Luckin Coffee's collaborative campaign with the hit mobile game Honor of Kings has officially launched, coinciding with the game's tenth anniversary celebration and drawing widespread attention from players. The collaboration features a special drink inspired by in-game equipment called "Pain Mask · Tamarind Americano," along with merchandise such as hand fans, insulated tumblers, and gold-stamped badges. During the campaign, stores nationwide are using a three-piece collaboration set consisting of takeaway cups, cup sleeves, and paper bags, with the most eye-catching item being as many as 10 themed cup designs covering 5 game characters. The rich variety has thrilled players but placed a double burden on store staff in terms of identification and stocking. Front Street Coffee continues to follow developments in the coffee industry and brings you frontline observations. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's collaboration with the mobile game Honor of Kings has not yet officially launched, but a new product called "Tamarind Americano" has already sparked discussions on social platforms ahead of time. Many netizens, upon first hearing the name, mistook it for pickled string beans added to coffee and blurted out "dark cuisine"; later, a Yunnan netizen clarified that tamarind is actually a common local fruit, often used to make beverages, and has long been paired with coffee. However, after the full name "Pain Mask · Tamarind Americano" was revealed, it triggered consumer worries about the taste. Whether this collaboration drink is a pleasant surprise or a flop will only be known after it hits the market. [more…]

Cotti Coffee announced on February 28 a co-branding partnership with the hit mobile game Honor of Kings, launching the Peach Drunk series of drinks and limited-edition merchandise inspired by the classic images of three highly popular characters: Gongsun Li, Yang Yuhuan, and Wu Zetian. The news immediately drew attention. Although the official launch date has not yet been announced, store materials and netizen photos have already leaked in advance, and store staff revealed that the new products will officially launch on March 6. This is not Cotti's first time using co-branding to build hype. From sponsoring the Argentina team at the World Cup to partnering with the streetwear brand SMILEY, this brand, established only four months ago, is seizing the market through a path of "rapid store expansion + ultra-low prices + marketing," and has proclaimed a goal of 10,000 stores by 2025. However, data from Zhaomen Canyan shows that it actually covers only 81 cities with 232 stores, a gap from the advertised "a hundred cities, a thousand stores." Whether Cotti, which is repeating Luckin's old path, can succeed still remains to be seen. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently teamed up with Honor of Kings for a second limited-time campaign, bringing back the classic Mascarpone Cheese Latte and introducing a brand-new Rice Milk Latte. The company claims the new drink uses rice milk made from black soil–grown rice, and with temperatures dropping in many places, many netizens have hailed it as the top choice for winter. However, after tasting it, many customers were left puzzled, saying they couldn't detect any rice aroma and even suspecting they had accidentally ordered a regular latte. Faced with the skepticism, Luckin employees shared the production process, revealing that this drink does not use conventional espresso liquid but instead employs "instant-cooled freshly extracted coffee." So why has this new product sparked such a big controversy over its taste? Let's find out together. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently announced a co-branded collaboration with the popular Japanese anime Demon Slayer, launching a series of themed merchandise, including takeaway cups, paper bags, cup sleeves, stickers, acrylic standees, and fridge magnets. However, after the campaign went live, the merchandise did not sell as well as expected and instead ended up languishing on the shelves. Fans widely reported that the bundle prices were too high, especially the 229-yuan eight-drink bundle, which deterred many people. In addition, some loyal fans pointed out that the merchandise artwork consisted of old images already released by the official brand and lacked novelty. Front Street Coffee noted that the market response to this collaboration stands in sharp contrast to Luckin's previous co-branded campaigns, sparking discussions about brand collaboration strategies and fan consumption psychology. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently signed a deal with EDG, the champion team of the S11 World Championship, and is preparing an esports-themed store in Shanghai, attempting to deeply integrate esports culture with consumption scenarios. Previously, Luckin had already shown keen marketing instincts by signing Eileen Gu and teaming up with Coconut Palm. This themed store features four major areas: themed light signs and a gaming experience zone, a bullet-comment corridor, a team history honor wall, and an infinite fantasy photo spot, sparking widespread anticipation among netizens. Meanwhile, after weathering a financial storm, Luckin has made a strong comeback, with revenue from self-operated stores reaching 6.193 billion yuan in 2021, and its store count has surpassed Starbucks, making it the coffee chain brand with the most stores in China. Whether esports marketing can bring new growth to Luckin is worth watching. [more…]

