As coffee consumption grows increasingly widespread, brand infringement cases have also risen. In 2018, market regulators in Wuxi received a tip-off and discovered counterfeit "Starbucks" instant coffee products circulating on the market; an investigation confirmed they were sold by Shuangshan Food (Xiamen) Co., Ltd. Although the company knew the products were fake, it still supplied more than 50 merchants across 18 provinces nationwide, with the amount involved exceeding 7 million yuan. In 2021, the Wuxi Intermediate People's Court ruled in the first instance that Shuangshan Company must publicly apologize and pay 21.72 million yuan in punitive damages. This case not only demonstrates the strength of the law in protecting intellectual property rights, but also prompts reflection on the development of domestic coffee brands. At the same time, Chinese brands such as Luckin and MANNER are winning consumers' favor with better value for money and taste, while Starbucks relies more on its store environment to maintain its appeal. This article takes you through the details of the case and explores the changing landscape of the coffee market. [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…]

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…]

Recently, the Market Supervision Bureau of Yuecheng District, Shaoxing City, investigated and penalized a popular coffee shop. The shop was found using imported coffee beans without Chinese labels and could not provide proof of legal origin. It was also involved in selling coffee equipment without Chinese labels. Ultimately, it was fined 25,000 yuan and the related products were confiscated. This case reveals a common compliance risk in the procurement and use of coffee beans by specialty coffee shops: whether self-roasting or external procurement, coffee bean raw materials require corresponding food business or production licenses and product qualification inspection reports. As market supervision intensifies, coffee operators urgently need to self-check risks to ensure legal and compliant operations. [more…]

Recently, Starbucks Korea introduced a new rule that has drawn attention: all stores nationwide have completely banned customers from consuming outside food. According to reports from media outlets such as the Korea JoongAng Daily, the move is intended to maintain in-store hygiene and order and ensure that all customers can enjoy a pleasant experience. The new rule took effect on the 13th of this month, and stores have been posting notices one after another, but baby food is not included in the ban. Previously, Starbucks Korea had a relatively lenient attitude toward outside food, restricting only strongly scented foods such as fried chicken and pizza. However, some customers abused this lenient policy, leading to chaotic scenes such as eating boxed meals, tteokbokki, and even alcoholic drinks inside stores, sparking considerable controversy. Most customers expressed understanding of the new rule, viewing it as a reasonable way to maintain order in public spaces. Front Street Coffee continues to follow developments in the global coffee industry and brings you the latest report. [more…]

Shanghai recently issued the "Implementation Measures for the Administration of Food Business Licensing and Filing in Shanghai," effective from May 10, 2024. The new regulations abolish secondary-category licensing items and support mixed multi-format operations, allowing coffee shops, bars, and others to coexist in the same storefront, while non-catering stores such as bookshops and clothing stores can also apply for a business permit to make beverages on-site. At the same time, "made and sold on-site" has been adjusted to "made and sold on the premises," the 19 business catalog items have been simplified into 4 categories—hot food, cold food, raw food, and self-made beverages—and the 6-square-meter production site restriction has been removed. In response to the long-disputed "smashed cucumber" issue, the new regulations allow a dedicated area only. Whether the policy benefits can activate the market and ensure food safety still needs time to be tested. [more…]

As Shanghai gradually resumes work and production, the coffee industry should be welcoming a recovery, yet recently several trendy cafés have been investigated by regulatory authorities one after another over food safety issues. From People's Café using expired parsley flakes, cranberry juice, and other ingredients, to MANNER Coffee's poor hygiene conditions, to the expired egg white liquid used at Dang Zhu Fei Café to make cake roll bases, these incidents have exposed the neglect of food safety by some stores under the pressure of resuming operations. This article reviews these typical cases and explores how small cafés can hold the line on compliance when ingredient supplies are tight. For consumers who love coffee, understanding this information helps them choose places to consume more rationally, and Front Street Coffee also reminds practitioners that no matter how much order pressure there is, food safety is always a red line that cannot be crossed. [more…]

