Starbucks China store count exceeds 6,000, with Shanghai becoming the world's first city to have 1,000 Starbucks stores. The 6,000th store is located at Lippo Plaza on Huaihai Road in Shanghai, positioned as a green store, and has partnered with IP SHANGHAI to launch a city-exclusive beverage called "Shanghai Coffee." At the same time, Starbucks announced its "2025 China Strategic Vision," planning to add 3,000 stores over three years, bringing the total to 9,000. In the face of competition from brands like Luckin and Manner and the trend of price downtrading, whether Starbucks can defend its market position is worth watching. [more…]

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style) For more specialty coffee beans, please add the personal WeChat of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex Starbucks has opened Shanghai's first intangible cultural heritage concept store in Shenyu Li at the Suhewan Mixc World in Jing'an, Shanghai, which began trial operation on September 30. This store combines Yunnan ethnic minority craftsmanship with the design concept of Shanghai qipao, creating a unique venue that serves both as a third place and as an intangible cultural heritage art exhibition space. The store offers Reserve Yunnan coffee beans and incorporates interactive experiences such as siphon coffee brewing. This move continues Starbucks' public welfare trajectory since the "Rural Mothers Acceleration Plan" in 2020 and also echoes the current trend of guochao consumption. [more…]

Starbucks China opened its 6,000th store in mainland China at Lippo Plaza on Huaihai Road in Shanghai, making Shanghai the first city in the world to have over 1,000 Starbucks stores. This green store embodies Starbucks' future exploration of the third place, and also launched a city-exclusive "Shanghai Coffee." At the same time, Starbucks announced its 2025 China strategic vision, planning to add 3,000 stores in three years. Facing fierce competition from brands like Luckin and Manner, the coffee market is forming three major tiers. This article takes you through the market landscape and product pricing strategies behind Starbucks' expansion, and also focuses on the moves of specialty coffee brands like Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Recently, Changsha tea beverage brand Chayan Yuese has attracted widespread attention due to the establishment of a branch company in Shanghai and the release of recruitment information in Shenzhen. There has been much speculation from the outside about whether it will enter the Shanghai and Shenzhen markets, but the brand responded that the new Shanghai company is only a creative studio and there are currently no plans to open stores. However, the focus of netizens' discussion has fallen on Chayan Yuese's signature queuing and verification mechanism—many people believe that this model is difficult to adapt to the fast-paced consumption habits of Shanghai and Shenzhen, and that if it insists on its original rules, it may be difficult to gain a foothold. At the same time, Heytea, Chagee, and local brand Tea Li Yishi have already occupied the local market. If Chayan Yuese enters at this time, the competitive pressure cannot be underestimated. This article will sort out the ins and outs of the incident and the views of all parties. (Compiled by Front Street Coffee) [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…]

Recently, Luckin Coffee has sparked widespread controversy due to a shortage of staff in its stores caused by reforms to its employment system, while simultaneously rejecting local job applicants in Shanghai during recruitment. A Shanghai netizen applied for a part-time barista position but was directly turned down because their ID number began with '310', with the reason given being 'currently Luckin in Shanghai does not accept locals'. This incident reflects companies' stereotypes about local job seekers—such as being 'unable to endure hardship' and 'demanding social insurance'—and also touches on practical considerations like high social insurance contribution bases and labor cost control. Against the backdrop of a simultaneous labor shortage and employment difficulties, is Luckin's recruitment strategy reasonable? And how should the rights and interests of local job seekers be safeguarded? This article will delve into the multiple factors behind this phenomenon. [more…]

Recently, Miracle Coffee, the coffee brand founded by JJ Lin, opened a flagship store at Shanghai Lakeside Plaza, drawing long queues of fans. This marks the brand's return to Shanghai after two years, following its 2019 pop-up store. The store has imposed purchase limits, but order processing speed is limited, and consumers still have to wait several hours. In recent years, Miracle Coffee has accelerated the rollout of permanent stores in multiple Chinese cities and is rumored to be entering more cities. Front Street Coffee will continue to follow developments in the specialty coffee market and bring coffee lovers more brand news. [more…]