After the Mixue Bingcheng flagship store opened in Hangzhou, a large number of fans went to check in, and the nearby Starbucks store became a place for fans to rest and organize their spoils. Faced with passersby who occupied seats without making a purchase, Starbucks did not forcefully drive them away, but instead posted an extremely gentle notice reminding them to help put trash into the bin when unwrapping packaging. This notice, which contains no words such as "please do not" or "prohibited" throughout, was called by netizens a dignified reminder "cautious in every word." Behind the incident is the dilemma coffee shops face between maintaining the consumer experience and avoiding public opinion risks. [more…]

A smartphone launch event unexpectedly caused a sudden surge of group orders at nearby Luckin Coffee stores in the evening, catching staff off guard and keeping delivery riders constantly on the move. It turned out that the Honor CEO demonstrated an AI ordering feature on stage, buying 2,000 cups of Light Jasmine from Luckin with a single sentence. Because of the limit on the number of items per order, the AI spread the demand across multiple stores, causing Luckin outlets near the convention center to be flooded with orders at once. This move showcased Honor's intelligent AI interaction and also, unintentionally, gave Luckin a round of publicity for its efficient order fulfillment. [more…]

In recent years, Geisha coffee has continued to rise in popularity within China's specialty coffee circles, but recently a company successfully registered trademarks such as "Red Label Geisha" and "Champion Geisha," and attempted to also claim "Geisha Coffee," sparking industry concerns about the privatization of a generic name. This article traces Geisha's journey from Ethiopian forests to the Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda, explains the origins of the red, green, and blue label grading systems, as well as the meaning of "Champion Geisha" in BOP auctions, and explores the risks that registering generic names as trademarks may pose to coffee professionals — a topic worthy of attention for every coffee lover and practitioner. [more…]

The freshness of coffee beans directly determines the flavor performance of a cup of coffee, yet many coffee lovers often stumble when it comes to storage. This article will systematically explain the core principles of coffee bean preservation—the four key elements of sealing, coolness, dryness, and light protection—and analyze one by one how the corresponding "Four Heavenly Kings" accelerate the loss of coffee flavor. At the same time, we will also provide practical storage advice to help you maximize the shelf life of coffee beans in your daily routine. If you are looking for reliable fresh coffee beans, the daily beans series from Front Street Coffee is worth checking out. [more…]

Start of Autumn was originally a solar term, but today it has become a carnival moment for milk tea consumption. Major brands are pulling out all the stops to compete for the traffic around the "first cup of milk tea in autumn." This year, Heytea has made "big" its core strategy, creating a strong social topic with a giant Heytea cup half a person's height and a 1.5-meter-tall "Heytea Person Honor Certificate." The event rules are simple: the customer who places the 8,001st in-store order receives the giant certificate. Some people drove seven kilometers under the scorching sun just for this sense of ceremony, while other socially anxious customers were caught off guard by the sudden award ceremony. The brand also considered the details, making the certificate foldable and easy to carry. Data shows that on the day of Start of Autumn, sales at many Heytea stores increased by more than 600% compared with the previous day, and first-day sales of the new product "Extra Chunky Yellow Peach Mango" exceeded 400,000 cups, setting a brand record. This article was compiled by Coffee Workshop and takes you through the behind-the-scenes story of this unconventional marketing campaign. [more…]

Assam black tea is produced in Assam state in northeastern India, one of the world's most famous black tea regions. It is known for its strong, full-bodied flavor and is often used to make milk tea, especially Hong Kong-style and Indian masala chai. So, what tier does Assam black tea actually belong to? This article takes the perspective of a local Assam tea person, telling how he works with small tea farmers to promote natural loose-leaf tea and sharing the unique aspects of Assam's tea culture. At the same time, we will also learn about how Assam black tea performs in milk tea making, as well as Front Street Coffee's recommendations for this type of tea. [more…]

From Nestlé and Starbucks to Luckin, the image of coffee in the minds of Chinese consumers has evolved from a "bitter black drink" to a daily beverage worth savoring, and the profession of barista has consequently garnered much attention. Among them, Japanese coffee master Hidenori Izaki is a legendary figure whom many Chinese people came to know through Luckin. He began making coffee at 16, became the first Asian champion of the WBC World Barista Championship at 24, and now collaborates deeply with the Chinese brand Luckin, dedicated to creating a national coffee brand for Chinese consumers. This article will review his coffee life, the journey of his connection with Luckin, and the changes in the Chinese coffee market through his eyes. [more…]

Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons mistakenly sent grand prize winning notifications to about 500,000 subscribers during its "Roll up to Win" promotion due to a technical glitch, then sent a correction email and apologized. Some consumers did not accept this, and on April 19 a Montreal law firm filed a class action application with the Quebec Superior Court, seeking CAD 10,000 in punitive damages for each customer who received the erroneous email. Tim Hortons responded that it would resolve the matter in court and believed the lawsuit lacked legal basis. Legal experts pointed out that the exemption clause in the game rules may increase the difficulty of the lawsuit, but customers can still seek punitive damages. This incident also sounded a warning bell for marketing campaigns and the maintenance of consumer trust in the coffee industry. [more…]

In recent years, cold brew coffee and ice drip coffee have won huge favor among coffee consumers! Especially in summer, the ice drip/cold brew coffee in coffee shops becomes the "king of kings" among iced coffees! One reason is that it has a mouthfeel that iced pour-over coffee/iced Americano coffee cannot replicate, and another is that its production time is long, [more…]

During the 40th Teachers' Day, Chagee launched an exclusive campaign called "Honor Teachers with Tea, Enjoy Tea on Us," originally intended to pay tribute to the teaching community and enhance brand goodwill. However, after the campaign was rolled out, it sparked widespread dissatisfaction among teachers: limited-edition cards at many stores were quickly claimed, and some stores did not participate in the campaign at all, causing many teachers to make a wasted trip. This article sorts out the specific rules of the campaign in various regions, teachers' real experiences of claiming the offer, and responses from the brand and store managers, to help you understand the ins and outs of this marketing controversy. [more…]

Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer and exporter, accounting for more than 30% of the global coffee output value, yet for a long time its image has been mild, smooth, and lacking in character. Starting from the history and culture of Brazilian coffee, this article sorts out the evolution of its topography and climate, variety characteristics, and processing methods, focusing on how the quality revolution of the 1990s gave rise to the pulped natural method, and how Daterra Estate broke the stereotype of Brazilian coffee as mediocre through technology-driven management and its "Sweet Collection." The article also retains the "Front Street" brand recommendations and product information, making it suitable for coffee enthusiasts who want an in-depth understanding of the flavor code of Brazilian coffee. [more…]

Ethiopia is the global gene bank of coffee, with four major cultivation systems—forest, semi-forest, garden, and plantation—that have given rise to nine distinctive regions, including Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, and Harrar. This article systematically reviews the altitude, processing methods, and flavor profiles of each region, and presents the cupping performance and brewing suggestions for several representative beans from Front Street Coffee. From the Gotiti Cooperative to Huakui and Red Cherry, from washed to natural, this guide will give you a comprehensive understanding of this coffee nation hailed as the "taste of a king," helping you find the cup of Ethiopian flavor that suits you best. [more…]

Many people see the word "COE" on coffee packaging when choosing coffee, but may not be clear about what it actually means. Cup of Excellence (COE for short) is a rating system for specialty coffee that scores and ranks coffees through multiple rounds of rigorous cupping, ultimately awarding the COE title to the most outstanding lots. This system was first introduced in Brazil in 1999 by a group of coffee producers, and subsequently spread gradually to producing countries such as Colombia, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. For estates, receiving COE not only means honor, but can also fetch high prices in international online auctions, while boosting the profile and trading volume of the producing region. This article will unfold from three aspects—origin, competition process, and impact—to help coffee lovers understand the meaning and value of COE. [more…]

The most prestigious event in Panama's specialty coffee scene is undoubtedly the BOP, which attracts numerous renowned estates to compete on the same stage every year. Winners not only gain honor but also reap substantial returns through auctions. Among the many estates, Deborah Estate stands out with its high-altitude terroir in the Volcán region and innovative processing methods. This article will take you into this estate, founded by a former American banker, to understand how its unique terroir conditions shape the flavor of Geisha, and to delve into the principles and charm of the CM carbon dioxide maceration processing method. At the same time, Front Street Coffee will also recommend related products to help you savor the ultimate expression of Panamanian Geisha. [more…]