Milk tea shops line every street and alley, yet the same brand can taste wildly different from one store to the next—because a large number of counterfeit outlets lurk behind the scenes. The genuine The Alley has only just over a hundred directly operated stores, while copycat versions number more than seven thousand, forcing the brand to spend hundreds of millions fighting counterfeits. Many entrepreneurs naively trust online franchise information and fall into copycat traps, losing anywhere from hundreds of thousands to over a million yuan. This article reviews trademark infringement cases reported by CCTV, exposing the common tricks of counterfeit franchising, as well as the story of how Heytea was forced to change its name because of rampant imitation, reminding consumers and entrepreneurs to keep their eyes open. [more…]

The coffee market is in the thick of a 9.9 yuan price war, but Lucky Cup has taken a different tack by launching a 6.6 yuan promotion, drawing in plenty of thrifty consumers. However, some netizens in Zhengzhou have noticed that the signs of certain former Lucky Cup stores have actually changed to "Lucky Cup," yet the decor style and the poker king logo are completely identical to Lucky Cup's, making it hard to tell at a glance whether it's a rebranding or a counterfeit. Since Mixue Bingcheng's headquarters is in Zhengzhou and the official side has not responded, netizens are speculating that this may be a defensive move by the brand to prevent its registered trademark from being revoked due to three consecutive years of non-use. What exactly is the trademark strategy behind the name change? And how should consumers view it? [more…]

The NAIXUE store in Bao'an Uniwalk, Shenzhen, debuted as the "second NAIXUE Tea · green light drinks and light meals store nationwide," but customers noticed that the wording on the light sign had changed from "by NAIXUE" to "by Naisnow NAIXUE." On social platforms, some netizens also shared that two stores had adopted the "Naisnow NAIXUE" name and a new snowflake-shaped logo, sparking widespread discussion. NAIXUE was originally called "Nayuki," but because it was often mistaken for a Japanese brand, it gradually changed to "NAIXUE" in 2023. Tianyancha shows that its parent company submitted 8 trademark applications in March this year, including "Naisnow NAIXUE." Netizens have mixed opinions on the new name. Some speculate that it is paving the way for overseas expansion, while others think it is neither Chinese nor Western, hard to remember and hard to pronounce. The new logo has also been said to resemble a biotech company or a software icon. Whether frequent brand name changes affect brand awareness has become a point of concern. [more…]

After Starbucks exited the Russian market, its assets were acquired by a local company and rebranded. On August 17, 2022, rapper Timur Yunusov revealed the new name "STARS COFFEE" and its logo on Instagram, and the official website went live simultaneously. The new brand replaced the mermaid logo with a girl wearing traditional Russian headwear, and officially opened in Moscow on August 18, with all 120 stores planned to resume operations by the end of September. The new stores no longer write cup names by hand, switching to thermal printing, and food has also become pre-made and heated. Marketing experts pointed out that the new owners are striving to maintain continuity between the old and new brands, but the effectiveness of the rebranding still needs to be tested by the market. Russian netizens have been discussing it extensively. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently announced through its official WeChat account the launch of a "bring-your-own-store franchise" model, opening joint-operation partnerships to investors who are currently operating stores or own commercial properties. The policy has not yet disclosed specific franchise conditions or revenue-sharing plans, but it has clearly defined construction requirements such as store location, area, and storefront signage, and will initially cover 241 cities nationwide, with a focus on avoiding saturated tier-one and tier-two markets. This move is seen as helping Luckin seize more prime locations and attract investors who had originally planned to franchise with other brands such as Cotti to "switch banners" and join. Against the backdrop of ongoing cutthroat competition in the coffee market, Luckin has officially entered the era of 10,000 stores, accelerating expansion through a combined strategy of self-operation, joint operation, and bring-your-own-store franchising. [more…]

Nayuki Tea recently quietly changed its store signage at a new outlet in Nanning, Guangxi, with the original "奈雪の茶" becoming "奈雪的茶," and the English logo also changing from NAYUKI to the pinyin NAIXUE. The company officially responded that this is an upgrade move for the brand's seventh anniversary and will be rolled out gradually nationwide. This new tea beverage brand, founded in Shenzhen in 2015 and listed in Hong Kong in 2021, is turning a new page in its eight-year brand history through a visual rebranding that removes Japanese-style elements. Since June this year, its parent company has intensively applied for multiple NAIXUE trademarks, and the signage replacement work at nearly a thousand directly operated stores nationwide has already begun. [more…]

