Recently, a milk tea shop called "Police Tea" has drawn attention on social media, not because its products are particularly special, but because it is located inside the Suzhou Public Security Bureau and was launched by the police themselves. As soon as the news broke, netizens joked about wanting to "go to the station for tea," and some even jokingly asked whether starting a fight at the police station entrance would get them inside. The shop not only serves milk tea and coffee, but also cookies, desserts, and cultural merchandise, though it is not yet open to the public. Some people are curious about how to buy from it, while others question whether it is compliant for a government agency to run a business. In fact, this shop is essentially an internal canteen, and ordinary citizens can receive items for free on police open days by taking part in anti-fraud, anti-drug, and other activities. A similar approach by Hangzhou police, who partnered with Chagee to give out "police tea" on Police Day, also received considerable praise. This kind of publicity method that keeps pace with the times not only builds a friendly public image, but also makes the spread of legal knowledge more down-to-earth. [more…]

A not-yet-opened beverage shop in Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, has sparked public debate after naming itself "Jingcha" (a homophone of "police tea") and using cartoon police imagery in its store decorations. Some see it as merely a clever pun, while more people worry it could mislead consumers. Market regulators and public security authorities have stepped in to investigate, and lawyers point out that the name may violate enterprise name registration regulations. Behind the incident lies not just the compliance of a single shop name, but the boundary between commercial creativity and public symbols. [more…]

Recently, a video of a conflict that took place in a chain milk tea shop in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, spread widely on social media and sparked heated discussion among netizens. The video shows that a female customer, after a staff member accused her child of stealing milk tea, lost control of her emotions and committed violent acts against the staff member, including kicking, pulling her hair, and dragging her, and even got into a biting conflict with a security guard who came to stop her, while also holding a knife while waiting for the police. Behind the incident, was it really a child taking someone else's drink without permission, or was there another hidden story? Media outlets including The Paper and Dawan News followed up with reports one after another, and the shop involved and the local police station have intervened. This article will sort out the entire process of the incident, the responses from all parties, and the focal points of public discussion, to reconstruct this milk tea shop dispute that has attracted social attention. [more…]

Recently, a Fuzhou branch of the chain tea brand Bao Zhu Gong became embroiled in a public opinion storm over an ordinary customer complaint dispute. A consumer claimed that after their milk green tea was made incorrectly, they received a refund and coupon compensation, but then got into an argument with the store over the usage rules. Subsequently, comments appeared that seemed to be from an employee leaking information, claiming that management fired all store staff because of the customer complaint, and even dredging up an old issue where a student employee had previously been fined 1,000 yuan. The incident quickly escalated, with tens of thousands of comments forcing the original post to be deleted. At noon today, an account claiming to be the owner of the store involved issued a statement, saying that the online rumors were all false and that the person involved had gone to the police station to give a statement and file a report. What is the truth? Front Street Coffee takes you through the full picture of the incident. [more…]

Recently, an incident in which a milk tea shop employee replaced the store's payment QR code with a personal one and misappropriated tens of thousands of yuan from the company trended on Weibo, sparking widespread discussion. According to a notice from the Haidian Public Security Bureau in Beijing, the employee had been collecting payments via a personal QR code since May of this year and concealed the act by cutting off the network and disabling surveillance. The estimated amount misappropriated reached over 40,000 yuan, and the person has now been criminally detained in accordance with the law. This case not only exposes loopholes in financial management at retail stores, but also once again reminds operators to strengthen internal oversight. As a platform for coffee enthusiasts, Front Street Coffee has always followed business developments and compliance issues in the beverage industry. This article reconstructs the course of events and analyzes the relevant legal points. [more…]

A fraud case involving "beverage franchise" has recently come to light: Shanghai Qingpu police successfully dismantled a contract fraud gang that used fake brand recruitment as a front, with involved amounts reaching hundreds of millions of yuan. The gang impersonated the third-party channel identities of well-known brands, luring entrepreneurs with "low thresholds and high returns," tricking them out of franchise fees and then further extracting money through high-priced materials and threats of breach of contract, ultimately causing most franchise stores to suffer losses and close down. Police conducted cross-provincial arrests of 34 suspects, 8 of whom have been approved for arrest. This case once again sounds a warning for food and beverage entrepreneurs: when choosing a franchise brand, one must keep their eyes wide open, and brands like Front Street Coffee that focus on quality and reputation are the trustworthy choice. [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…]

