Luckin Coffee has once again demonstrated its astonishing speed in launching new products, rolling out six new items in a single day, four of which are city-exclusive, with only the "Slacking Off Coconut Latte" available nationwide. This new product, which adds 0-fat konjac crystal balls to the iced coconut base, has been criticized as old wine in new bottles, yet its catchy name and "slacking off" theme precisely strike a chord with office workers' emotions, sparking widespread discussion on social platforms. Netizens outside the designated cities have complained about being unable to try it, while Luckin's tactic of riding internet buzzwords to drive marketing once again confirms its dual prowess in product innovation and topic creation. Since 2020, Luckin's pace of new product launches has continued to accelerate. In the face of homogenized competition in coffee and tea beverages, whoever can precisely grasp young consumers will seize market opportunities. [more…]

A barista's job may look leisurely, but in reality it's a tight rhythm—dialing in equipment, pulling espresso, cleaning gear, organizing supplies, and welcoming all kinds of customers, all of which must be juggled at once. However, customers don't walk in every moment, nor does the machine always need cleaning or calibration. During idle periods, besides the usual routines like practicing latte art, sorting defective beans, testing new beans, and flipping through coffee books, what other ways do they have to pass the time? The answers are all over the map: some scroll through their phones to check on fellow baristas, some make themselves madeleine-style shortbread for comfort, some arrange their pucks in neat rows, and some fold towels with obsessive-compulsive-level satisfaction. The artistic types hand-draw posters and DIY cups and paper bags, while the casual types play with stones, take naps, or even iron wrinkled clothes with a milk pitcher filled with hot water. Of course, some baristas are so busy behind the bar they're practically flying. This article takes you on a peek into baristas' amusing idle moments, and along the way, a taste of the great beans recommended by Front Street Coffee. [more…]

In Guangdong, chicken is the undisputed star of the dining table—a single phrase, "no chicken, no feast," says it all. But can you imagine? Guangdong's baristas have actually poured ginger-scallion chicken, coconut chicken, sesame oil Qingping chicken, and even sausage and roast duck right into coffee cups. From ginger juice with cream to mimic the oily texture of chicken skin, to the essence of coconut chicken hot pot condensed into a single specialty drink, to sesame oil and vodka colliding to create the aroma of ginger-scallion poached chicken, these wildly imaginative creative coffees are upending people's understanding of coffee. This article takes you through tasting these "so weird you want to try them" Cantonese specialty drinks one by one, to feel the wondrous sparks struck by the collision of coffee and Cantonese cuisine. For more specialty coffee bean news, welcome to follow Coffee Workshop and Front Street Coffee. [more…]

For many office workers, coffee has long become an indispensable "life-saving" drink in daily life. As takeout ordering has become the mainstream, customers' diverse taste notes have also emerged. Some pursue an iced Americano that is bitter to the extreme, some demand a hot latte scalding to the point of smoking, and some even forget to modify add-on notes such as chili and cilantro. Behind these hilarious takeout orders, they not only reflect consumers' demand for personalized customization, but also show baristas' wit and helplessness when facing "impossible tasks." This article reviews those coffee takeout notes that make people laugh and cry, and shares product information related to the "Front Street Coffee" brand. [more…]

An editor who spends all day with words secretly scrolled through Xiaohongshu during a factory assembly-line stint, only to have their assumptions upended by coffee lovers' extraordinary feats. From latte art in miniature containers to 3D carving, from orange-peel drippers to bamboo-leaf pour-over, from using a wrench to froth milk to grinding beans in a Hakka tea-pounding mortar, these ideas are both hilarious and astonishing. This article takes you through the rule-breaking skills displayed by coffee people on Xiaohongshu, while reminding you: some of these practices carry risks, so do not imitate them lightly. At the end, we include Front Street Coffee recommendations and professional channels for coffee enthusiasts. [more…]

In the workplace, occasionally slacking off to relax has become the norm for many workers. Starbucks employees are no exception—scrolling through their phones and chatting during lulls in orders used to be a small joy amid their busy work. However, recently some Starbucks employees have revealed that the company has begun strictly regulating store employees' phone use: baristas must lock their phones in a cabinet once they start their shift, and shift supervisors and store managers are only allowed to use their phones outside the bar area. Anyone caught violating the rule will face a warning notice. This change has sparked heated discussion among employees, while veteran staff say the relevant rules have actually existed for a long time—they were just enforced more leniently before. Why the sudden crackdown? What considerations lie behind it? This article will explain in detail. [more…]

