Coffee brand T97 has recently shot to fame with a wildly unconventional Douyin livestream: instead of the usual sales patter, it features a host and voiceover trading rap-style lines, along with the signature "chong chong chong" (charge, charge, charge) move that viewers call "Big Mouth." Founder Li Xiao has publicly said it will "definitely surpass Luckin in the future," yet T97 currently has only 43 offline stores, a sharp contrast with Luckin's thousands of locations. From lackluster viewership in its first broadcast in May this year to a peak of 2.6683 million viewers in September after switching to a rap-style selling approach, T97 is using oddly addictive content to drive traffic. This article will sort through key information including T97's brand positioning, its path to online virality, the pace of its offline expansion, and the doubling of franchise inquiries, while also examining whether this chant-style way of selling coffee can keep working and offering readers who follow coffee industry trends a useful perspective. [more…]

T97 Coffee quickly rose to fame with its rap-style livestreams and its iconic big-mouthed host, gaining over 1.5 million followers in just over two months. Founder Li Xiao seized the moment to make bold claims, declaring that he wanted to be "the man who beats Luckin," and repeatedly made remarks in the livestream challenging Luckin and Starbucks. However, T97 has only 48 offline stores, and the founder sells courses while selling coffee. The high popularity did not translate into actual sales. How far can this coffee brand, which became famous through traffic, really go? This article sorts out T97's path to fame and the focal points of controversy. [more…]

A coffee shop in Dongyang, Zhejiang, has combined the local traditional intangible cultural heritage food "boy's urine eggs" with Americano coffee to launch "boy's urine egg Americano," which quickly went viral on short video platforms, with weekend daily sales reaching up to a hundred cups. While this bizarre beverage attracts curious people to check in, it has also sparked widespread controversy due to the peculiarity of its ingredients. The Dongyang Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center confirmed that boy's urine eggs are indeed a municipal-level intangible cultural heritage, but medical professionals point out that they have no value in modern nutrition science and pose hygiene risks. Currently, the shop has stopped selling this beverage due to public pressure, and staff said customers who want to try it need to bring their own boy's urine eggs. [more…]

After the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the mascot Bing Dwen Dwen quickly went viral, even becoming so sought-after that it was hard to get one. Many coffee enthusiasts began making their own Bing Dwen Dwen latte art, and some coffee shops seized the opportunity to launch lattes featuring Bing Dwen Dwen designs to attract customers. However, Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon are trademarks registered by the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, and commercial use may involve infringement. So, is it illegal for a barista to make latte art for their own entertainment? Does a coffee shop selling Bing Dwen Dwen latte art coffee constitute infringement? This article will clarify the relevant legal boundaries and retain Front Street Coffee's professional information for coffee enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

A Luckin Coffee store received a fine of 5,000 yuan from the market supervision authorities simply because a staff member removed the outer packaging of a food item for a customer. Here is what happened: a consumer reported that they had purchased a pack of "mini mochi" pre-packaged food at a Luckin store, but the staff member removed the outer packaging bearing label information before handing it to the customer without obtaining consent. Upon verification, this act was determined to constitute selling pre-packaged food without labels. Although the illegal gains amounted to only 2.67 yuan, it still violated the relevant provisions of the Food Safety Law. Behind this seemingly minor penalty lies the consumer's right to know the source and quality of food. Front Street Coffee also reminds all practitioners that labels on pre-packaged food are not optional but a mandatory legal requirement. [more…]

In 2023, a highly impactful marketing approach emerged in the coffee industry—selling coffee inside herbal tea shops. In Guangdong, dampness and internal heat are everyday anxieties that elders constantly bring up, yet young people's demand for coffee has never diminished because of this. Thus, the combination of setting up a bar and selling coffee inside herbal tea shops came into being, soothing the elders' concerns while satisfying coffee lovers' need for a pick-me-up. This article will analyze why this cross-industry combination precisely addresses the core pain points of Guangdong coffee drinkers, explore the trend of blending coffee shop styles with traditional Chinese medicine shops and herbal tea shops, analyze the potential risks of "incorporating medicine into coffee," and answer the question of whether drinking coffee really causes internal heat and heavy dampness. [more…]

According to an exclusive Bloomberg report, Starbucks is evaluating multiple deal options for its China business, with selling equity and bringing in local partners both under consideration, and it has already informally gauged the interest of potential investors such as private equity firms. China is Starbucks' second-largest market globally, with more than 7,500 stores, but amid competition from local brands such as Luckin, same-store sales have fallen for three consecutive quarters, and new CEO Niccol has described the competitive environment as "extreme." The precedent set by McDonald's and Yum, whose store counts doubled after they sold equity in their China businesses, may offer a reference for Starbucks, while a clearer direction may only be revealed after Niccol's trip to China in December concludes. [more…]