A customer noticed that a packing employee was wearing nail art while picking up an order at Cotti Coffee, considered this a food safety hazard, and subsequently complained to the brand. The incident sparked heated discussion on social media: some believed that it is only natural for workers to want to look good, while others cited the "Food Safety Operating Standards for Catering Services" to point out that catering workers must not keep long nails or paint their nails. Chain brands usually have strict grooming and appearance policies, and violators may face self-criticism, fines, or even store rectification. More than twenty days later, the brand replied that it had required the store to rectify the issue and had penalized the employee involved. Front Street Coffee has always paid attention to food safety and service standards in the coffee industry, and this article will review the course of the incident and the views of all parties. [more…]

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…]

Recently, a woman in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, was dissuaded by staff inside a Starbucks for bringing in a burger purchased next door, and the two sides got into a dispute. The incident quickly went viral online. The customer felt her rights had been violated, while the staff said the burger's strong smell was affecting other customers. Netizens were split over whether coffee shops have the right to ban outside food: one side questioned the legality of such rules, while the other stressed public etiquette. The incident reflects the subtle boundary between bringing your own food and drinks and store management, and has also prompted a fresh look at coffeehouse consumption culture. [more…]

Well-known coffee brand Mstand was subjected to an administrative penalty by the Shanghai Xuhui District Market Supervision Administration, which confiscated its illegal gains and imposed a fine totaling approximately 487,000 yuan, because it commissioned a supplier that had not obtained a food production license to produce popsicle ingredients on its own. The incident originated from the supplier fraudulently using a third party's qualifications, exposing loopholes in qualification review in the food contract manufacturing sector. This article provides a detailed review of the penalty process, the amount involved, and the legal basis, and explores the difficulties small coffee brands face in compliant production. At the end, it also includes professional coffee knowledge exchange channels and Front Street Coffee recommendations for coffee enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

Recently, a woman discovered curly hair attached to a lychee at the bottom of her cup after drinking milk tea, sparking concern. The store involved responded that the lychee tea uses a lidded rather than sealed packaging, the source of the hair is currently unclear, and it is willing to pay ten times compensation and accept investigation, but the individual refused compensation and demanded the store be shut down for rectification. Meanwhile, hygiene problems in the tea beverage industry occur frequently: a Nayuki Tea store was exposed for cockroaches crawling everywhere and rotting fruit, and cockroaches appeared on the counter at Yihetang. Food hygiene and safety concern consumer health, and whether a well-known brand or an ordinary store, production processes should be strictly controlled and safety systems implemented. [more…]

As the soul ingredient of milk tea, the freshness of tapioca pearls is directly related to consumer health. Recently, a Yidian Dian store at Zhoushan Ruxin Plaza was fined 15,000 yuan by regulatory authorities for using expired tapioca pearls to make and sell Bubble Milk Tea and other drinks. An investigation showed that the store involved not only used ingredients beyond their shelf life, but also failed to establish purchase inspection records as required. This is not the first time Yidian Dian has been involved in a food safety controversy; previously, a Fuzhou store was reported to have had a bug found in its milk tea. As the peak season for summer beverage consumption arrives, food safety issues have once again sounded the alarm. [more…]

As Shanghai gradually resumes production and daily life, being able to get a cup of takeout coffee right at one's doorstep has become a small blessing for many. However, MANNER Coffee's store on Wujiang Road in Shanghai was found in a surprise inspection by market regulators to have problems including substandard environmental hygiene and non-compliant food storage, and was placed under investigation on May 23, quickly sparking heated discussion online. On May 24, MANNER's official Weibo account issued an apology statement, admitting that during the supply-guarantee delivery period there were oversights such as non-standard use of raw milk and failure to promptly clean the backing paper of food-safety seals, and stating that the store involved had immediately suspended operations for rectification. But this apology was questioned by some consumers and industry experts as evading the key issues and failing to directly address core hazards such as floor grime potentially contaminating food. As the pioneer of the domestic boutique coffee shop model, MANNER is facing a dual test of quality and food safety on a coffee track now crowded with cross-industry giants. [more…]