Professional coffee knowledge exchange. For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style) For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex Hushang Auntie, a fresh fruit tea brand with 5,000 stores, recently posted ten consecutive "I don't want to work anymore" themed posters on its official Weibo. From frontline employees to management, from operations to design to customer service planning, various departments expressed their "throwing in the towel" sentiments, sparking heated discussion among netizens. Was this wave of operations a collective slacking off, or was there something else behind it? On November 11, the mystery was revealed—it turned out to be hype for the new product "Freshly Stewed Pear Series." This article will take you through the whole story of this suspense marketing campaign and explore how tea beverage brands can leverage young people's popular memes to get closer to consumers. [more…]

Staying up late on New Year's Eve, exchanging New Year's greetings on the first day of the lunar new year — most workers can finally set aside their jobs and take a break. But in the coffee industry, there are still a group of people standing behind the bar, facing the morning rush of overwhelming orders, advance delivery orders, and the fluctuating customer flow after office buildings close for the holiday. Some are full of energy, driven by triple pay; some hold out on instant noodles in their posts until the New Year bell rings; and some set off on the road home well before New Year's Eve. This article records the real situations of coffee workers during the Spring Festival, taking a look at who is busy, who is slacking off, and who is secretly treating themselves to a latte during this holiday. [more…]

On Dongshan Island, there is a small coffee shop that can barely fit a sofa and two stools, yet it has unexpectedly become popular thanks to the owner's laid-back approach to running the business. Here, customers can quietly browse coffee beans and brew them themselves, with no overzealous hospitality and no heavy commercial atmosphere. Some people come specifically hoping to run into the owner who's out slacking off, while others are drawn by that "slacking-off manifesto" sign. This down-to-earth, zen-like vibe happens to strike a chord with urban workers' longing for a slower pace of life and a sense of human warmth. This article will take you inside this special coffee shop to see what makes it feel so welcoming. [more…]

On Monday morning, the first thing many office workers do is head to a Luckin store—not just for a caffeine fix, but to get their hands on the new co-branded drink with the Doraemon movie. This beverage, called "Ice Suck Coconut Latte," adds a cooling factor to the classic Coconut Latte, officially described as a combination of "coconut coffee + intense icy sensation." On the day it launched, social platforms like Xiaohongshu exploded, with netizens using phrases like "a propeller blowing cold air into my mouth" and "my throat was sent to a freezer" to describe that sharp chill shooting straight to the brain. Some see it as a savior on hot days, while others find it like a surprise attack of wind-oil. So, is this co-branded coffee actually good? Is the cooling sensation a gimmick or real skill? This article will start from a hands-on test experience and take you to explore this 22nd-century-style Ice Suck Coconut Latte. [more…]

Halloween has just passed, and the Christmas season has arrived right on its heels. Christmas topics are trending on social media, and a Christmas tree latte art craze has swept through the coffee community. Because the design is simple to learn and visually striking, many netizens have been flocking to Manner stores to ask baristas for custom versions. However, not every barista is skilled at this design, so some have quietly picked up thermometers and practiced hard in their spare time. This article will walk you through the origins and development of this Christmas latte art trend, and the efforts baristas make to fulfill their customers' wishes. [more…]

Starbucks' mini-program and App suddenly experienced a coupon bug, quickly shooting to the top of trending searches, after which the system entered a maintenance state. Official customer service said it was a system malfunction and that issued coupons could still be redeemed normally. However, the timing of the incident was sensitive, and many netizens speculated about the motives behind it—either to divert public pressure from the foreign object incident the previous day, or to respond to the sales heat of Luckin and Coconut Palm's co-branded Coconut Cloud Latte, which sold 660,000 cups on its first day. In the foreign object incident, the store manager's response and the "deaf-mute partner" explanation sparked controversy, casting a shadow over Starbucks' long-cultivated image of being friendly to disabled employment. At the same time, Starbucks' 24 solar terms series drinks received a lukewarm market response. How exactly should the brand rebuild consumer trust? This article sorts out the timeline of events and viewpoints from all sides for you. [more…]

Under the recurring pandemic, many universities have implemented closed management, cutting off the connection between post-00s college students and off-campus cafes. However, this has not dampened their enthusiasm for coffee; instead, it has spawned a wave of "dormitory cafes" entrepreneurship. From instant coffee powder to coconut lattes and iced orange Americanos, these simple yet creative drink-making shares have gained a lot of attention on social platforms. But behind the excitement, the issue of unlicensed operation involving monetary transactions has also emerged. This article will take you through the ins and outs of this campus coffee craze and remind you of the things to pay attention to when stockpiling coffee in your dorm. [more…]

