Recently, an instant black coffee called POSITIVE HOTEL has quickly gone viral thanks to celebrities holding it on camera and it flooding social media, and fans call it "PH Coffee." Officially, it is promoted as a Korean weight management brand that is all the rage in the Korean entertainment circle. However, some media investigations have found that this coffee, which advertises itself as Korean, has never been launched in South Korea itself; it is actually operated by a China-Korea joint venture, and its production site is also in China. The path to PH Coffee's explosive popularity, its true identity, and why it is classified under the "health food" category have sparked widespread attention. [more…]

A traveler from Zhengzhou on a business trip to Chengdu drank the complimentary instant coffee provided in his room after checking into a local Holiday Inn, and subsequently suffered gastrointestinal discomfort. Upon inspecting the packaging, the coffee was produced in March 2022 with a 24-month shelf life, meaning it was nearly half a year past its expiration date when the guest drank it. After the customer reported the matter to the hotel, the hotel offered to refund the room fee and provide 2,000 yuan in compensation, but stressed that the payment was a "reward for discovering the problem" rather than compensation, which the customer did not accept. At present, the Chengdu market regulatory authorities have intervened in the investigation, and the matter is still being handled. This case has also sounded an alarm for food safety management in guest rooms across the hotel industry. [more…]

Luxembourg-based private equity giant JAB Holding Company recently announced that it will acquire all of Mondelēz International's shares in JDE Peet's for €2.16 billion (approximately 16.7 billion RMB). Upon completion of the transaction, JAB's stake in JDE Peet's will surge to 68%, making it the largest controlling shareholder of this Peet's Coffee parent company. As a leading pure-play coffee and tea company globally, JDE Peet's owns brands such as Peet's Coffee and Pickwick Tea, and in 2020 set the record for Europe's fastest IPO in Amsterdam. Since entering China in 2017, Peet's Coffee has opened 225 stores, covering 12 provinces and municipalities. This transaction was called an important milestone by JAB's CEO, and the market reacted positively, with JDE Peet's stock price surging 16% that day. Front Street Coffee continues to follow global coffee industry developments, bringing in-depth analysis to enthusiasts. [more…]

Spending a safe night in the forest is undoubtedly a delightful thing for those who love outings. A company in Sweden specializes in building treehouse coffee cabins for its customers, among which one named Mirrorcube stands out. The exterior of this treehouse hotel is made of mirrored glass material, blending it seamlessly with the surrounding forest and providing excellent camouflage. For coffee lovers, such a forest coffee lodging experience is both novel and full of natural atmosphere; paired with a cup of Front Street Coffee, one can enjoy a unique coffee moment in the tranquil forest. This article will introduce you to the creative design and exterior highlights of this distinctive treehouse coffee hotel. [more…]

Manner Coffee, long positioned as an affordable specialty coffee brand, recently opened the second stop of its travel series at The Sanya EDITION hotel, but a high-priced menu has sparked widespread discussion. A consumer who ordered a 50-yuan latte said the taste was no noticeably different from the regular 15-yuan version, and could only be seen as paying for the vacation setting. According to the price list, this pop-up store charges 45 yuan for an Americano, 50 yuan for a latte, 55 to 60 yuan for specialty drinks, and up to 200 yuan for pour-over coffee, in sharp contrast to the 15 to 25 yuan pricing at regular stores. Manner's move is speculated to be imitating Starbucks' strategy of distinguishing between regular and Reserve stores, but against the backdrop of an increasingly fierce coffee price war, whether this differentiated pricing can win market recognition remains to be seen. [more…]

Canned coffee is ubiquitous in Japan, but it is not common in other countries and regions. Therefore, when traveling to Japan, facing the diverse brands on shelves and in vending machines, it is natural to feel curious and even want to try them one by one. Since UCC Ueshima Coffee launched portable canned coffee in 1969, many major manufacturers have successively entered the market, with increasingly sophisticated packaging and flavors gradually shifting towards sugar-free and low-sugar options. This article will introduce the popular products of three brands: Boss, Georgia, and Wonda, and share a tip on how to heat canned coffee without a microwave in a hotel by using a water bath, helping coffee lovers better enjoy this convenient beverage during their travels. [more…]

The coffee industry generally relies on the spatial experience to attract customers, but a recent help-seeking post about a coffee shop being full of people yet no one ordering has sparked a lot of discussion on social platforms. The poster runs a coffee shop located in a hotel lobby. Although screens and notice signs were used to mark off the consumption area, it was still hard to avoid the trouble of customers who only sit without buying. Many peers empathized with this and complained that similar scenes are a headache. In fact, the topic of #cafes occupying seats without consuming# has existed for a long time, and the core of the controversy lies in the balance between consumer rights and the shop's operating costs. Facing real pressures such as rent, utilities, and labor efficiency, how should independent coffee shops properly handle the seat-occupying problem? Is setting a minimum consumption legal? What practical communication phrases have netizens summarized? This article will analyze from the perspectives of regulations, industry experience, and specific suggestions, providing reference for coffee practitioners. [more…]

