As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the mooncake market is about to enter its peak sales season. However, in recent years, the phenomenon of some boxed mooncakes being overpriced and luxuriously packaged has drawn widespread attention. The National Development and Reform Commission and three other departments recently jointly issued a notice, explicitly imposing key oversight on boxed mooncakes priced above 500 yuan per box, requiring operators to properly retain transaction information for two years, and strictly prohibiting the use of precious packaging materials such as precious metals and rosewood. For e-commerce platforms, the notice also stipulates that they must not indirectly drive up prices by splitting orders or inflating quantities. Consumers should stay rational when purchasing mooncakes and presale vouchers. This article summarizes the key points of the notice and includes a professional coffee knowledge exchange channel. Welcome to follow Coffee Workshop and Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Recently, a netizen discovered a notice in the pickup area of a Nayuki store that read "Not Heytea. If picked up by mistake, compensation at full price," with the words "call the police" also handwritten in the blank space. After the photo was shared online, it quickly sparked heated discussion. Netizens familiar with tea beverage brands pointed out that Heytea and Nayuki differ noticeably in name, logo, and store style, so confusion should not occur under normal circumstances. Some even joked that the words "Heytea" highlighted in red and enlarged on the notice could instead easily lead hurried delivery riders to mistake this store for Heytea, making the reminder counterproductive. Through this strongly warning notice, many people saw the helplessness of Nayuki employees—after a delivery order is taken by mistake, the employee on duty not only has to deal with customer dissatisfaction but also has to bear the corresponding loss. [more…]

Recently, a netizen exposed that a certain Cotti Coffee store placed a notice sign in its outdoor seating area, explicitly prohibiting customers from bringing coffee of other brands to sit down, and marking competitor logos with a prohibition symbol. This practice quickly sparked heated discussion: supporters believe that businesses have the right to set consumption-based seating rules, while opponents question whether it涉嫌 excludes competitors and infringes on consumers' right to choose independently. As the topic trended on social media, Cotti officially responded that it had not uniformly required stores to use such notice signs and would verify the relevant situation. Behind the incident, the boundary between business autonomy and consumer rights has once again become the focus. [more…]

Recently, a café posted a notice at its entrance saying "No bringing kids to do homework here," which sparked widespread discussion on social media. The owner later explained that the move was not meant to bar children from entering, nor was it about table turnover or people freeloading on the air conditioning, but rather because tutoring homework easily triggers emotional swings between parents and children, disrupting the experience of other customers. Many netizens said they understood and shared their own experiences of encountering similar situations in cafés. At the same time, some suggested changing the notice to "No loud noise," to accommodate quiet, well-behaved children and emotionally stable parents. Why exactly do parents prefer to bring their kids to cafés to do homework? And how should cafés balance the needs of different customers? Front Street Coffee takes a look with you. [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…]

An "Important Notice" bearing the name of a Nayuki store has been circulating on social media, prominently stating "If you can drink milk tea, don't drink water," and calling on people to leave water for children who cannot drink milk tea. The store claimed this was imitating an internet meme, meant only as a joke, but with the black-and-white A4 paper sitting on the counter, many consumers felt it had gone beyond a joke and could easily mislead the public. As the topic trended on social media, Nayuki's headquarters responded that it was the action of an individual franchise store and had ordered the removal of the related content. Why do meme-based marketing campaigns frequently backfire? And where exactly lies the management boundary between brands and franchise stores? [more…]

Recently, news about a former employee of Chagee whose ID number was publicly displayed by a store quickly went viral online, sparking widespread attention. According to multiple netizens, a woman in Zhoukou, Henan, discovered after leaving the brand that her name and ID number had been posted on an in-store notice, along with a statement about dismissal and blacklisting. The store first claimed the notice was only to deal with a supervisory inspection, then changed its statement and said the identity information was forged. At present, the store manager involved has been suspended, and the brand has intervened in the investigation. The incident has also triggered public discussion about the legal boundaries of how companies handle employees' personal information. Does publicly displaying an ID number constitute infringement? This article will sort out the sequence of events. [more…]

