During the summer peak season for iced drinks, Luckin Coffee launched cold brew coffee in some cities, attracting many first-time tasters with its affordable prices. However, some consumers reported that its cold brew was too light in color and weak in taste, even describing it as "Americano with water." Employees explained that the brewing process involves only a 15-minute soak, in sharp contrast to Starbucks' 14 hours and Tims' 16 hours. Coffee enthusiasts have begun discussing whether this is a process issue or an operational mistake. This article walks you through the whole story and includes related recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

As the weather heats up, Luckin Coffee's cold brew has returned to the market, becoming a refreshing choice for many consumers. However, recently several customers have reported that after finishing their cold brew, they found a thick layer of coffee grounds settled at the bottom of the cup, with a noticeably powdery mouthfeel, some even describing it as "like drinking muddy soup." This phenomenon has drawn attention from cold brew enthusiasts, and Luckin employees have revealed that the problem may lie with the filter bags used for filtration. What exactly is going on? And how should the brand address it? This article breaks down the ins and outs of the incident. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently launched a summer watermelon cold brew. Originally a refreshing new product that was highly anticipated, it quickly encountered a collective wave of complaints from consumers after hitting the market. Many early triers reported that not only does this drink look noticeably different from the official poster, but it also tastes like it has no coffee flavor at all, and it has been jokingly called "watermelon bathwater." This article compiles real feedback from netizens and reveals its recipe and production process, to see where exactly this controversial cold brew went wrong. [more…]

On Monday, Luckin Coffee's collaboration with the meme sensation Loopy arrived as scheduled, simultaneously launching a pink new product, the Big Watermelon Coconut Cold Brew, along with themed merchandise. Fans were enthusiastic, but some consumers were told they needed to wait 18 minutes when picking up their orders in-store, because the cold brew liquid had to be brewed fresh on demand. What sparked even more discussion was that the first wave of tasters reported the drink had strong watermelon and coconut flavors, while the coffee taste was almost absent—some even described it as tasting like watermelon rind or juice from a nearly spoiled watermelon. How did this collaborative new product actually perform? Has the issue of cold brew coffee's lack of presence once again become a point of criticism? This article takes you through a closer look. [more…]

Luckin Coffee is about to launch a new product, "Big Watermelon Raw Coconut Cold Brew," across its stores nationwide on April 7. However, even before this product officially goes on sale, it has already triggered widespread complaints among staff. The reason is that its coffee liquid needs to be manually steeped for as long as 18 minutes, and the production process is cumbersome with many quality-control details, putting even more pressure on already busy frontline employees. What troubles them even more is that a single packet of coffee powder can produce only 4.5 cups of the finished product, yet stores are not allowed to stop selling it. Once orders surge, they can only negotiate with customers to wait. This article compiles frontline employees' genuine feedback and operational details, presenting the "worker's dilemma" behind this new product. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently relaunched last year's hit Coconut Cold Brew, and has announced that in May it will bring back popular products such as Orange Golden Sparkling Americano in phases. However, the reformulated zero-sugar version has sparked polarized reviews among consumers—some complain it's like "waiting for a cheating scumbag to change," with a taste vastly different from what they remember, while others question the medicinal taste brought by artificial sweeteners. From packaging updates to health controversies, this round of comebacks reflects the brand's difficult balancing act between the sugar-reduction trend and faithful flavor reproduction. This article sorts through the details of the product iterations and genuine feedback from netizens, and cites a University of Southern California study on how artificial sweeteners affect appetite, to explore whether zero-sugar drinks are truly healthier. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's light milk tea series, which sold well last year, has recently undergone a comprehensive upgrade, with the core change being the replacement of the previous tea powder with freshly extracted tea. To this end, the brand equipped more than 20,000 stores nationwide with tea extraction machines. However, after the new products were launched, some stores wrapped this machine in plastic wrap, affixed prohibitive labels, or even left it untouched in the warehouse. What exactly is the reason that makes employees shy away from the equipment the company is vigorously promoting? From the burden of cleaning and material waste to differences in store order volumes, what kind of awkward situations has this tea extraction machine encountered in actual operations? This article takes you to find out. [more…]