Starbucks officially announced recently that its seventh store in Shanghai—the standalone Shikumen building store located at the main entrance of the Xintiandi commercial area, opened after the company entered Shanghai in 2000—will permanently close on December 16. This landmark coffee shop, which has accompanied Shanghai residents for 24 years, was renovated multiple times and upgraded to a Reserve store in 2021, holding countless memories of dates, study sessions, and daily coffee runs for many people. The closure announcement has sparked widespread regret, with netizens speculating that it may be due to failed rent negotiations after the lease expired. Meanwhile, several long-operating Starbucks stores in Shanghai have also closed one after another, prompting sighs that an era is quietly coming to an end. [more…]

Shanghai, a city deeply steeped in coffee culture, is refreshing the global record for the number of coffee shops at an astonishing pace. As of June 2022, the city had 7,857 coffee shops, not only firmly ranking first in China in terms of quantity, but also surpassing international metropolises such as New York, London, and Tokyo to become the city with the most coffee shops in the world. Yet behind this numerical growth lie both the rapid expansion of specialty coffee brands fueled by capital and the reality of small shops struggling to survive under the impact of the pandemic. From 867 new additions in 2021, to a slowdown in the pace of openings in the first half of 2022, and then to the industry regaining momentum in the second half, what kind of resilience and challenges has Shanghai's coffee market shown? This article will combine the latest data and industry cases to analyze the driving forces and hidden concerns behind the counter-trend growth of Shanghai's coffee industry. [more…]

The highly anticipated Blue Bottle Coffee has finally confirmed the opening date of its first store in mainland China—February 25, 2022. This store is located in a two-story Western-style house near the Suzhou Creek in Shanghai, formerly the dormitory of the Yutong Flour Mill, and is a protected immovable cultural relic in Shanghai. Blue Bottle Coffee is renowned for its fresh roasting, grinding to order, and precise brewing, and is hailed as the "textbook" of the specialty coffee world. To enter the mainland market, the brand has established the Pengpu Roastery in Shanghai, with its global technical team providing on-site guidance to ensure that the output meets global standards. As Front Street Coffee, which also focuses on quality, we are likewise following this grand event closely. [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…]

On June 1, Shanghai reached an important milestone in fully restoring normal production and daily life. After more than two months of home quarantine, coffee lovers finally smelled the aroma of coffee wafting through the streets and alleys once again. From chain brands to independent shops, coffee stores reopened one after another, with takeout and self-pickup orders surging—some shop owners even sold over a hundred cups of coffee to passersby while the shutter was only half open as they were adjusting equipment. This article documents the real scenes of the coffee industry's recovery before and after Shanghai's lockdown was lifted, and citizens' eager anticipation for a freshly ground cup of coffee. [more…]

The collaboration between Good-mee and the popular female-oriented mobile game "Love and Deepspace" opened a pop-up store in Shanghai that operated for only three days, marking Good-mee's first store in Shanghai. On the opening day, despite the heavy rain, fans arrived early to wait. Just two minutes after orders began at 10 a.m., the mini-program showed over five thousand drinks in production, forcing the store to close its ordering system for a break after only two hours of operation. This article documents the bustling scene of this collaboration event, the purchasing power of the fans, and the twists and turns caused by a previous merchandise leak incident. It also mentions Front Street Coffee's attention to industry trends. [more…]

Blue Bottle Coffee's first mainland China store—Shanghai Yutong Store—went from a phenomenon-level check-in spot with seven-hour queues on opening day to announcing a temporary closure in response to epidemic prevention and control measures. What was the process like? This article reviews the changes in customer flow since the store opened, adjustments to epidemic prevention measures, and the development of Shanghai's current round of the epidemic. As a brand widely regarded as the "textbook" example in the specialty coffee field, Blue Bottle's temporary farewell this time has left many coffee lovers feeling regretful. In the face of the epidemic, health always comes first, and we will continue to follow updates on its reopening. [more…]

