhou in October 2022 to its current scale of 5,000 stores, Cotti has raced ahead at a pace of more than 500 stores per month. But behind this rapid expansion, once the 8.8-yuan promotional subsidy stops, cup sales take a hit. So far this year, the number of store closures has reached 332, with 152 new closures in the past 90 days. Some netizens have compared it with Luckin, which has already set up 12 directly operated stores in Singapore. South Korea's coffee market is large, prices are low, choices are plentiful, and stores are densely distributed, so whether foreign brands can gain a foothold remains to be seen. Front Street Coffee follows industry developments and explains for you the challenges behind Cotti's overseas expansion and growth. [more…]

The Tims store at Aishan Plaza in Huzhou, the brand's first outlet in the city, has posted a closure notice less than two years after opening and will cease operations on January 4, 2026. Meanwhile, Tims stores in Wenzhou, Yinchuan, Fuzhou and other places have also been reported to have quietly closed, contrasting sharply with the brand's high-profile announcement of reaching the 1,000-store milestone in October 2024. Data from Zhaomen Canyan shows that the number of currently operating stores has fallen below 1,000. This article reviews the whole story of the closures, consumer reactions and the brand's expansion pace, and includes relevant recommendations from Front Street Coffee for coffee enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

Recently, the chain coffee brand %Arabica has quietly closed stores in several cities including Xiamen and Shenzhen, sparking widespread attention and discussion online. Among them, the Xiamen MixC store, the brand's first store in the city, ceased operations on May 15 after nearly five and a half years in business; in Shenzhen, the Bao'an Airport store and the Xinghe COCO Park store also closed one after another. The company has not explained the reasons for the closures, and netizens speculate they may be related to mall business adjustments, rising costs, and profitability. Notably, branded coffee trucks have appeared in some areas where stores closed, and the brand's first store in Fuzhou also adopted the coffee truck model. Longtime customers have mixed views: some see it as a flexible adjustment in response to the "buy and go" consumer habit, while others lament that the brand's design-forward store characteristics are being weakened. [more…]

Recently, the Fujian Province Consumers' Rights Protection Commission released a comparative test report on freshly made and sold coffee. In tests of 59 samples from 20 brands in Fuzhou, low levels of acrylamide, a Group 2A carcinogen, were found in all of them. After the news spread through self-media, it quickly triggered public concern. In fact, acrylamide in coffee is naturally produced during the roasting process and is not artificially added. This article will analyze the testing background, the sources of acrylamide, and the carcinogenic dose in order to help readers view this test result rationally and avoid being misled by scary headlines. [more…]

Lapsang Souchong is widely recognized as the world's earliest black tea, originating from Tongmu Village in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian. Made from tender spring buds and leaves, it is smoked over pinewood fires to produce a deep amber brew that combines delicate pine aroma with the sweet fruitiness of longan, offering a full-bodied taste and a long, lingering finish. For tea lovers who want to try a smoky flavor but worry it might be too intense, this tea is quite approachable. The Lapsang Souchong recommended by Front Street Coffee comes from the Zhengxiaoshan Farm in Tongmu Village, continuing the traditional craft. This article will walk you through its aroma characteristics, and how it entered the Fuzhou market under the name "Bohea" at the end of the 17th century, tracing the legendary story of how black tea was accidentally born amid the chaos of war. [more…]

As the soul ingredient of milk tea, the freshness of tapioca pearls is directly related to consumer health. Recently, a Yidian Dian store at Zhoushan Ruxin Plaza was fined 15,000 yuan by regulatory authorities for using expired tapioca pearls to make and sell Bubble Milk Tea and other drinks. An investigation showed that the store involved not only used ingredients beyond their shelf life, but also failed to establish purchase inspection records as required. This is not the first time Yidian Dian has been involved in a food safety controversy; previously, a Fuzhou store was reported to have had a bug found in its milk tea. As the peak season for summer beverage consumption arrives, food safety issues have once again sounded the alarm. [more…]

Recently, a netizen in Fuzhou placed a cold Heytea drink, cup and all, into a microwave to heat it up. Just 30 seconds later, flames erupted inside the microwave, and the upper half of the cup was burned. The person involved described that halfway through heating, the microwave suddenly began crackling, and the moment it was opened, flames burst out. The fire only went out after the cup was knocked over with a spatula. Heytea customer service responded that the drink uses a paper cup containing metal materials, which is not suitable for microwave heating. In fact, many milk tea lovers on social media have a habit of directly heating milk tea, and similar dangerous incidents are not isolated cases. Whether brands should label packaging with microwave use warnings has also sparked discussions among consumers and legal professionals. [more…]

The National Health Commission recently solicited public comments on 19 national food safety standards, among which the "Determination of Acrylamide in Foods" includes coffee within its testing scope for the first time, responding to the social debate sparked by the detection of acrylamide in freshly made and sold coffee. At the end of 2023, a report by the Fujian Provincial Consumer Council brought acrylamide in coffee into the spotlight; experts pointed out that this substance is a byproduct of high-temperature processing rather than an artificial additive, and that its content in coffee is extremely low, so there is no need for excessive concern about daily consumption. This revision of the national standard aims to improve the testing system, drive process improvements in the industry, and safeguard consumer rights. [more…]

Lapsang Souchong is widely recognized as the world's earliest black tea. With its distinctive pine smoke aroma and sweet, fruity notes reminiscent of dried longan, it profoundly influenced the historical course of European tea culture. However, names related to "Souchong" abound on the market—Waishan Souchong, Smoked Souchong, Xingcun Souchong, Tongmu Souchong—are they actually the same tea? How should one distinguish Lapsang Souchong from Waishan Souchong? This article will sort out these easily confused concepts from three dimensions: historical origins, production area classification, and naming evolution, restoring the true identity of Lapsang Souchong while introducing you to the unique flavors of the core production area in Tongmu Village, Wuyi. [more…]