Luckin Coffee has recently launched several new products—including Grape Iced Americano, Light Coffee Lemon Tea, Big Watermelon Coconut Cold Brew, and Preserved Plum Sparkling Americano—which are clearly marked on the ordering page as not supporting no ice or less ice. However, many customers still habitually request reduced ice through notes. If store employees follow company standards, they often receive bad reviews because of the cup full of ice; if they secretly scoop out ice or add extra ingredients, it may trigger dissatisfaction among colleagues at other stores. Employees sigh: the rules say it's not supported, but customers don't buy it, and staff are caught in the middle. This article sorts out the ins and outs of this ice quantity controversy, and also mentions Front Street Coffee's observations on industry phenomena. [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…]

As temperatures climb, major coffee and tea chains are rolling out refreshing fruit drinks to seize the market. Yet Luckin's Light Coffee Lemon Tea and Grape Lemon Tea have quietly been pulled from the menu at this very moment, catching many fans off guard. According to internal staff, this across-the-board removal stems from the brand's major overhaul of the recipe: the new version of the lemon tea will add lemon pulp, and the Light Coffee Lemon Tea will also include quick-frozen yellow lemon halves. The new recipe is set to relaunch within the next couple of days, but this adjustment has sparked sharply different reactions among employees and consumers. This article will sort through the sequence of events, the details of the recipe changes, and the genuine feedback from all sides, to give you a clear picture of the ins and outs of this change to Luckin's lemon tea. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's signature product, the Coconut Ice Americano, officially returned on May 6 after a comeback teaser was released on Youth Day. However, to the surprise of many long-awaiting fans, the reviews for the new version of the drink were almost overwhelmingly negative. Quite a few regular customers reported that this cup, once their "white moonlight," had changed its taste—the fresh fragrance and sweetness of coconut water had vanished, replaced by a sticky mouthfeel and a strange sweetness, even described as "cold Banlangen granules." After netizens dug deeper, they found that Luckin had swapped the originally used Fino coconut water for a blended juice containing concentrated apple juice, which is believed to be the main reason for the change in taste. Less than 12 hours after the return, complaints were already all over social platforms, and calls to bring back the original recipe grew louder and louder. [more…]

Since last December, Luckin Coffee has piloted tea extraction machines in some stores in Guangzhou, planning to replace tea powder in light milk tea with freshly extracted hot tea to enhance the taste and health attributes of the drinks. However, since the testing phase, this device has been complained about by store staff as "good to look at but useless." Now that it has been gradually rolled out nationwide, many stores have wrapped it in plastic wrap and affixed prohibition stickers, turning it directly into an idle ornament on the counter. Staff feedback indicates that it is cumbersome to clean and inefficient, instead increasing the workload. Although management requires its use, frontline employees still deal with back-end detection by "turning it on at the start of the shift and off at the end." This article sorts out the various real-world dilemmas encountered during the tea extraction machine's journey from pilot to promotion, as well as the game between the brand and the stores. [more…]

Luckin Coffee has recently relaunched its previously short-lived zero-fat coconut water iced coffee, teaming up with EDG for a limited-edition collaboration. Yet after the product's return, consumer feedback has been sharply divided: many complain that it is too sweet and that the coffee flavor is masked, with some store managers even personally warning against bad reviews; meanwhile, customers drawn by the EDG cup sleeves found that many cities simply didn't have them available. This article retraces how the events unfolded, analyzes why coconut water coffee has become so popular, and examines the health truth behind "zero fat, zero sugar." Finally, Front Street Coffee will also share how to make a low-calorie yet delicious cup of coconut water coffee at home. [more…]

Yirgacheffe is a representative producing region for specialty coffee in Ethiopia, known for its citrus acidity, white floral aromas, and honeyed sweetness. Front Street Coffee sells a variety of Yirgacheffe coffee beans, using a medium-light roast, suitable for pour-over, cold brew, and many other methods. This article provides a detailed analysis of Yirgacheffe's washed processing method, pour-over parameters, and flavor performance, and shares the standard steps used by Front Street Coffee baristas to make SOE espresso and iced Americano, including the coffee-to-liquid ratio, extraction time, and specific operations, helping coffee lovers replicate a delicious Yirgacheffe SOE Americano in-store or at home. [more…]

