A trending topic about food safety in milk tea shops has sparked widespread concern: The Market Supervision Administration of Fengxian District, Shanghai, conducted surprise inspections of several well-known milk tea stores in Baolong Plaza, and the results showed that all five brands—Yidian Dian, ChaBaiDao, 7FenTian, CoCo, and XiongJi—had problems, involving incomplete health certificates, chaotic raw material management, and unsanitary operating environments. The incident quickly surpassed 500 million views, with netizens exclaiming, "I dare not drink it anymore." At the same time, the article also reviewed food safety cases in recent years involving Burger King, 85°C, IKEA, and others, reminding the food and beverage industry that it must strictly abide by operating standards. [more…]

Seesaw, once hailed as the "Whampoa Military Academy" of China's specialty coffee scene, has drawn attention again after its founder, Wu Xiaomei, was subjected to consumption restriction measures by a court. On October 29, the Fengxian District People's Court of Shanghai issued a high-consumption restriction order to Seesaw's parent company over a service contract dispute. Starting in late 2023, news of Seesaw store closures began to emerge one after another. Although the founder responded at the time that it was merely store adjustments, the wave of closures has not stopped. Meanwhile, legal disputes have continued, and the number of stores has shrunk sharply. Why has Seesaw, once as famous as Manner and Mstand, gradually lost its brand identity amid industry competition? Front Street Coffee takes you through the ups and downs of this specialty coffee brand. [more…]

On the eve of the May Day holiday, the Manner store in Shanghai's North Bund became a favorite among photography enthusiasts because it allowed them to capture the "Shanghai Four-Piece Set" all in one shot. However, tourists who visited recently found that a row of temporary stalls set up outside the store happened to block the originally perfect view, leaving many who had made a special trip to take photos greatly disappointed. At the same time, nearby residents are full of anticipation for the upcoming Shanghai International Coffee Culture Festival. One camera spot, two moods, reflecting the delicate relationship between urban public space and festival activities. This article will walk you through the whole story, along with related recommendations and practical information from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Seesaw, once hailed as one of the representative specialty coffee brands in China, has recently suffered a series of setbacks. Its last store in Chengdu was evicted after the shopping mall terminated the lease early; employees exposed illegal dismissals and successfully defended their rights through legal channels; and the founder was once again subject to high-consumption restrictions due to contract disputes, while the company's equity was frozen and debts were enforced through the courts. A stream of negative news has plunged this coffee brand, once favored by capital, into its darkest hour. This article will sort through the sequence of events and present the operational and legal difficulties Seesaw currently faces. [more…]

Recently, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital has seen its on-site European vintage-style coffee shop become a popular photo spot for many "influencers" on social media, with related topics continuing to gain traction. Many local residents have reported that the crowds of photo-takers have disrupted normal medical order. Why has this coffee shop become a photography hotspot? How have the hospital and the shop responded? The hospital stated that it will strengthen management by discouraging commercial photography, prolonged occupation of patient rest seats, and the use of large professional equipment such as fill lights, in order to ensure normal medical activities. [more…]

Recently, ChaPanda once again became the focus of public opinion due to food safety issues. On the evening of October 9, the brand's official Weibo posted two statements in succession, responding to the incidents of "using expired raw materials" and "a Ningbo customer complaining about finding a spider in a drink." Regarding the spider incident, ChaPanda said the source of the spider in the video was unknown and difficult to verify, and explained that the 600 yuan compensation was a response made by store employees to settle the matter, but this response did not calm netizens' doubts. A week earlier, ChaPanda had just apologized after a blogger's undercover investigation exposed the use of expired materials with replaced labels. In fact, since the beginning of this year, ChaPanda has been found multiple times in surprise inspections by market regulatory authorities in various places to have issues such as incomplete health certificates and expired raw materials. Although the brand emphasized that it had investigated and rectified stores nationwide, the frequent food safety hazards still make consumers worried. [more…]

The new-style tea beverage industry has once again exposed food safety issues. Naxue's Tea's Shanghai East Changzhi Road store was fined and had its illegal gains confiscated by the Hongkou District Market Supervision Administration because the freshly made and sold Golden Mountain Treasure Tea exceeded the total bacterial count limit. Before this, the brand had already been exposed by the media multiple times for chaotic store hygiene, even alarming the State Administration for Market Regulation. From Xinhua reporters' undercover investigations to tea beverage brands frequently trending on social media across various regions, consumers pay high prices but do not necessarily receive matching safety guarantees. This article will sort out the ins and outs of this penalty, review the food safety crisis Naxue's Tea encountered this year, and ask: after tea beverage brands apologize, compensate, and rectify, have the fundamental problems actually been solved? [more…]

As autumn arrives, a ginkgo-themed café in Shanghai's Lujiazui has quickly gone viral on social media. The ground covered in golden fallen leaves and the Korean-style ambiance have captured the hearts of countless netizens, who have rushed to visit and take photos. However, reality has left many crying foul — the leaves haven't turned yellow, the place is packed with people, the queues are endless, and the online photos are seriously at odds with the actual scene. Is this the work of filters, or simply bad timing? This article takes you through the truth behind this photo-op frenzy and explores the phenomenon behind café check-in culture. [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…]

