A small shop in Nanjing called "Aunt Han's Sugarcane Juice" quickly became famous online for its 10-yuan pour-over coffee. The owner, Aunt Han, brews it on the spot using three sticks of Nescafe instant coffee, attracting a large number of young people to line up and check in. Less than 48 hours after it went viral, Nescafe instant coffee sold out, and there was even a shortage of boiling water. Aunt Han said that although the coffee business is low-profit but high-volume, she has always done business honestly. As traffic poured in, the phenomenon of insincere customers skipping out on payment also drew attention. Nescafe officially responded quickly, not only changing the product promotion cover to "the same coffee as Nanjing's 10-yuan granny," but also arranging free offline supply and inviting Aunt Han to participate in a livestream. Front Street Coffee continues to follow this incident and bring readers the latest report. [more…]

As specialty coffee becomes increasingly popular today, what exactly does pour-over coffee refer to as a brewing method? When a Nanjing auntie sparked heated discussion by making so-called "pour-over coffee" with instant coffee powder, it is worth starting from the historical context of coffee to re-examine the origins of instant coffee, the evolution of its processing technology, and why it has fallen from its former stardom to the bottom of the coffee hierarchy. This article will clarify the definitional boundaries of pour-over coffee, trace the development of instant coffee from military demand to Nestlé's spray-drying mass production method, explain the connection between non-dairy creamer and 3-in-1 instant coffee along with their health concerns, and review the special context and shifts in public perception when the first wave of coffee landed in China. Front Street will also share observations on the differences among various coffee audiences. [more…]

Recently, an elderly woman in Nanjing became an overnight sensation on social media with her "hand-brewed coffee" priced at just ten yuan per cup, drawing many netizens to visit her shop specifically. Her storefront is small, but her method is remarkably simple—she takes out three sticks of Nescafé instant coffee, cuts them open and pours them into a plastic cup, adds hot water, seals and shakes it, and a cup of coffee is handed to the customer. After the video went viral, the elderly woman's business exploded, selling over two hundred cups a day, and even Nescafé's official livestream channel jumped on the trend by launching a "Nanjing Auntie's Same Style" product. The elderly woman candidly admitted that she has always sold Nescafé and would not cut corners just because more customers are coming. Meanwhile, similar low-priced drinks in the alleys of Guangdong have also gained popularity among students. These drinks with simple ingredients may not taste as good as specialty coffee, but they carry many people's fondest early memories of coffee. [more…]

A 10-yuan drink made by mixing three sticks of Nescafe instant coffee powder with hot water has unexpectedly turned a small sugarcane juice shop in Nanjing that has been around for more than 30 years into an online sensation. Singer Guang Liang was recently spotted queuing outside the shop to buy one, pushing the topic onto trending searches. With the brand supplying free stock, media outlets rushing to report, and celebrities showing up to check in, why exactly has this literally "hand-brewed coffee" become a traffic magnet? Is it the appeal of good quality at a low price, or a bandwagon trend on social platforms? This article walks you through the course of events and explores the consumer psychology and coffee culture phenomenon behind it. [more…]

In mid-May of this year, an elderly lady running a small shop in Nanjing unexpectedly went viral online, and young people from all over the country flocked to her, just to drink a cup of coffee she brewed herself and take a photo with her. At the height of the buzz, even celebrities came to check in, and she was invited to watch a concert. However, traffic eventually recedes, and when the crowded tide of people dispersed, the small shop returned to its former tranquility. Faced with the now quiet business, this Grandma Han did not feel disappointed; instead, she felt relieved. Her story is like the cup of sugarcane water and coffee in her shop—simple yet open-minded. This article takes you through this brief storm of attention and how the person involved calmly dealt with the ups and downs of life. [more…]

A tea beverage and gaming collaboration that was originally highly anticipated came to an abrupt halt on the day of its official announcement. On December 14, Light and Night announced a co-branded new product with Auntea Jenny, but employees at some stores were exposed for insulting players and game characters. Related topics quickly topped the hot search list, with views exceeding 450 million. Just three hours later, the game developer urgently stated that the collaboration was terminated, which netizens jokingly called "the shortest collaboration in history." Auntea Jenny subsequently apologized and fired the employees involved, but players were not appeased. This incident not only exposed the brand's loopholes in franchise management, but also sounded a warning bell for cross-industry collaborations. [more…]

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style) For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex Hushang Auntie, a fresh fruit tea brand with 5,000 stores, recently posted ten consecutive "I don't want to work anymore" themed posters on its official Weibo. From frontline employees to management, from operations to design to customer service planning, various departments expressed their "throwing in the towel" sentiments, sparking heated discussion among netizens. Was this wave of operations a collective slacking off, or was there something else behind it? On November 11, the mystery was revealed—it turned out to be hype for the new product "Freshly Stewed Pear Series." This article will take you through the whole story of this suspense marketing campaign and explore how tea beverage brands can leverage young people's popular memes to get closer to consumers. [more…]