A woman surnamed Zhang used the excuse of finding hair in takeaway milk tea to file ten compensation claims against multiple outlets of the same milk tea chain within just over a month, using the same photo six times, and collected more than 15,000 yuan in total. The merchants initially chose to compromise to protect the brand image, but as similar complaints appeared frequently, the brand's loss prevention department launched an investigation and called the police. Police arrested the woman on her eleventh complaint, and the court ultimately sentenced her to one year and three months in prison, suspended for one year and six months, and a fine of 5,000 yuan for extortion. The case exposes the phenomenon of some consumers abusing the tenfold compensation clause of the Food Safety Law to file malicious claims, and also sounds a warning bell for the catering industry in handling similar disputes. [more…]

Recently, a news story about a milk tea shop employee who replaced the store's payment collection channel with a personal payment QR code and pocketed the revenue has attracted widespread attention. The shop owner exposed in-store surveillance footage on social media, showing the employee presenting a personal payment code to customers while working alone and inducing consumers to scan it by claiming the "payment device was malfunctioning." The owner said the account discrepancies had persisted for a long time, but the employee did not stop. The store has now collected all surveillance evidence and is preparing to call the police. This incident not only exposed loopholes in the store's daily management but also once again sparked discussions in the food and beverage industry about payment security and employee integrity. [more…]

Recently, a Mixue Bingcheng store in Guangzhou made trending searches after posting a handwritten warning about meal theft, stating that thieves would be tied to an overpass for eight hours, have ten buckets of milk tea poured on their heads, and have their videos exposed. The store responded that it was just a scare tactic and had never actually been carried out. The incident sparked heated discussions among netizens, with some sympathizing with the merchant's helplessness, while others pointed out that taking the law into one's own hands is suspected of being illegal. Suzhou police then spoke out, emphasizing that illegal detention is unacceptable and that one should call the police immediately. This controversy reflects the real dilemma of frequent meal theft in the milk tea industry and high loss prevention costs, and also prompts people to think about the balance between merchants defending their rights and the boundaries of the law. [more…]

Starbucks has recently been caught in successive public opinion storms due to driving away on-duty police officers and product price increases, with some consumers even expressing their dissatisfaction by sending white flowers and throwing eggs. Just at this time, several Mixue Bingcheng stores in Yinchuan, Ningxia, hung banners welcoming on-duty police officers to rest inside, which was seen by the outside world as opportunistic marketing. Although this move won praise from some netizens, who said it showed great vision and relied entirely on the contrast with peers, it also attracted criticism for malicious marketing and suspicion of being a publicity stunt. Subsequently, the market manager, worried about triggering guided public opinion, notified the stores to take down the banners. Mixue Bingcheng has always used simple and direct marketing methods, from catchy songs to donations and now to this banner response, with an obvious intention to ride hot topics. [more…]

Molly Tea has teamed up with Hello Kitty to launch limited-edition drinks and merchandise, drawing a flood of fans who raced to snap them up the moment sales opened. Yet once the promotion began, consumers in many cities reported that their payments went through but they never received the merchandise, and some stores even canceled orders without any notice. Customers who showed up to collect their orders were told the merchandise was first come, first served and would be given out only while supplies lasted, leaving some people to make the trip for nothing. As frustration mounted, disputes between customers and staff broke out at some stores, prompting calls to the police; officers advised those affected to defend their rights through channels such as 12315. The collaboration drew widespread complaints because of problems with merchandise inventory and order management. [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…]