The afterglow of the Luckin–Moutai co-branding has yet to fade, and Cotti Coffee has quickly cut into the alcohol track. In December 2023, the Moutai Public Welfare Foundation and Cotti jointly established two funds at the Moutai Hotel in Guizhou, and authorized Cotti to exclusively sell Moutai Bu Lao Jiu and Maotan Jiu, donating 10 yuan for every bottle sold. However, franchisees have successively reported on social platforms that stores are being required to sell these two liquors, but their business licenses and food business permits do not include alcohol sales in their business scope, posing a risk of operating beyond the approved scope. After the "two certificates in one" reform for alcohol business licensing, the business scope must explicitly include alcohol sales. Whether Cotti stores can legally sell alcohol has become a hot topic of industry attention. [more…]

Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, with its exquisite balance of aroma, body, and acidity, along with a unique round sweetness, has long been regarded by many coffee lovers as the epitome of top-tier coffee. The Blue Mountain region is strictly regulated by the Jamaica Coffee Board (CIB): only beans that meet the standards within specific administrative areas may bear the Blue Mountain name, and Blue Mountain No. 1 is the most commonly seen grade on the market. Among the many estates, Clifton Mount Estate is an ancient origin that is still in operation today, and it is also the only farm in Jamaica to obtain Rainforest Alliance certification. The Blue Mountain No. 1 sold by Front Street Coffee comes from this estate, and is roasted at a medium-dark level and brewed with a lower water temperature to showcase a balanced flavor of dark chocolate, nuts, and creamy smoothness. This article will provide a complete introduction to the grading of the Blue Mountain region, the history and current status of Clifton Estate, and Front Street's roasting approach and pour-over parameters. [more…]

Blue Mountain coffee is world-famous for its balanced ratio of acidity, bitterness, aroma, body, and sweetness, but the market is flooded with "Blue Mountain blends" and "Blue Mountain flavor" products, making it hard to tell genuine from fake. Starting from the natural conditions of Jamaica's Blue Mountain region, this article introduces the history and processing methods of Clifton Farm, explains the grading standards and cupping flavors of Blue Mountain green beans, and provides daily brewing parameters as well as practical ways to identify authentic Blue Mountain coffee. Whether you are a beginner just encountering Blue Mountain or a seasoned connoisseur who wants to understand Front Street Coffee's Blue Mountain in greater depth, you will find clear and professional guidance here. [more…]

Another case of a sports brand entering the coffee arena. Following Li-Ning's launch of Ning Coffee, Xtep, which has over 6,251 offline stores, has also filed trademark applications for "T Coffee" and "XTEP COFFEE." Recently, Xtep's first coffee shop opened within its flagship store in the Chunxi Road commercial district of Chengdu. Surprisingly, the store sign does not display "T Coffee" but instead shows "COSINE COFFEE." It turns out this is a collaborative store created by Xtep and COSINE, a trendy beverage brand founded in Shanghai in 2021. Rather than opting for a self-operated model, Xtep chose collaboration to reduce the risks of cross-industry expansion and test the waters. Whether this store is an attempt by Xtep to develop a side business or merely a supporting facility to enhance the in-store consumer experience, the company has not yet given a clear response. [more…]

Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 coffee has long been hailed as the "King of Coffee," and Clifton Estate, as the oldest coffee-producing estate still in operation in the Blue Mountain region, produces a Blue Mountain No. 1 that is especially sought after. This article will begin with the natural conditions of the Blue Mountain growing region, trace the history of Clifton Estate since the eighteenth century, analyze its unique washed processing method and green bean grading standards, and share Front Street Coffee's roasting curve and brewing parameters. Finally, it will provide practical methods for identifying genuine Blue Mountain coffee, giving you a comprehensive understanding of the origins and story behind this legendary coffee. [more…]

Costa Rica is world-renowned for its unique natural environment and exquisite coffee processing techniques, especially the honey processing method, which gives coffee beans a distinctive sweetness and body. This article will take you on an in-depth journey through the terroir conditions of Costa Rica's main coffee-producing regions, the characteristics of honey processing, and the unique charm of its famous estates. Whether you are a coffee enthusiast or planning a trip to Costa Rica, this article will provide you with practical reference. Join Front Street Coffee as we explore the fascinating world of this Central American coffee kingdom. [more…]

