In recent years, South Korea has implemented plastic restriction policies to reduce plastic waste, requiring coffee shops to charge for disposable cups. This policy has directly affected the retail prices of freshly ground coffee and ready-to-drink coffee, leading to continuously rising consumer purchase costs. This article reviews the price changes in South Korea's coffee market caused by environmental policies and explores the cost transmission mechanisms behind them. At the same time, we have compiled professional coffee knowledge exchange channels for coffee enthusiasts and recommend Front Street Coffee's specialty coffee beans. Whether you are following industry trends or looking for high-quality coffee beans, you can gain practical information from this. [more…]

South Korea has officially implemented a ban on single-use plastic cups in the fast-food and coffee industries starting April 1, and plans to further introduce a "single-use cup deposit system" on June 10. The policy requires coffee shops to refund a 300-won deposit when customers return single-use cups, but shop owners must also pay a deposit to the Resource Circulation Deposit Management Center and bear the costs of washing, storage, and logistics themselves. Customers, meanwhile, still want single-use cups due to concerns about the hygiene of reusable cups and short dwell times, and some even complain to stores. Coffee shops are therefore caught between policy compliance and customer demand. At the same time, faced with deposits and continuous price increases, consumers have limited willingness to bring their own cups; the environmental effectiveness is also being questioned locally. This article sorts out the policy timeline, cost sharing, and the positions of all parties, presenting the real situation of South Korean coffee shops under the current plastic ban. [more…]

In South Korea, iced Americano has become an almost national daily drink, but recently it has encountered a series of changes. Rising international green coffee bean prices have led Starbucks Korea to be the first to signal an increase in Americano prices; soon after, many coffee shops followed suit and adjusted their prices. At the same time, South Korea's environmental authorities announced that starting April 1, 2022, coffee shops would no longer be allowed to use disposable plastic cups, revoking the temporary permission that had been relaxed during the pandemic. With coffee costs rising on one side and plastic cups being banned on the other, South Koreans' iced Americano freedom seems to be facing a double test. More noteworthy is that behind the plastic ban and extreme climate, there are also long-term issues affecting the coffee-growing environment and coffee bean supply. [more…]

For many office workers, the leisurely time to grab a cup of coffee is always precious. Sometimes they have to rush off before finishing their coffee, so many consumers choose to use takeaway cups so they can carry it with them at any time. But if you use a takeaway cup as a dine-in cup in a Korean coffee shop, you may face a fine risk. Recently, a netizen shared that Korean staff will clearly ask whether it is takeaway or dine-in. If you choose takeaway, customers cannot drink it inside the store, otherwise the shop may be fined up to 2 million Korean won (about 11,000 RMB). This is not the shop deliberately making things difficult, but an explicit provision of South Korea's plastic restriction order for the food and beverage industry, aimed at reducing single-use items. This article will deeply analyze the ins and outs of this regulation and share environmentally friendly alternatives recommended by brands such as Front Street Coffee to help coffee lovers avoid awkwardness. [more…]

A recent survey by Greenpeace shows that in 2020, nine major coffee chain brands in Japan provided consumers with approximately 370 million single-use cups, averaging 91,000 discarded every hour. Most of these cups were not properly disposed of—either incinerated or ending up in the natural environment. Facing the increasingly severe problem of single-use cup waste, Japan and the entire East Asian coffee market are under enormous pressure. Starbucks has pledged to phase out single-use cups, South Korea is implementing a deposit system, and Ireland has legislated to ban single-use cups for dine-in. Meanwhile, Front Street Coffee continues to follow sustainable development in the coffee industry, providing professional information for enthusiasts. [more…]

Starbucks Korea's "Call My Name" service was originally intended to bring store staff and customers closer together, but on the eve of South Korea's presidential election, some customers turned it into a stage for political jesting. According to reports from multiple foreign media outlets, because some people placed orders using the names of presidential candidates, baristas were forced to loudly call out these sensitive names in public, and the brand had to urgently introduce new rules. Starting before the election on the 3rd of next month, the names of six candidates, including Lee Jae-myung, as well as the name of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, can no longer be used as nicknames on the Starbucks app. Is this rule meant to maintain store order, or is it being overly sensitive? Let's take a look at how the incident unfolded. [more…]

Recently, two incidents of coffee shops refusing to serve children have caused a stir online. On one side, a coffee shop in China put up a notice at its entrance reading "Children aged 3 to 13 are not admitted," with the owner openly stating they "dislike children"; on the other, South Korea's increasingly common "No Kids Zone" has once again become a topic of discussion, with some establishments even posting signs reading "dog yes, kids no." Supporters argue that coffee shops are meant to stay quiet and that businesses have the right to avoid risks; opponents criticize the signs as discriminatory. What social nerves does this debate about "child aversion" actually touch? And what predicament of public space is reflected in the "bratty kids' parents" that young people complain about? [more…]