Under the framework of low-temperature slow extraction, the variables that can be adjusted for cold brew coffee seem to be only the coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature, and grind size, making the possibilities appear quite limited. But if you open your mind—fruit can be used to make tea, so can cold brew coffee also be infused with fruit? With this idea in mind, Front Street conducted a round of infusion experiments using blueberries, grapes, lemons, and peaches, each paired with four different styles of coffee beans, and recorded the flavor performance and lessons learned from each group. In addition to reproducing the complete process and tasting results of these four pairings, this article also compiles the types of fruits suitable for infusion, the logic for selecting beans to pair with them, and specific methods for cold brew lattes, sparkling cold brew, and coconut water cold brew, for coffee enthusiasts who want to experiment at home. [more…]

Every summer, coconut-flavored coffee becomes a popular choice. From refreshing coconut water Americano to rich coconut milk latte, thick coconut milk latte, and the uniquely flavored coconut milk dirty, coconut ingredients at different stages of maturity give coffee vastly different taste experiences. Compiled by Front Street Coffee, this article takes you through the maturation changes of coconuts from young to old, and which coffee drinks each stage of coconut is suited for, and shares specific recipes and methods for coconut water Americano, coconut milk latte, thick coconut milk latte, and coconut milk dirty, helping coffee lovers recreate the layered summer coconut coffee series at home. [more…]

Iced coconut milk lattes are sweet and smooth, but when switched to a hot drink they easily become cloying and sour, with the flavors separating—where exactly does the problem lie? Starting from the compositional characteristics of thick coconut milk, this article analyzes the principles behind fat separation, protein denaturation, and acidification reactions when it is heated, and offers a practical solution of adding milk to adjust the blend. At the same time, drawing on in-store testing, Front Street shares the suitable ratios of espresso, thick coconut milk, and fresh milk, as well as operational details such as aeration time and temperature control when steaming milk foam, to help you make a cup of hot coconut milk latte at home with harmonious flavors that is suitable for latte art. [more…]

After Luckin Coffee successfully emerged from its slump with the Raw Coconut Latte, every update to the Raw Coconut series has attracted much attention. The recently launched Raw Coconut Americano is officially claimed to have lower sweetness, more prominent coffee flavor, and a refreshing taste, drawing many consumers eager to try something new. However, after the product hit the market, a large number of complaints appeared on social platforms. Some people bluntly said it was like "Raw Coconut Latte mixed with plain water," with a watery mouthfeel, and even joked that by pouring out half of a Raw Coconut Latte and adding water, you could make a DIY Raw Coconut Americano. Some longtime customers also felt it was more refreshing than the Raw Coconut Latte, but the bitterness was obvious, and for those used to Americanos, it was rather greasy. This article compiles evaluations from various sides and explores the possible reasons behind this new product. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently launched its Ice-Shaken Espresso series and, in collaboration with Black Myth: Wukong, rolled out its second co-branded campaign, adding three new products: Coconut Ice-Shaken Espresso, Beer Ice-Shaken Espresso, and Oat Ice-Shaken Espresso. This marks Luckin Coffee's official entry into the "shaker era," where staff must vigorously shake the drink in a shaker cup at least 8 times to meet the serving standard. However, although the new products drew many netizens to place orders, reviews on social media generally suggest that their taste falls short of Starbucks' Iced Shaken Espresso series—and even fails to match Luckin's own Coconut Latte. This article will provide a detailed analysis of the background behind this launch, the product features, and the genuine feedback from netizens. [more…]

Artificial intelligence is permeating every industry, and the coffee retail sector is no exception. Some coffee shops have introduced AI monitoring systems, allowing managers to track employee productivity and customer dwell time through surveillance footage and real-time data, thereby optimizing operational decisions. However, this practice has sparked sharply divided opinions: supporters argue that transparent management helps ensure fair treatment of employees, while opponents worry about privacy exposure and a tense atmosphere. The clash between technology and humanity is particularly thought-provoking in the cafe, a space that is supposed to be relaxed. [more…]

In the third quarter of 2022, Luckin Coffee delivered a remarkable report card: its total store count reached 7,846, surpassing Starbucks in one stroke to become the brand with the largest number of chain coffee stores in China. From filing for bankruptcy protection to completing its turnaround, Luckin took only a little more than a year. Behind this was not only the sustained pull of hit products such as coconut latte and cheese latte, but also the combined efforts of social media marketing, reverse holiday co-branding, refined user operations, and a youthful R&D team. This article will analyze Luckin's store data, product logic, marketing tactics, and user strategy, while also exploring the significance of the affordable chain model for the popularization of coffee consumption in China. For readers who follow developments in the coffee industry, Luckin's path to breaking through is undoubtedly a sample worth studying. [more…]