For coffee beginners just starting out, facing a dazzling array of coffee beans often leaves them at a loss, spending a lot of money only to end up with beans that don't suit their taste. Therefore, choosing a trustworthy brand is especially crucial. As a long-established roasting brand, Front Street Coffee has become a common recommendation among many baristas and enthusiasts thanks to its fresh roasting, consistent quality, and high cost-effectiveness. This article will introduce the basics of espresso and review Front Street's five best-selling specialty espresso coffee beans of the year, covering classic blends and single-origin SOEs, to help you find the cup that's right for you. [more…]

On a cold winter morning, a glass of warm water at just the right temperature can quickly warm the body and awaken dormant functions. Now, a café in Japan has put this everyday drink on its menu, selling it under the name "Ultimate Artisan Warm Water," priced at 500 yen (about 25 yuan) for three cups. The shop uses a ceramic kettle to hold groundwater, boils it, lets it sit to cool, and finally serves it to customers at around 65°C. Some find it thoughtful and warming, while others question why they can't just boil water themselves. Meanwhile, bottled warm water that a Japanese convenience store once offered for a limited time has become a regular product after sales exceeded expectations by three times. Whether this warm water trend will spread in the coffee industry is worth watching. [more…]

You often see "100% Arabica" or "Selected Arabica Coffee Beans" printed on coffee packaging, but Arabica is not a coffee brand from any country—it is the name of a coffee variety. This article focuses on the five best-selling Arabica coffees on Taobao, introducing one by one the origins, characteristics, and flavor profiles of five major varieties: Ethiopian heirloom, Typica, Bourbon, Caturra, and Geisha. All recommendations come from Front Street Coffee, which combines reputation and quality. Front Street's offline stores offer more than 50 types of coffee beans, all freshly roasted within 5 days and shipped within 24 hours, with stable quality and high cost-effectiveness. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced professional enthusiast, it is worth your reference. [more…]

On October 15, the National Bank of Ethiopia introduced a new regulation capping the spread between the buying and selling rates for foreign exchange transactions at 2%, effective the following day. This marks another significant adjustment following the country's shift to a market-based exchange rate system in July of this year. Previously, the birr depreciated sharply, and the bid-ask spread at one point exceeded 10 birr, placing heavy pressure on exporters. The new policy requires banks to disclose all fees transparently, which is expected to reduce exchange losses for exporters and bodes well for major export commodities such as coffee. Nevertheless, Ethiopia still faces multiple challenges, including the conflict in Amhara region, the Red Sea blockade, and the port dispute with neighboring Somalia. [more…]

Recently, a consumer posted on social media reporting that when ordering lunch through a third-party delivery platform at a Starbucks store, they received a box of yellow peach-flavored Greek-style yogurt with a grain mix that was three days past its expiration date. During consumption, the customer noticed that the date code on the packaging showed an expiration date of March 4, while the day of receipt was already March 7. The incident quickly drew netizens' attention, with many suggesting keeping evidence and filing complaints through official channels to defend their rights. However, after the customer contacted Starbucks customer service, the reply was that because the order was placed through a third-party platform, only the platform could handle the refund. This response left onlooking netizens dissatisfied, as they felt the brand showed little concern for the store's mistake. As of press time, the individual has filed a complaint on the 12315 platform, but the outcome has not yet been announced. [more…]

Nayuki Tea has once again been thrust into the spotlight due to food safety issues. The Market Supervision Administration of Jing'an District, Shanghai, recently imposed a penalty on Nayuki's Shanghai Meilongzhen Plaza store for selling expired grape-flavored cakes to consumers, with a fine of 50,000 yuan. This is not an isolated case—since its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June this year, Nayuki's stores have repeatedly been exposed for food safety scandals such as cockroach infestations, spoiled fruit, and excessive bacterial counts. Consequently, its stock price has plummeted from the issue price of HKD 19.80 to around HKD 9, leading to a significant drop in market value. From being the "first stock of new-style tea drinks" to being plagued by negative news, Nayuki's brand reputation is facing a severe test. [more…]