Recently, at a coffee festival in Jiangmen, Guangdong, a coffee bean stall put up a notice recruiting a Japanese translator, claiming the payment would be coffee beans, which sparked widespread discussion online. In photos taken by passersby, someone had written "Shameless" in large characters in the blank space on the recruitment board. Netizens had mixed views: some joked, "Is it pure gold coffee beans?", while others speculated that the stall owner originally intended to recruit volunteers and thank them with coffee beans. The poster revealed that the stall owner might not understand Chinese and was unaware of the message. This article reviews the course of the incident and the views of all parties, and retains recommendations related to the Front Street brand. [more…]

A milk tea shop was sealed and ordered to close on the spot by market supervision officials in under a minute—all because the staff said "Welcome" before asking customers to scan the QR code. The incident sparked widespread attention after it was exposed. An official statement later concluded that the law enforcement officers had abused their power and deliberately made things difficult; those involved have apologized and been disciplined. In this issue of coffee news, while we follow this incident, we also remind coffee professionals to be mindful of the boundaries of law enforcement in epidemic prevention and control, and we continue to bring coffee enthusiasts professional coffee knowledge and Front Street Coffee product recommendations. [more…]

Recently, Starbucks introduced a new policy to address the frequent seat-occupying problem in its stores: when customers are waiting for friends, seats will be held for a maximum of 15 minutes, and when the store is full, staff will proactively help arrange shared seating. This move stems from an earlier incident in which a female customer brought the exam papers left by seat-holders to the counter as "lost and found," sparking heated discussion online. Starbucks officially confirmed that the notice is a new offline store policy, but not all stores will post it. Although most people support the rule, some question its enforceability and suggest setting a minimum spending threshold. As coffee lovers, we are watching whether this change can truly improve the efficiency of seat use in stores, and at the same time, don't forget the specialty coffee experience brought by Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Relocation Notice: In the winter of 2025, Front Street Coffee moved from its original location at No. 10 Bao'an Front Street, Dadao Road to the nearby No. 315 Donghua East Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou. Front Street Coffee is a store in Guangzhou that sells freshly roasted coffee beans, offering dozens of coffee beans from major coffee-growing regions around the world. [more…]

Recently, a Peet's Coffee store in Wuhan placed a "Notice for Entry" at its entrance, explicitly requiring customers to make a purchase before they can be seated. This move quickly sparked widespread discussion among netizens. Many consumers expressed support, believing it can effectively curb uncivilized behaviors such as occupying seats for long periods without buying anything, playing cards, putting on makeup, or even livestreaming. Others questioned the notice's actual enforceability. Previously, Starbucks tried a similar policy, but the results were less than ideal. Whether Peet's move can truly improve the store environment and enhance the customer experience has become a focal point of attention in the coffee industry. [more…]

According to Korean media reports, Starbucks Korea headquarters has issued a notice to stores nationwide that customers will now face restrictions on using dividers, personal desktop computers, printers, and multi-socket power strips in stores. Long periods of leaving seats unoccupied while holding them, and one person monopolizing multiple seats, are also subject to control. This tightening of rules stems from a continued surge in complaints related to "cafe study tribe" and "cafe work tribe." Previously, a Seoul store sparked heated discussion by posting a notice stating "seats will be cleared after 30 minutes away," with most consumers applauding while some voices raised doubts. Months later, this set of restrictive measures has finally expanded from a single store to the entire nation. This article sorts out the ins and outs of the incident and the attitudes of all parties. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's weekly Thursday operational notice once again put store employees on edge, as the company officially announced several new products, including "Triple Cheese Thick Matcha," "Coconut Trio Latte," and "A Whole Coconut." Among them, the preparation method for "A Whole Coconut" completely overturns previous operating habits. Employees need to wear gloves to take out frozen coconut eggs and pour the prepared coffee liquid into the coconut shell for serving. The process involves more than ten steps, prompting many workers to call it absurd. What troubles them even more is that these new products may be launched nationwide, and morning shift staff must complete a large amount of prep work within half an hour. Many worry that they simply cannot handle it when running the store alone. [more…]