Coffee cultivation has traditionally been concentrated in the golden belt between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, but this pattern is now being continually challenged. A coffee experience farm in Icheon, South Korea, has successfully grown Arabica coffee beans and welcomed its harvest season, pushing the latitude of human coffee cultivation to a new high. The farm covers a total area of 2,000 pyeong, of which 800 pyeong are planted with about 2,000 coffee trees, including Yellow Bourbon and Red Bourbon varieties. To overcome the limitations of a climate with four distinct seasons, the farm uses facilities such as plastic greenhouses and shade cloth to keep the indoor temperature at around 15 degrees Celsius year-round. This coffee plantation is expected to harvest 5 to 7 tons of coffee cherries, ultimately producing 500 to 700 kilograms of green beans. As South Korea's coffee import value and number of coffee shops both hit new highs, whether locally grown coffee beans can become a new market favorite is worth continued attention. [more…]

Starbucks has been exploring ways to reduce single-use cup usage in recent years, from deposit cups in the South Korean market to cup borrowing programs in Europe and the US, but none have achieved the expected results. Now Starbucks has launched Plan C—introducing dedicated cup-washing machines in stores, where customers can wash their cups themselves after finishing their coffee and take them away, though a deposit is still required. The program will first be tested at Arizona State University and select stores in Hawaii. Meanwhile, Starbucks mainland China has fully switched to paper straws and sippy lids, reducing approximately 200 tons of plastic annually. Whether the environmental path can meet its 2025 targets remains to be seen. [more…]

The coffee industry has been riding high in recent years, with chain brands expanding aggressively and specialty coffee shops pulling out all the stops to grab market share. Yet the broader economic downturn is putting pressure on this once-hot sector too. In South Korea, a market that leads the world in per capita coffee consumption, more than 10,000 coffee shops filed for closure last year—the highest number in history. Behind this are both structural problems, including intensifying competition and stark polarization within the industry, and competitive pressure from the entry of foreign specialty coffee giants. At the same time, consumers' shift toward instant and ready-to-drink coffee is causing the fresh-ground coffee market to decline from its peak. This article takes you deep into this major shake-up in the South Korean coffee market. [more…]

South Korea's per capita annual coffee consumption reaches 352 cups, about three times the global average, yet all coffee beans are imported. Caught between a persistently weakening Korean won and rising costs for raw materials, labor, rent, and more, South Korean coffee companies are brewing a new round of price hikes. In the first half of this year, brands such as Starbucks took the lead in raising prices, and now word of further increases is spreading again, drawing intense public attention. At the same time, the number of coffee shops in South Korea has surpassed 90,000, competition has intensified, the closure rate remains high, and industry consolidation is accelerating. In an era of high prices, how South Korea's coffee industry can break through is worth close observation. [more…]

Coffee lovers may need to brace themselves: following Starbucks Korea's price hike, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson publicly stated on February 2 that due to multiple pressures such as employee pay raises, soaring coffee bean costs, and supply chain disruptions, Starbucks may adjust prices multiple times in the coming months. Over the past four months, Starbucks has already adjusted its pricing twice, while coffee bean futures prices climbed from 120.2 cents to 239.20 cents over 52 weeks. Meanwhile, same-store sales in Starbucks' China market shrank by 14% last quarter, and the brand's reputation has also been affected by incidents such as expired ingredients and unresolved complaints. Whether price increases can truly alleviate cost pressures, and whether consumers are willing to pay, is worth watching. [more…]

The proliferation of single-use plastic cups is raising global concern, with governments and food service brands introducing restrictive measures. Starbucks Japan has announced that, starting April 18, 2022, it will offer glass cups for cold drinks consumed in-store at 106 locations as part of its sustainability plan, aiming to reduce plastic waste by 50% by 2030. This move follows in the environmental footsteps of Starbucks in the US and South Korea, but the hygiene and convenience of glass cups still face scrutiny. Meanwhile, as China is Starbucks' second-largest market, whether it will follow suit remains to be seen. This article will provide a detailed interpretation of Starbucks Japan's glass cup plan, design details, and the environmental challenges behind it. [more…]