In 2020, Hacienda La Esmeralda introduced a natural process for its Blue Label Geisha, delighting many coffee lovers; however, in 2021 the estate announced that it would retain only the Red Label and Green Label series, and the Blue Label seemed to quietly exit the stage. Just as speculation was rife, a batch of Panamanian Geisha named Las Rocas quietly appeared on the market, and according to Front Street Coffee, this is precisely the rebranded Esmeralda Blue Label batch. This article sorts out the grade classifications and flavor differences among Hacienda La Esmeralda's Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label, reviews the whole story of the Blue Label's "disappearance" and "reappearance," and introduces the washed processing characteristics and pour-over approach for this Las Rocas Volcanic Rock Geisha, providing coffee fans who love Blue Label Geisha with a complete reference for purchasing and brewing. [more…]

Recently, news that Heytea plans to go public in Hong Kong in 2021 has resurfaced, sparking widespread market attention. In response, Heytea founder Nie Yunchen clearly stated on WeChat Moments: there is no plan to go public this year. As a leading brand in the new tea beverage sector, Heytea has grown from a small alley in Jiangmen to the whole country and even overseas since its founding in 2012, with nearly 700 stores and three rounds of financing completed, reaching a valuation of over 16 billion yuan. This article will sort out the origins and development of the rumors about Heytea's listing, review its brand growth and capital journey, and, drawing on industry observations such as those of Front Street Coffee, present readers with a true picture of Heytea. [more…]

Heytea's sub-brand Heytea Tea House has recently been reported to have closed stores in Jiangmen, Huizhou, and Zhongshan one after another, just half a year after opening. This store, inspired by Song Dynasty tea houses and specializing in freshly extracted tea lattes, was once a popular spot for fans to line up and check in. Since its launch in 2017, Heytea Tea House has only 11 stores nationwide, and the Jiangmen Zhongtian Xindi store is actually its first store to close. This news has led many consumers to think of Heytea's previously discontinued sub-brand "Heye Tea," and has also sparked discussions about competition in the tea beverage market and the survival space for sub-brands. Front Street Coffee continues to follow developments in the coffee and tea beverage industry, bringing readers the latest observations. [more…]

Heytea recently officially announced the launch of its first "A-Xi Full-Body Portrait Collection Contest," inviting fans to participate by drawing the Heytea logo—the full-body portrait of A-Xi—with the top prize worth over 9,999 yuan. The submission period ended on October 15, and thousands of entries have been received across various platforms. The total views of related topics on Weibo and Xiaohongshu have exceeded 10 million, and the grand prize will be announced on October 31. Interestingly, on the eve of the event's launch, the Heytea logo quietly went "bald"—the black hair was removed, and the fingers holding the cup disappeared, sparking a frenzy of complaints from netizens. This article reviews the iterative journey of the Heytea logo from its founding to the present, including last year's viral full-body portrait creations by netizens and the April cross-border collaboration with Hiroshi Fujiwara that saw the logo struck by lightning into an afro, analyzing how the brand interacts with consumers through its logo to accumulate brand equity. For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex. [more…]

The new tea beverage market landscape is constantly evolving. Even HEYTEA, which insisted on direct operation for ten years, has announced it will open franchising, targeting lower-tier markets. This strategy has attracted the attention of many franchisees, and some former Yidiandian franchisees are even planning to abandon their old stores to switch to HEYTEA. However, HEYTEA's partner selection criteria are quite strict—not only are the fees not low, but applicants are also required to commit full-time, provide proof of assets, and have management experience. Whether switching is wise remains unknown. This article compiles relevant reports and data, and includes a Front Street Coffee information entry for readers' reference. [more…]

Recently, news that two HEYTEA stores at JD.com's Beijing headquarters suddenly closed has continued to spread on social media, while an internal notice in circulation showed that JD.com prohibited cooperation with HEYTEA and restricted its products from entering office areas. The incident quickly sparked widespread speculation about the relationship between HEYTEA and JD.com. Some linked it to HEYTEA's delayed entry onto JD.com's food delivery platform, while others dug up old news of HEYTEA publicly boycotting food delivery. JD.com insiders later denied the rumors, and the stores resumed operations, with the closure explained as temporary water and electricity maintenance. This confusing business battle reflects the delicate positioning of tea beverage brands among third-party food delivery platforms. [more…]

After the renovation of Heytea's Ganzhou Market store in Zhangye, Gansu was completed, the sign was quietly changed to "Yicha," and the QR code for Heytea's mini-program was still posted at the entrance, but the store's information could no longer be found through official channels. From the buzz of check-in photos sparked by the opening of the first store, to the second store remaining unopened for a long time after hoarding was put up, and then to both stores disappearing from the official mini-program, this series of changes was actually related to the rules for distributing city-limited fridge magnets. Now the "Yicha" reopened at the original site has no connection to Heytea officially, and its font has even been questioned by netizens as infringing. Local consumers' expectations were dashed, and they still hope the brand can re-enter Zhangye. [more…]