Luckin Coffee announced via its official Weibo that it will reveal a new "seed-planting officer" on April 25, with a poster hinting that this mysterious figure comes from a world-champion esports team. Although the company tried hard to maintain the suspense, sharp-eyed netizens had already recognized the silhouette of the EDG team from the cutout traces, and Luckin played along with this tacit mutual understanding. This signing not only means that EDG becomes Luckin's new seed-planting officer, but also signals the return of a once-viral beverage riding on the momentum, with discussion heat on social platforms continuing to climb. EDG's comeback championship at the League of Legends World Championship forms an interesting parallel with Luckin's trajectory of striving to bounce back after scandal—both have achieved breakthroughs in their respective fields that make people sit up and take notice. [more…]

Recently, a trend of ordering "coffee without coffee" has swept social media platforms, with related posts often garnering thousands or even tens of thousands of likes. However, this seemingly novel gimmick has put frontline coffee shop staff in a dilemma: following standard store procedures would be a violation, while not complying with customer requests could lead to negative reviews. A netizen claiming to be a Luckin Coffee employee publicly vented their frustration, sparking widespread discussion. This article will recount the incident, summarize improvement suggestions proposed by netizens, and explore the real-world conflict between standardization and personalization faced by chain brands behind this phenomenon. [more…]

Luckin's Orange C Americano has always been a favorite among many coffee lovers, winning a large number of loyal fans with its refreshing, sweet taste. However, recently this popular drink has received negative reviews from consumers due to the orange sauce becoming thicker in texture and the taste being too sweet and cloying. Luckin responded quickly, requiring stores to thaw overnight and destroy the problematic batches of orange sauce, while urgently removing the Orange C Americano from the ordering platform. This move sparked heated discussion among netizens: some worry that this drink will disappear for good like previously discontinued flavored coffees, while others feel it is a pity to destroy so many raw materials. Luckin employees revealed that the orange sauce will be replaced, and in the short term most stores may not be able to sell the Orange C Americano. Whether this adjustment can bring the "white moonlight" back to its original taste remains to be seen by consumers. [more…]

At the same Luckin Coffee store, for the same drink, different users may see prices on the mini-program that differ by several yuan—and paid members may even be charged more than regular users. Recently, some consumers told the media that they suspected they had been subjected to "big data price discrimination" when buying drinks at Luckin. A reporter's investigation found that the system pushes different coupons to different accounts, resulting in "a different price for the same cup of coffee for each person." This phenomenon has struck a chord with many netizens and sparked widespread complaints, prompting people to re-examine the value of loyalty programs offered by chain coffee brands. [more…]

Competition in the coffee market is spreading from the storefront to the back end of the supply chain. Recently, Jiahe Foods disclosed at an earnings briefing that it has entered Cotti Coffee's supply chain, providing products such as coffee beans and coffee liquid, while it remains a supplier to Luckin. Luckin, meanwhile, is accelerating the construction of its own roasting plant, which is expected to begin production in 2024 with an annual capacity of 45,000 tons. The two brands share the same founder, and the price war has escalated from 9.9 yuan to 8.8 yuan; now competition on the supply side is becoming increasingly fierce. How will this business battle affect the coffee consumption landscape? Front Street Coffee brings you the latest developments. [more…]

Over the past year, fruit-and-vegetable drinks featuring kale and other vegetables have sparked a craze in the tea beverage scene, with major brands rushing to follow suit. Recently, Luckin Coffee's internal operations system appears to have revealed a similar move—employees spotted questions and ingredient names related to a "Kale Light-Body Fruit & Vegetable Tea" in the app's question bank and store materials lists, fueling speculation about whether Luckin is about to cross over into the fruit-and-vegetable tea track. However, this potential new product plan has not met with one-sided anticipation: store employees worry about freezer space running out, while consumers question whether the brand should first do a good job with its core coffee business. This article will sort out the ins and outs of the incident and present the voices from multiple sides. [more…]