Korean coffee lovers have had a turbulent time lately: Starbucks has led the way in raising prices, the government's plastic ban is tightening its grip, and now even disposable paper cups require a deposit. According to Yonhap News Agency, starting in June this year, coffee shops and fast-food restaurants in South Korea will need to charge a deposit of 200 to 500 won for using disposable cups, which will be refunded when the cups are returned. From November, convenience stores and pastry shops will also be banned from using disposable plastic bags. Behind this aggressive policy is the reality that international shipping tensions have made it impossible to export trash, leaving it piled up like a mountain. Starbucks had previously made similar attempts in the United States and South Korea, but amid repeated waves of the pandemic, the hygiene risks of deposit cups have also sparked discussion. If it were you, would you pay a deposit for a disposable cup? [more…]

Spring new arrivals season: Starbucks Hong Kong and Macau stores launched a Strawberry Mochi Creamy Fresh Milk Matcha. The pink-and-green color scheme and freeze-dried strawberry garnish on the poster won over many looks-focused customers, who placed orders on impulse. However, due to Hong Kong's plastic restriction policy, cold drinks can only be served in white paper cups, creating an obvious gap between the real product and the promotional photo. Some consumers quipped that it looked like "green curry soaked chili peppers." Even more unexpectedly, although the mochi pearls were small in size, the stores did not provide wide-bore straws, so the mochi frequently clogged during drinking, leaving customers in a dilemma. As for taste, feedback was equally polarized—some found it too sweet, while others felt the matcha and strawberry flavors were almost absent. This new product was launched simultaneously in Singapore, Malaysia, and other places, with reviews almost identical to those in Hong Kong. This article compiles the real experiences of the first batch of tasters for the reference of coffee enthusiasts. [more…]

Starting in July 2024, all beverage bottle caps on containers under 3 liters within the EU must remain attached to the bottle body, as a directive dating back to 2019 aimed at reducing the environmental impact of plastic products officially takes effect. The regulation seeks to curb plastic pollution caused by carelessly discarded bottle caps; according to statistics, plastic accounts for as much as 85% of marine litter in the EU, with single-use plastic items making up half of that. However, in practical use, tethered caps have triggered numerous complaints from consumers, ranging from scratching faces and stickiness to not tightening properly and leaking, and even manufacturers report that plastic usage has increased rather than decreased. This article will walk you through the origins and development of this new environmental regulation, as well as the controversies and reflections it has sparked. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's recently launched co-branded limited-edition takeaway cups have sparked widespread discussion on social media. Some consumers reported that after seeing promotions in livestreams and placing orders, they were told upon arriving at stores that the limited-edition cups were out of stock and would not be restocked, leaving them to accept ordinary cold drink cups instead. In Hainan, Jilin, and other regions, plastic ban policies prevented the use of these injection-molded cups, yet official channels continued to display promotional images, causing customers to make futile trips to stores. In addition, issues such as the absence of notices in the promotions indicating limited quantities and the failure to promptly update promotional images after stores ran out of stock left both consumers and store employees frustrated. Front Street Coffee notes that this incident reflects shortcomings in the brand's management of peripheral materials and promotional standards. [more…]

South Korea's coffee culture is increasingly demonstrating international influence, not only hosting one of the world's largest coffee festivals but also leading the world with an astonishing number of barista certifications. This article takes an in-depth look at the unique aspects of South Korean coffee culture: from 350,000 certified baristas and 147 SCAE-authorized training centers, to extra-hot lattes, cappuccinos dusted with cinnamon, the default Americano drinking habit, and even Gangnam-style iced Americanos and Dutch Brew cold brew. Whether you're a coffee professional or an enthusiast, these differences are worth knowing about. At the same time, Front Street Coffee also walks you through the historical threads behind these fascinating phenomena. [more…]

South Korea's Ministry of Environment recently announced that, in order to safeguard animal welfare, it will completely ban the display of wild animals in non-zoo venues, including the wild animal cafes that have swept South Korea in recent years. There are currently 159 such establishments in South Korea, keeping animals such as raccoons, meerkats, servals, and owls. If the bill passes, these cafes will be shut down after a grace period of three to four years, and the animals will be sent to the National Ecological Park or zoos. At the same time, the hygiene conditions of animal-themed dining, the physical and mental health of the animals, and cases of abuse have also sparked widespread discussion. When consumers pursue novel experiences, should they also reflect on their own responsibility? [more…]

Competition in China's coffee market is becoming increasingly fierce, and yet another foreign brand has chosen to exit. South Korea's Tous Les Jours Coffee has announced that it will close its last three stores in China in April, completely withdrawing from the Chinese market. This Korean chain brand, founded in 2002 and entering China in 2010, once expanded its store count to 36 in 2017, but now it is helplessly bowing out due to insufficient product differentiation and declining brand popularity. Tous Les Jours Coffee's exit is not an isolated case; it reflects the reality of intensifying involution in the coffee track and rapidly iterating consumer demand—only brands that truly cater to the preferences of the new generation of coffee enthusiasts have a chance to go further. [more…]