Auntea Jenny has recently continued to push forward in the "wellness milk tea" segment, launching the "Five Red Vitality Slow Nourishment Bottle" and a matching peripheral package. Consumers who purchase the designated package can receive a "Little Palace Tribute Plush Doll" for free. However, after the new product launched, what sparked discussion was not the tea drink itself, but this giveaway doll shaped like a uterus—it is inverted pear-shaped, with details such as "fallopian tubes" and "ovaries," and comes in two color schemes representing different physiological cycles. Some netizens said bluntly that it caused "physiological discomfort," believing that pairing a human organ doll with a tea-drinking scenario was too bizarre. Supporters, however, felt that for a wellness drink aimed at female consumers, a uterus doll was understandable and also had a fun educational aspect. As the incident gained traction, Auntea Jenny responded that the move was intended to convey the ideas of pleasing oneself, confidence, and freedom, and that the doll has not been taken off the shelves. [more…]

After the TV drama To the Wonder became a hit, the grassland scenery and herder life of Altay, Xinjiang, moved countless viewers, and this "Altay fever" has swept into the new-style tea beverage sector. Under the name of its "Free Matcha" series, Auntea Jenny launched a tie-in with To the Wonder, including long-scroll painting cup sleeves, takeout paper bags, collaborative lenticular card sets, and student film cards, attracting a large number of consumers to snap them up. However, problems emerged on the very first day of the campaign: some stores stocked only 10 pieces of merchandise, takeout orders included the wrong cards, and when customers arrived at stores to pick up their orders, staff took back the student cards in person... Consumers complained endlessly, and customer service apologized everywhere. As observers of the coffee and tea beverage industry, Front Street Coffee also noticed the supply chain and store execution problems behind this collaboration. This article will provide a complete review of the incident and present feedback from all sides. [more…]

On the evening of March 14, "Jingshi Live" exposed two consecutive food safety incidents involving tea beverage brands. The Mixue Bingcheng store at Wuyi Ningju Xintiandi in Wuhan was accused of hiding leftover lemon and orange slices from the day under the counter at room temperature and using them the next day to make signature drinks; the Hushang Ayi store at Hankou City Plaza was exposed for altering the shelf-life labels of toppings to "extend the life" of expired ingredients. The market supervision authorities in both places have separately filed investigations into the stores involved. Among them, the Mixue Bingcheng store involved was sealed and shut down, while the Hushang Ayi store involved was immediately closed. As a content platform that also follows developments in the coffee and beverage industry, Front Street Coffee continues to track such food safety issues. The details of the incidents are as follows. [more…]

On a scorching summer day, a refreshing glass of sparkling water never fails to win over consumers. Recently, a drink called "Swimming Burger Sparkling Water" has rapidly gone viral on social media—simply drop a store-bought gummy burger and ice cubes into a glass, pour in sparkling water, and you'll see the gummy candy bobbing up and down in the glass. This drink originally came from a bartender's signature cocktail, and after going viral, beverage shop owners kept creating variations featuring gummy bears, goldfish, and more. Due to regional price differences, it sells for anywhere from just over ten yuan to more than thirty yuan, and brands like Haidilao, Auntea Jenny, and FamilyMart have all jumped on the bandwagon to recreate it. However, the gummy candy neither dissolves nor changes the drink's flavor—so is the core selling point of this beverage its taste or its emotional value? It's worth pondering. [more…]

Recently, Southern Metropolis Daily reported that a banner reading "Be cautious about franchising, I've lost everything" appeared in front of an Auntea Jenny franchise store in Ningbo, Zhejiang, quickly sparking public attention. The franchisee claimed that they were heavily fined by the company for purchasing materials from outside sources, and subsequently three stores were unilaterally closed; the brand responded that the closures were mainly due to poor management and had no direct connection to the brand. Both sides stick to their own accounts, and behind the incident lie deep-seated contradictions in the franchise model regarding material pricing, penalty mechanisms, and store subsidies. This article sorts out the sequence of events, presents both sides' statements and industry observations, for the reference of coffee and tea beverage practitioners. [more…]

Amid the wave of price cuts in new-style tea drinks, a cup of milk tea priced at 50 yuan is no longer common. However, on the opening day of Chayan Yuese's first store in Nanjing, scalpers were reselling cups for as much as 200 yuan, with people lining up as early as 4:30 a.m., and related topics quickly trended on Weibo. Due to excessive crowds and chaotic order, the Xinjiekou store posted a sold-out notice and closed its entrance just five minutes before its official opening, while the Jiangning Jingfeng store continued operating. Police dispatched officers to maintain order and persuade citizens to leave. On some trading platforms, proxy purchasing and queuing services appeared, priced between 10 and 200 yuan. The Nanjing Market Supervision Bureau made it clear that scalping is illegal. People's Daily Online called on consumers to treat internet-famous brands rationally and not be led by merchants and scalpers. [more…]