Recently, a video of a Chagee employee handling tea drinks with bare hands spread rapidly online, sparking widespread public concern about food safety issues at chain tea beverage brands. In the video, the employee, without wearing gloves, directly grabbed ice cubes and lemons and reached into a shaker cup to pound and stir the drink, prompting netizens to exclaim they were "disgusted." Although the poster explained that the footage was filmed after closing hours using damaged inventory to mimic the "Indian milk tea" meme, public opinion did not subside. Subsequently, netizens discovered that employees of several other brands, including Luckin Coffee, Yidian Dian, and Goodme, had also posted similar meme videos. Chagee officially issued an urgent investigation notice, imposing an indefinite suspension and rectification on the store involved, dismissing the employee involved, and demoting managerial personnel. This article will review the sequence of events and responses from all parties, and explore the boundary between food safety and entertainment-oriented marketing in the tea beverage industry. [more…]

In recent years, the trend of professional venue visits and commercial shoots has grown increasingly intense, forcing many cafés to publicly declare their refusal of unpaid commercial photography and venue-visit behavior. What was originally a mutually beneficial relationship between visit bloggers and businesses has now soured due to tactics such as false promotion by some individuals, using follower counts to extort free items, and malicious negative reviews. Some even go so far as to occupy public space for extended photo shoots with bags of equipment after purchasing only a single drink, seriously disrupting other customers' experience. Café owners, suffering immensely from these chaotic practices, have posted notices one after another to protect their in-store environment. This article will explore in depth the causes of this phenomenon, the real experiences of café owners, and their efforts to safeguard the peaceful atmosphere of their cafés. [more…]

Recently, a coffee shop under renovation in Taipei City, Taiwan Province, China, has attracted widespread attention, with multiple clues pointing to the possibility that the chain brand Luckin may open its first store in Taiwan there. The talent recruitment notices, renovation permits, and opening preview posters posted on the construction hoarding all reveal a design style highly similar to that of Luckin. The website of the agent Shunyu Holdings even directly announced that "the first store is expected to open in December 2025." Although Luckin applied for a trademark as early as 2019, this move is interpreted by outsiders as imitating Starbucks' layout in Taiwan through an agent model. Facing fierce competition in the local coffee market, consumer attitudes are divided, and when a reporter called the contact number on the recruitment notice, no one answered, leaving the store opening plan still uncertain. [more…]

Recently, many consumers have noticed that Manner coffee shops near them have suddenly closed their doors, showing "resting" on the mini-program, with no clear notice and no timetable for resuming business. It is understood that this phenomenon is closely related to Manner's internal personnel adjustments: baristas with excessive working hours are arranged to take leave, while those with insufficient hours are transferred to other stores for support, resulting in some stores having to temporarily close. At the same time, the brand has also shortened the operating hours of some stores, with morning shifts starting later and evening shifts ending earlier. Whether this adjustment can allow Manner to find a balance between chain expansion, specialty quality, and affordable positioning has become a focal point of industry attention. [more…]

Recently, some Lucky Cup stores have posted eye-catching notices at their counters, explicitly listing preparation restrictions such as "coffee has no room-temperature option, no ice removal" and "hand-muddled/perfume drinks cannot be sugar-free," drawing attention. In fact, similar friendly reminders appear at stores of multiple chain beverage brands, and staff members candidly admit: flexibly adjusting ice levels does not necessarily earn praise, but violating operating rules may lead to penalties. At the same time, some consumers give negative reviews due to changes in drink taste, putting frontline employees in a dilemma. This tug-of-war over formula standardization and personalized demands reflects the deep-seated contradiction in the chain beverage industry between unified output and accommodating consumer experience. [more…]

In chain brands and independent cafés alike, the phenomenon of customers occupying seats without ordering has long plagued operators. Recently, a café owner faced negative reviews and was then anonymously reported to 12315 for setting a rule requiring a purchase to be seated, sparking widespread attention. Regulatory authorities made it clear that if there is a clear notice in the store, it does not constitute forced consumption. This article reviews the course of events, combines lawyers' views with the current state of the industry, explores the legal boundaries of consumption-based seating and the survival difficulties of independent cafés, and also provides reference and lessons for others in the industry. [more…]