Shanghai's food and beverage industry is steadily resuming work and reopening, but some stores have neglected food safety, a bottom line, amid the busyness. Recently, law enforcement officers from the Jing'an District Market Supervision Bureau found during an inspection that the Manner Coffee Wujiang Road store had problems such as dirty and messy environmental hygiene and food not being stored according to regulations. Waste was scattered on the floor at the scene, food for sale was placed directly on the ground, and Meiji milk that needed refrigeration was also left casually. Because it is suspected of violating relevant provisions of the Food Safety Law, the store has been officially placed under investigation. The regulatory authorities remind food and beverage units to strictly fulfill their primary responsibilities and ensure the safety of meals served. [more…]

Recently, McDonald's set up a rather abstract "8 AM crowd" photo spot at Chaoyangmen Station on Beijing Subway Line 6, where giant hands holding a burger and a latte extend from a keyboard, sparking heated discussion among commuters. This installation is an event site created by McDonald's to promote its "15 yuan freshly ground coffee breakfast combo," located on the basement level of China Central Place. Since its official announcement on February 21, the combo has attracted many consumers to repurchase thanks to a discount of nearly 50%, and pop-up photo spots have been launched in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, and other places. This article will walk you through the details of this abstract installation, netizens' reactions, and the specific content and promotional layout of McCafe's breakfast campaign. [more…]

Recently, a limited-time pop-up coffee shop in Shanghai drew curious onlookers with a menu item priced at 359 yuan: the "Fun Magnolia Latte." This coffee pop-up, opened by the British toy brand Jellycat, doesn't actually sell real coffee but instead offers cute plush toys. After customers place an order, staff complete the "making" and packaging through a simulated scene. This theatrical, performance-style service has become a hallmark of the brand. Some find it awkward, while others thoroughly enjoy it. This article will walk you through how this unique "coffee shop" operates and the heated discussions among netizens about this phenomenon. [more…]

China's coffee consumption market continues to expand, with an average annual growth rate exceeding 15%, and coffee fairs and cultural festivals are emerging in endless succession across the country. Jiangmen, Guangdong recently held a Coffee Culture Week, attracting more than 150 coffee brands to exhibit, but what is even more noteworthy is the astonishing growth of coffee shops in this city—by the end of last year, the number had surpassed 1,500, with more than 400 new ones added during the year, an increase of over 35%. In the "2022 Top 100 Ranking of Chinese Cities by Number of Coffee Shops," Jiangmen ranked 21st nationwide, with 3.8 cafes per 10,000 people, a density that has already surpassed first-tier cities such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. Behind this phenomenon lies not only the profound accumulation of coffee culture in this century-old hometown of overseas Chinese, but also the combined impetus of returning young entrepreneurs starting businesses and chain brands pursuing a downward-market expansion strategy. This article will analyze the multiple factors behind the rapid rise of Jiangmen's coffee market and explore the future trajectory of involution in the industry. [more…]

Meitu, Inc. recently teamed up with Suzhou-based coffee brand Algebraist to open Fujian's first co-branded coffee shop inside the Meitu Building in Xiamen. This store is not only a key step for Algebraist in expanding beyond Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, but also an aesthetic coffee space that Meitu has created for its new headquarters. The interior design balances comfort and visual experience, while also serving as a window to showcase Meitu's brand image and the building's character. This collaboration is not Meitu's first foray into the coffee sector — back in 2022 during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the two parties launched a co-branded coffee gift box that garnered considerable attention. Thanks to their prior rapport, this co-branded store has achieved a deep integration in aesthetic expression. For coffee enthusiasts, this adds yet another distinctive spot worth visiting; however, since it is located inside an office building and closed on weekends, those planning to check it out should keep the timing in mind. [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…]

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…]

Peet's Coffee's first store in South China—the Shenzhen MixC World branch—officially closed after business hours on July 16 this year, and the original site has been taken over by a chain tea beverage brand from Suzhou. This store, which had been open for nearly four years, once attracted a large number of coffee lovers to check in, and built up a loyal customer base with consistent quality and a comfortable environment. Unexpectedly, no closure notice was posted before the store shut down, and many regular customers were unable to say goodbye in time. At the same time, Peet's stores in Shenzhen, Shanghai and many other places have also quietly withdrawn from shopping malls, sparking speculation about adjustments to its market layout. The brand responded that the Shenzhen MixC World store closed because its lease expired, but the successive closures still leave some consumers worried. [more…]

In the Year of the Rabbit Spring Festival, KFC K Coffee partnered with Wei Chuan to launch its first juice coffee, "Bunny Loves Carrot Americano," combining carrot fruit-and-vegetable juice with Arabica coffee liquid, priced at 19 yuan, and available in limited release in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen starting February 20. This drink quickly sparked a check-in craze thanks to its quirky combination, but reviews have been polarized: carrot lovers highly recommend it, while more people call it a total miss. This article will comprehensively analyze this cup of "carrot Americano" from the perspectives of product information, taste testing, and netizen feedback, and explore the market prospects of vegetables in coffee. [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…]

Following the case of Shuyi Burning Grass Jelly, the Shanghai Consumer Council on March 13 once again turned its attention to the internet-famous tea beverage brand More Yogurt, focusing on the ingredient composition of its "Mango Yogurt Smoothie." Testing by the Consumer Council found that the drink contained only a small amount of yogurt yet had unusually high fat content, and despite being labeled as having no added sugar, sucrose and maltose were still detected. The Consumer Council questioned the source of this excess fat and sugar and demanded that More Yogurt explain to consumers "what was added." The incident quickly sparked widespread discussion and trended on Weibo. This article sorts through the testing data and science popularization information released by the Consumer Council to present the full picture of the incident. For readers interested in coffee and beverage industry trends, Front Street Coffee also continues to follow such food safety topics and advocates transparent consumption. [more…]