Following the closure of the last store of its sub-brand Xixiaocha, Heytea confirmed on November 3 that it will open franchising, with partnership fees kept under 500,000 yuan and franchise store formats primarily under 50 square meters. Heytea stated it will leverage a decade of accumulated experience and resources to develop its partnership business in non-first-tier cities with suitable store formats, providing partners with comprehensive support in branding, products, quality control, food safety, operations, training, and supply chain. In recent years, Heytea has accelerated its expansion into lower-tier markets, successively adjusting prices, launching IP collaborations, and shutting down its budget sub-brand. Opening franchising is now seen as a key step to further capture market share in third- and fourth-tier cities. Whether the new tea beverage sector will face a new round of involution, and whether direct-operated brand Nayuki will follow suit, remains worth watching. [more…]

Recently, Sina Finance exclusively reported that Heytea had initiated internal layoffs involving about 30% of its employees, and the news quickly sparked widespread discussion. Heytea responded promptly, saying the report was untrue and that there was only normal personnel optimization based on year-end performance reviews. This incident has once again drawn public attention back to the new-style tea beverage sector: Nayuki is expecting losses, Heytea's growth is slowing, store expansion is decelerating, and homogenized competition in the industry is becoming increasingly fierce. At the same time, Heytea's countercyclical price cuts and moves to tap lower-tier markets have also sparked discussion. This article will sort out the sequence of events and present Heytea's operational changes and market challenges since 2021. [more…]

On September 18, Heytea sent an internal letter titled "Creating Differentiated Brands and Products for Users" to its business partners, directly addressing the increasingly fierce homogenized competition and low-price involution in the tea beverage industry. The letter proposed "creating differentiated products and brand experiences for users to the utmost" as the direction for breaking through, explicitly stating it would not follow popular categories, not engage in pure low-price competition, and would control the pace of store openings and focus on operational quality. However, netizens had mixed reactions: some supported the differentiation strategy, while others complained about weak product innovation and declining quality. Can Heytea win back consumers with this strategy? This article will sort out the key points of the internal letter and voices from all sides. [more…]

Recently, a netizen posted on social media reporting a significant quality gap between the same drinks bought at HEYTEA franchise stores and directly operated stores. Using the "Thousand-Mesh Matcha Triple Thick Matcha" as an example, the customer ordered delivery from a directly operated store; although delivery took over 20 minutes, the drink arrived still hot, with a rich taste and generous toppings. In contrast, at a franchise store for self-pickup, the drink was picked up within three minutes but had a pale color, bland flavor, and scarce toppings. Later, at another franchise store for self-pickup, the volume was actually one-third less, and the chewy texture was poor. The post resonated widely, with netizens complaining about inconsistent quality at franchise stores, which led to a guide for identifying store types through business licenses. The incident reflects the challenges of quality control under HEYTEA's rapid expansion. [more…]

The first Heytea store in Chongqing's Beicheng district has suddenly closed. This store, which had been highly popular since opening in 2018, was once regarded as a landmark presence for the brand in the Chongqing market. The closure surprised many loyal customers, and Heytea's subsequent internal email announcing the suspension of business partnership applications caused even more waves in the tea beverage industry. From the end of its first Chongqing store to the successive closures or suspensions of stores in Zibo, Xuecheng, Binhu and other places, and then to the company's proactive halt of franchise expansion, Heytea's series of moves have sparked widespread discussion about brand strategy adjustment, store quality control, and the competitive landscape of the industry. [more…]

Heytea has made another collaboration move, and this time the partner is the national-level office software WPS Office. The two parties launched limited-edition cup sleeves and badges themed around "Monday," and simultaneously made Heytea asset templates available on the WPS Docer mall. From film and television IPs to office scenarios, Heytea is trying to break out of its user scenario boundaries. At the same time, the trend of new tea beverage brands laying out in the coffee track is becoming increasingly obvious, and Heytea's moves to invest in specialty coffee brands such as Minor Figures and Seesaw have also attracted attention. This article will analyze the strategies and challenges of new tea beverage brands against the backdrop of normalized collaborations, starting from the creative details of this collaboration, WPS's brand background, netizen feedback, and Heytea's recent series of actions. [more…]

The city-exclusive fridge magnets that HEYTEA launched for new store openings quickly sparked a collecting craze, thanks to designs that incorporate local characteristics and cultural history. Because they could only be obtained at newly opened stores in the corresponding cities, social media platforms saw phenomena such as cross-city proxy purchases, swaps, and even high-priced buyouts. The free merch was resold on second-hand platforms for 40 to 100 yuan, and HEYTEA later responded that it did not endorse high-priced buyouts, and planned to launch a monthly points redemption campaign so that more consumers would have a chance to collect fridge magnets from different cities. [more…]