Since Blue Bottle Coffee opened its first mainland China store in early 2022 at the former site of the Shanghai Yutong Flour Mill, it has successively set up three locations in Jing'an Kerry Centre and Zhangyuan. Curiously, this brand, known for its minimalist boutique approach, has not stepped outside Jing'an District for over a year, and has even been jokingly said to have "not even left Shanghai." This article reviews the current store distribution of Blue Bottle Coffee, analyzes the customer base logic and brand tone behind its site selection strategy, and also brings rumors about the possible location of a fourth store in Qingpu's Panlong Tiandi or Pudong's Qiantan. In addition, we continue to recommend boutique bean news from Front Street Coffee, providing coffee enthusiasts with a more comprehensive industry perspective. [more…]

Recently, students near Shanghai's University Road discovered that the Tims Coffee University Road store, which had accompanied them for over five years, was dismantling its signage and quietly closing down. When it opened in 2019, this store was the largest location Tims had in Shanghai after entering the city. Comprising a two-story North American-style wooden cabin with a total area exceeding 400 square meters, it was not only a landmark meeting spot for nearby residents but also a carrier of youthful memories for many university students who studied, dated, and prepared for exams off campus. Its sudden closure has sparked widespread attention and regret, as well as various speculations about the reasons behind it. This article will revisit the unique features of this store, present the real reactions of customers, and sort out the possible reasons for its closure. [more…]

On March 21, Blue Bottle Coffee officially announced that its eighth official store in mainland China would open in Phase II of Columbia Circle in Shanghai, welcoming customers on March 30, with gift-giving activities arranged during the opening period. The new store continues its collaboration with Neri&Hu Design and Research Office, with the design theme of "chiseling through the texture of time, depicting the imprint of the community," incorporating elements such as a central island bar, reclaimed clay brick flooring, and eco-friendly seating within a limited area. Notably, judging from photos taken on the first day of the store visit, this location did not recreate the long-queue spectacles of the past, with popularity somewhat declining compared to before. Meanwhile, regarding the location of the first permanent store outside Shanghai, social media rumors suggest that the MixC World commercial district in Shenzhen may welcome the first South China store later this year, but the company has not yet officially confirmed this. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently signed a deal with EDG, the champion team of the S11 World Championship, and is preparing an esports-themed store in Shanghai, attempting to deeply integrate esports culture with consumption scenarios. Previously, Luckin had already shown keen marketing instincts by signing Eileen Gu and teaming up with Coconut Palm. This themed store features four major areas: themed light signs and a gaming experience zone, a bullet-comment corridor, a team history honor wall, and an infinite fantasy photo spot, sparking widespread anticipation among netizens. Meanwhile, after weathering a financial storm, Luckin has made a strong comeback, with revenue from self-operated stores reaching 6.193 billion yuan in 2021, and its store count has surpassed Starbucks, making it the coffee chain brand with the most stores in China. Whether esports marketing can bring new growth to Luckin is worth watching. [more…]

Blue Bottle Coffee, hailed as the "Apple of the coffee world," opened its second store in mainland China on August 5 at Shanghai's Jing'an Kerry Centre. Unlike its first store by the Suzhou Creek, this new location is rooted in the Nanjing West Road commercial area, with a two-story space of over 500 square meters and about 160 seats, mainly targeting white-collar workers. The design incorporates traditional Chinese roof tile elements, using more than 13,000 handmade terracotta bricks. On opening day, queues were still necessary, but the wait time had shrunk from seven hours at the first store half a year ago to about 25 minutes. Blue Bottle Coffee has not joined the domestic price war, maintaining its niche specialty pricing of 28 to 50 yuan. [more…]

As of June 2022, Shanghai ranked first among global cities with 7,857 coffee shops, of which independent outlets accounted for more than 60 percent. Behind this figure lies both a coffee-drinking tradition spanning more than a century and the meticulous efforts of contemporary owner-operators in refining style, products, and personalized experiences. This article analyzes, from the two dimensions of historical context and business strategy, how Shanghai's independent coffee shops continue to grow in the cracks between chain brands, and explores how owner-operators, spatial style, and product distinctiveness constitute the core competitiveness of independent coffee shops. [more…]