Recently, news came from Nanjing 1912 Block: the Starbucks Reserve store, which has been in business for twenty years, is about to close, and Chayan Yuese, which only moved in last year, has already been the first to withdraw due to the expiration of its lease. The successive departure of these two adjacent stores has left many citizens and tourists feeling regretful. As Nanjing's first Starbucks Reserve store, this Republic of China-style coffee shop was once a popular check-in spot in travel guides, but now it is about to come to an end. Issues such as the expiration and recovery of property rights in the old block, the rise of emerging commercial districts, and parking difficulties have all become focuses of discussion. In any case, this coffee memory that has accompanied people for twenty years is worth savoring in detail. [more…]

Jay Chou's 2024 Carnival concert tour Nanjing stop will be held from September 26 to 29 at Nanjing Olympic Sports Center Stadium, with four consecutive days of performances expected to attract 120,000 spectators. At the same time, a Jay Chou-themed coffee shop called "Love in Coffee" has officially opened at Nanjing Xinjiekou Golden Eagle, making its debut alongside the concert. This coffee shop focuses on estate-grade coffee beans and Michelin three-star desserts, with an interior design infused with the poetic fantasy of "Love in Coffee," where greenery and stone intertwine, and mirrored light and shadow create a dreamy atmosphere. Many product names are taken from Jay Chou's classic songs, allowing fans to taste "lyric" drinks while listening to their idol's music. The first Beijing Sanlitun store had previously attracted a large number of fans to check in, and the operator, Star Plus, has close ties with Jay Chou. This article takes you through the features, prices, and fan experience of this celebrity coffee shop. [more…]

Lin Junjie's coffee brand Miracle Coffee recently restarted in mainland China, with its first pop-up store opening on Qixi Festival on the 1st floor of Huacai Tiandi in Hexi, Nanjing. Although it is only a pop-up format, fan enthusiasm has not diminished. On the first day of opening, a long queue formed before business hours, with waiting times generally 2 to 3 hours during peak periods, and some even waited 5 to 6 hours to successfully check in. The production team for this Miracle Coffee is the champion-level brand S.O. The official Nanjing store has also begun renovation and is expected to open at the end of September, when Lin Junjie is expected to appear in person. [more…]

On the day its first Nanjing store opened, Cha Yan Yue Se shot to the top of trending searches because of the sheer number of people queuing and scalpers driving the price up to 200 yuan a cup. The Xinjiekou store was forced to close, while the Jiangning Jingfeng store remained open. The brand revealed that it plans to open five stores in Nanjing in the future, while market regulators made clear that scalping on behalf of buyers is illegal. This article reviews Cha Yan Yue Se's expansion trajectory in cities such as Changsha and Shenzhen, compares it with the development paths of similar brands such as Nayuki, and explores the balancing challenge facing internet-famous tea drinks among quality control, supply chains, and consumer rationality. [more…]

COSTA Coffee, once as famous as Starbucks, is now quietly shrinking in the Chinese market. A store in Nanjing has announced it will close permanently at the end of August, and two stores in Nanchang Wushang Mall also shut down in early August, meaning COSTA has completely exited the Jiangxi market. From its ambitious plan in 2018 to have 2,500 stores to now having only 343 in operation across 36 cities, COSTA's downward slide is lamentable. A chaotic mini-program, weak marketing, and products lacking highlights are all eroding the patience of loyal users bit by bit. For many consumers whose coffee awakening came from COSTA, the gradual disappearance of this veteran brand, which has been in China for nearly 20 years, inevitably stirs emotion. [more…]

The opening of two Tea Yanyuese stores in Nanjing triggered a queueing frenzy, forcing the closure of subway entrances and exits, drinks sold out in five minutes, scalpers reselling at high prices, and even riot police being called in to maintain order. Faced with questions over hiring people to queue and reselling hype, Tea Yanyuese issued an apology and promised purchase limits; however, two hours later Sina Finance published an investigative article pointing directly at the agency-buying queues as a premeditated false prosperity. Is this uproar down to brand appeal or marketing tricks? With the pandemic not yet subsided, what hidden dangers does gathering in queues bring? This article sorts through the whole incident and explores the queue economy and public order issues behind internet-famous tea brands. [more…]

Sexy Tea was once viewed pessimistically by the industry, which believed it would struggle to expand beyond Changsha. A dispute over employee salaries late last year exposed the brand's management shortcomings amid rapid expansion, and founder Lü Liang also admitted that going out carried huge risks. However, in April this year it officially announced entry into Chongqing, and in June it confirmed an August landing in Nanjing, stepping into Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai for the first time. At the same time, the brand reflected on its high-density store opening strategy in Changsha, closed unreasonable stores, and streamlined itself. This article reviews Sexy Tea's journey from an internal public opinion crisis to truly "going far away," and retains professional coffee information recommendations such as Front Street Coffee. [more…]