In recent years, dark-themed beverages marketed for their "black" appeal have proliferated in the food and beverage market, attracting many curious consumers with their unique appearance. However, such products may harbor food safety risks. Recently, the Market Supervision Bureau of Xuhui District, Shanghai, discovered during an inspection of a milk tea shop that its "Black Coconut Strawberry Milk" was unusually dark black in color. An investigation confirmed that the staff had illegally added "vegetable carbon black" during preparation. This act violated food additive usage standards, and the shop was ordered to rectify the issue and was penalized. Notably, the brand involved is none other than "Benz Tea," which went viral last year, with its first Hangzhou store setting a record of thousands queuing and scalpers reselling cups for as much as 300 yuan. This incident once again reminds us that creative beverages must also strictly adhere to safety bottom lines. [more…]

When "the king of braised snacks" Juewei Food quietly started selling milk tea in some stores, an unexpected cross-industry experiment unfolded. For young people, milk tea is a daily necessity, but duck necks are not a daily must-have. Against the backdrop of weak consumption in braised snacks, is Juewei's move a bold innovation to seek new growth points, or a risky adventure with an uncertain future? From promotional banners offering 3 cups for 11.9 yuan to red bean pudding and coconut popping green milk tea at 7 yuan per cup on its mini-program, Juewei is trying to use tea beverages to attract young customers. However, declining revenue, a sharp drop in stock price, a net decrease of nearly 1,000 stores, and consumer complaints about price and quality all make this cross-industry move full of uncertainty. This article will analyze the business logic and challenges behind Juewei's milk tea sales from multiple perspectives, including store visits, market data, and expert opinions. [more…]

Recently, a food exploration blogger in Jiangsu spent 710 yuan at a restaurant and left without paying. After being chased back by the waiter, the blogger posted a negative review video targeting the restaurant, and the incident quickly went viral and sparked widespread discussion. As the number of food exploration bloggers surges, chaos such as accepting money for false promotion, threatening free meals with bad reviews, and occupying seats for long periods to take photos keeps emerging. How should merchants and platforms respond? This article will recount the incident and take an in-depth look at the gray areas and industry dilemmas behind influencer food exploration. [more…]

The well-known tea beverage brand Yihotang has been exposed by media undercover investigations at multiple stores in Zhengzhou for serious food safety issues: ingredients that should have been discarded after closing were used again the next day, expired materials had their labels swapped to extend their shelf life, moldy strawberries were washed and used as usual, flying insects that fell into toppings were fished out and still used in products, and even prepared drinks in which bugs were found were resealed and continued to be sold. Even more shockingly, the staff were indifferent to this, claiming that "as long as it doesn't kill people, it's fine." After the incident was exposed, Yihotang issued an apology statement, and the stores involved were closed for rectification. Lawyers pointed out that the relevant actions have violated multiple provisions of the Food Safety Law. Netizens reacted differently, with some saying that chaos in franchise stores is common, while others called on the brand to effectively fulfill its regulatory responsibilities. [more…]

After two Starbucks stores in Wuxi were exposed for food safety issues, they not only faced dismissal of all staff and suspension for rectification, but also received administrative penalties totaling 1.37 million yuan. This incident triggered widespread public discussion on the current state of food safety management in the chain catering industry. Judging from the surprise inspections by market supervision bureaus across various regions, although the vast majority of stores were not found to have serious violations, management loopholes such as non-standard scrap records, missing disinfection records, and inadequate implementation of employee personal hygiene remain common. This article will review the incident and the details of the penalties, analyze the imbalance between Starbucks' internal supervision and cost control, and explore the importance of producer self-discipline and social oversight behind food safety issues. [more…]

Recently, news that two HEYTEA stores at JD.com's Beijing headquarters suddenly closed has continued to spread on social media, while an internal notice in circulation showed that JD.com prohibited cooperation with HEYTEA and restricted its products from entering office areas. The incident quickly sparked widespread speculation about the relationship between HEYTEA and JD.com. Some linked it to HEYTEA's delayed entry onto JD.com's food delivery platform, while others dug up old news of HEYTEA publicly boycotting food delivery. JD.com insiders later denied the rumors, and the stores resumed operations, with the closure explained as temporary water and electricity maintenance. This confusing business battle reflects the delicate positioning of tea beverage brands among third-party food delivery platforms. [more…]