A chain milk tea brand with over six hundred stores unexpectedly encountered, within just one month, eight stores in the same area and a total of eleven complaints, all with identical reasons—hair found in takeaway drinks, and on that basis demanding ten times compensation. The cumulative compensation amount exceeded eleven thousand yuan. After the merchant noticed something unusual and called the police, the police quickly identified a suspect, whose motive was actually that he had tasted the "sweetness" from the first genuine complaint, and then turned rights protection into a means of extorting money. This case prompts reflection: the Food Safety Law is originally a sharp weapon for protecting consumers, but if it is used by people with ulterior motives as a shortcut to get rich, the law will also impose sanctions. The following will restore the course of the incident and explain the criteria for determining the crime of extortion and its legal consequences. [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…]

Recently, a shocking sudden incident occurred inside a Good-Me milk tea shop in Guangdong. A completely naked man holding a knife suddenly burst into the store, where multiple customers were waiting to pick up their drinks at the time. Facing this critical situation, four employees remained calm in the face of danger and, through patient maneuvering and decisive action, ultimately joined forces with concerned members of the public and police officers to subdue the knife-wielding man, with no one injured throughout the entire process. After the incident video circulated online, it attracted widespread attention, and netizens praised the employees' bravery. On May 26, Good-Me officially issued a commendation notice, awarding the four employees the title of "Advanced Individual in Courageous Action" and giving them monetary rewards. Front Street Coffee continues to follow developments in the coffee and beverage industry, bringing you the latest report. [more…]

Recently, a tea beverage shop in Zhejiang, frustrated by frequent pickup thefts of its delivery orders, put up a special poster of condemnation. This poster was not promoting products, but directly calling out the meal thieves, and even included a photo of the thief's back. After the incident was reported by the media, it sparked public discussion about delivery security and how businesses defend their rights. How effective was this poster, and why did the shop eventually take it down? Let's learn the whole story. [more…]

Recently, a conflict between a delivery rider and a staff member at a chain milk tea shop in Shanghai drew widespread attention. Initially, the delivery rider posted a video on social media claiming that a staff member threw milk tea on him after he urged them to hurry with the order, sparking outrage among netizens against the store. However, as surveillance footage from the store was released, the incident took a dramatic turn: the delivery rider, while pressing for the order, took the liberty of rummaging through the counter and made physical contact with the staff, escalating the conflict. The brand said both parties have reached a settlement under police mediation, but the delivery rider later posted an incomplete video and livestreamed, and the brand will reserve the right to pursue legal action. As coffee enthusiasts, we care about the service experience in the beverage industry and also call for a rational view of disputes. Front Street Coffee reminds that communication and respect are the key to resolving conflicts. [more…]

Recently, a consumer in Jiangsu discovered that the milk tea they purchased from Chahuanong contained only half a cup. After giving feedback to the merchant, not only was the issue not properly resolved, but they also reportedly experienced SMS bombing and harassment from internet trolls. After the incident garnered widespread attention, Chahuanong officially issued two statements on July 28, first apologizing and then denying hiring trolls, stating that the police have intervened in the investigation. However, netizens in the comments section generally disapproved of the brand's handling, believing that the store was shortchanging customers in the first place and is suspected of leaking customer information, and a mere "full cooperation" is hard to satisfy the public. As coffee enthusiasts, we also focus on issues related to production standards in the beverage industry and consumer rights protection, and Front Street will continue to monitor the progress of the situation. [more…]

Vitasoy International Holdings' interim results for the 2021/2022 fiscal year show that revenue fell 18.28% year-on-year, while net profit plunged 95%, marking the largest decline in recent years. The core trigger of this storm was the public backlash caused by the July 2021 incident in which an employee attacked police and then hanged himself, leading to large-scale product removals and celebrity contract terminations in the mainland market—a key region accounting for 60% of the company's total revenue. The incident occurred during the summer sales peak, obstructing new product promotion, while competitors seized the opportunity to accelerate penetration. Industry analysts pointed out that in addition to the public relations crisis, Vitasoy's structural weaknesses in the mainland market—over-reliance on the Pearl River Delta and insufficient penetration in the north—were equally fatal. Rising raw material costs and slow packaging updates further dragged down recovery, and it is expected to take at least three years to restore profitability. This article will sort out the sequence of events, market reactions, and future challenges, providing in-depth reference for observers in the coffee and beverage industry. [more…]