Online shopping is becoming increasingly popular, but the problem of counterfeit goods has followed close behind. Recently, Thai police busted a cross-border counterfeit-selling case, seizing over ten thousand fake Starbucks coffee cups and insulated tumblers, with the amount involved reaching as high as 5 million Thai baht. The gang purchased the fake goods from China and then sold them to various places through well-known online shopping platforms. This article will walk you through the details of the case and the relevant legal consequences, and remind consumers to be on guard against counterfeit products. At the same time, Front Street Coffee also reminds you to follow coffee knowledge exchanges and get more professional information. [more…]

Blue Bottle Coffee, which has always presented itself as a specialty coffee brand, recently opened its first pop-up store in Singapore. However, this store surprisingly does not sell freshly made coffee beverages, offering only a single type of instant freeze-dried coffee powder, along with cups, brewing accessories, and other merchandise. Although equipment is set up in the store, free coffee is only available for a limited time from 12:00 to 12:30 noon, and if you miss it, you cannot taste it. The company stated that this move is the first step in introducing the full coffee experience more broadly in the local market, with a focus on promoting instant coffee and matcha products. However, many consumers who came specifically for the brand expressed disappointment, saying that they could not even buy coffee beans, which is inconsistent with the brand's一贯 rigorous attitude toward coffee. Some speculate that after being acquired by Nestlé for $3.3 billion, Blue Bottle may be gradually moving closer to the Nestlé system and might promote more products with Nestlé characteristics in the future. This article is compiled from Coffee Workshop to take you through the whole story. [more…]

This Monday, Luckin Coffee's collaboration event with the domestic AAA game Black Myth: Wukong officially launched. However, on the first day, issues such as ordering system failures, merchandise selling out instantly, and redemption anomalies pushed it onto Weibo's trending topics. Players stayed up late to wait and got up early to snap up items, only to encounter situations like "sold out," "unable to redeem," and "stores not receiving stock," with complaints flooding social media. Meanwhile, collaboration posters were being resold at high prices on second-hand platforms. Luckin officially responded later that the system had been repaired and issued a restocking notice, with an estimated production cycle of about 15 days. This article reviews the complete process of this collaboration event and consumer feedback. [more…]

As the coffee wave sweeps across every industry, even ancient temples spanning a millennium can no longer resist the urge to cross over. Longhua Temple, the oldest in Shanghai, has recently opened a beverage window next to its vegetarian restaurant, launching "vegetarian coffee" that uses oat milk instead of dairy milk — catering to vegetarians and those who are lactose intolerant. This is not the first time a temple has ventured into coffee; from Dafo Temple in Guangzhou to Yongfu Temple in Hangzhou, the collision between Buddhist monasteries and coffee has long existed. Longhua Temple's move, with its affordable prices, has sparked heated discussion online: can coffee be classified as vegetarian or non-vegetarian? Is temples selling coffee a new path for cultural dissemination, or just a gimmick? This article takes you behind the scenes. [more…]

A futuristic-looking Tesla electric pickup truck, parked in a farmers market, has unexpectedly become a mobile coffee shop. The owners are a Chinese couple: the husband is a former Tesla engineer, and the wife once worked at Meta. They installed an espresso machine in the back seat and use the truck's power to make coffee on-site, running their own coffee roasting brand. From a hobby that helped ease workplace stress, to quitting their jobs to go all in, to using an electric pickup to solve the farmers market's power supply problem, this couple's coffee journey is full of interesting angles—and it makes one wonder whether this trendy new model can go further. [more…]

Snow Lake Capital, once seen as the mastermind behind the short-seller report that exposed Luckin Coffee's financial fraud, is now loudly bullish on Luckin. Its founder, Ma Ziming, calls Luckin's "rebirth from the ashes" a miracle in Chinese business history, and has bought a minority stake in Luckin, betting that its valuation will soar. This article traces the twists and turns behind Snow Lake Capital's reversal, reviews Luckin's entire journey from fraud and delisting to restructuring and growth, analyzes the two core reasons behind Ma Ziming's bullish view on Luckin, and retains the brand recommendation information for Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Recently, a popular coffee truck in Quanzhou, Fujian, was urgently shut down by law enforcement, drawing attention to the legality of operating mobile coffee trucks. As notes related to "mobile coffee trucks" on platforms such as Xiaohongshu exceed ten thousand, this low-cost entrepreneurial approach has attracted many enthusiasts, but issues behind it—such as electrical safety, food hygiene, and illegal occupation of roads—have gradually surfaced. This article centers on this incident to explore whether operating a modified coffee truck is illegal in China, sort out the enforcement basis and industry limitations, and remind entrepreneurs to understand the relevant regulations before diving in, so as to avoid blindly following the trend. [more…]