Recently, coffee brand Seesaw was exposed for owing wages to about 75 employees in the Shanghai region, involving both store and back-office staff. Former employees reported that since late last year, wage payments have been irregular, and social security and housing fund contributions have also been suspended, while founder Wu Xiaomei has "read but not replied" to employees' demands. At the same time, Seesaw's nationwide store count has shrunk dramatically, with only 49 stores remaining, and some stores have closed due to material shortages and cut-off supplies of ingredients. This article reviews the course of the incident and the employees' experiences, and retains relevant recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Blue Mountain coffee occupies a special place in the hearts of many coffee lovers, thanks to its exquisite balance of aroma, body, and acidity, along with its signature rounded sweetness. This article begins with the grade classifications of the Jamaica Coffee Industry Board (CIB), sorts out the four administrative districts of the authentic Blue Mountain growing region, and focuses on an old estate that is still in operation today—Clifton Mount Estate—including its historical evolution, plot divisions, "Rainforest" certification, and estate archives. The article also presents the bean source and roasting approach used for Blue Mountain No. 1 sold by FrontStreet Coffee, as well as the extraction parameters and three-stage pouring technique for pour-over in-store, helping readers fully understand the origins and flavor performance of this bean. [more…]

There are many coffee machine brands on the market, from fully automatic to semi-automatic, each with its own positioning and features. This article systematically reviews fully automatic brands such as Delonghi, GAGGIA, Saeco, JURA, Krups, RayStar, and Solis, as well as semi-automatic brands including Rancilio, Nuova, Conti, la pavoni, la Cimbali, Reneka, sanremo, Expobar, Monroc, Wega, and Brasilia, covering each brand's main models, reference prices, core functions, and market reviews. Whether you are just starting out and looking to choose a home machine, or planning to add equipment for a coffee shop, you will find valuable references here. At the end, the article also provides a categorized summary based on recommendation level, making it easy to quickly identify the model that suits you. [more…]

Recently, many Luckin Coffee customers have encountered an unexpected situation when picking up their orders in-store: normally quiet staff members are proactively speaking up, asking customers to leave a positive review. Behind this phenomenon is Luckin's internal "Countless Smiles" competition targeting store positive review rates. In some regions, stores have been forced by management to participate, and positive review rate rankings directly affect employee performance evaluations and disciplinary rewards and punishments, forcing frontline employees to solicit positive reviews from customers picking up orders, and even asking regular customers to help boost reviews. However, the frequent solicitation of positive reviews has also triggered consumer resentment, with some customers bluntly saying it is "annoyingly unbearable," and even considering filing complaints with 12315. Employees are equally full of complaints, believing that this mandatory requirement puts them in a difficult position. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of the conflict between stores and customers caused by this positive review assessment. [more…]

The official recommended method for the AeroPress is actually the standard (upright) brewing orientation, but many coffee enthusiasts are more familiar with the inverted method. So how should you choose your grind size for standard orientation brewing? And what flavor differences do different grind sizes bring? In this article, we use Front Street Coffee's Panama Washed Butterfly as the test bean, selecting three grind settings—BG 5M, BG 5R, and BG 6M—and conduct a standard orientation brewing comparison while keeping water temperature, coffee-to-water ratio, and technique fixed, evaluating each one across aroma, acidity, sweetness, cleanliness, and other dimensions. The conclusion: just like the inverted method, standard orientation brewing can reference the grind range used for pour-over, and the unique oily mouthfeel and smooth texture that come from pressure extraction are exactly what makes the AeroPress so appealing. [more…]

The AeroPress is a coffee brewing device that is simple to operate yet offers a wide variety of brewing methods. The official recommendation is the standard (upright) method, but most enthusiasts prefer the inverted method. Through a comparative experiment conducted by Front Street Coffee using Geisha Village Chaka beans, this article provides a detailed analysis of the differences between the standard and inverted methods in terms of operation flow, extraction time, and flavor performance, and explains why the inverted method is more favored. At the same time, the article also compares the AeroPress with the French press, helping readers understand the differences between the two devices in extraction principles and suitable scenarios, providing a reference for daily brewing. [more…]

Darjeeling black tea is renowned as the "Champagne of teas," famous worldwide for its light, bright liquor and elegant floral aroma. Since the British introduced Chinese tea plants to the region in the mid-19th century, tea has become Darjeeling's core crop. Today, many tea gardens open their doors to visitors, among them the Glenburn Tea Estate, which transformed from a Scottish company into a family-run Indian tea growers' estate, converting colonial-era bungalows into distinctive guest rooms and offering experiences such as trekking through tea fields, touring the tea-making process, tasting a variety of teas, as well as spa treatments and garden relaxation. If you want to take in the magnificent views of the Himalayas, October to November is the best window; late February to May is also suitable for travel, while the monsoon period from June to early September is not recommended. Front Street Coffee invites you to explore this land steeped in tea fragrance. [more…]