Peet's Coffee's "Cheese Molecule" series is now in its third year, and the newly launched "Pistachio Cocoa Latte" is inspired by Dubai chocolate, blending cocoa, espresso, cheese cream, and crushed pistachios. However, after the new product hit the shelves, the buyer photos shared by consumers sparked heated discussion—the coffee covered in crushed pistachios was jokingly compared to Tianjin miancha, gabacai, or even sesame paste, and the takeout version, where customers sprinkle the nut crumbs themselves, looked even more like a multigrain porridge. Beyond the appearance controversy, some pointed out that the nut crumbs create an odd texture, while others felt the taste was acceptable once the lid was on. So how does this new product actually perform? Let's take a look at everyone's real feedback. [more…]

There has been a new development in the trust dispute case between Luckin Coffee (China) Co., Ltd. and Yousheng (Tianjin) Technology Development Co., Ltd., Yousheng Chengyi (Tianjin) Information Technology Co., Ltd., and Shenzhou Ucar Co., Ltd. Dissatisfied with the first-instance civil judgment, Luckin Coffee has filed an appeal with the court. The case involves a repurchase price of over 560 million yuan plus interest, and the focal point of the dispute is whether Shenzhou Ucar should bear the shortfall top-up liability. This article will sort out the background of the case, the first-instance judgment, and Luckin Coffee's appeal requests to help readers understand this closely watched commercial dispute. Follow Coffee Workshop and Front Street Coffee for more professional coffee industry news. [more…]

Recently, a milk tea brand in Tianjin trended on Weibo and sparked widespread discussion because the sealing film on its drinks featured the rare character "嬲 (niǎo)." Many netizens pointed out that in the Tianjin dialect, this character carries an indecent or even insulting meaning, making some consumers uncomfortable. Although the brand's original intention may have been to promote awareness of rare characters, the note on the packaging that it is "mostly used as a dirty word" further fueled the controversy. On May 4, the merchant publicly apologized and said it had uniformly destroyed the sealing films printed with the character and would no longer use them. As coffee lovers, Front Street Coffee also took note of this incident, reminding the beverage industry to be more cautious in packaging design to avoid misunderstandings caused by cultural differences or dialect ambiguity. [more…]

In recent years, animal-themed experience venues such as cat cafes and pet-friendly restaurants have rapidly gained popularity in cities, becoming a go-to escape for many office workers seeking to relieve stress. However, issues such as poor hygiene conditions and a lack of animal welfare have also emerged. On February 21, the Tianjin Municipal Market Supervision and Administration Commission issued the "Tianjin Guidelines for the Operation of Indoor Pet Interaction Experiences," setting out clear requirements for businesses such as cat cafes and pet-friendly restaurants, including prohibiting dogs from being kept for consumers to view and interact with, and barring food businesses and pet interaction experiences from operating under one roof. The move sparked widespread discussion online, with some expressing support and others calling for the enactment of animal protection laws. Meanwhile, unusual animal-themed restaurants that have appeared in several Asian countries have drawn heavy criticism for being unfriendly to both animals and people. Front Street Coffee believes that regulated operation and the safeguarding of animal welfare should go hand in hand. [more…]

When Tianjin's Goubuli steamed buns also pick up a coffee cup, China's coffee market competition landscape gains another highly talked-about player. From spending heavily in 2014 to acquire the franchise rights in China for the Australian brand Gloria Jean's, to establishing a dedicated coffee food company in 2022, the Goubuli Group's exploration in the coffee sector has spanned more than seven years. How far is the distance between the original vision of opening 200 stores in five years and reality? Facing encirclement by new and old rivals such as Starbucks and China Post, can this time-honored brand find its own place in the coffee track? This article sorts out the key milestones and current situation of Goubuli's cross-industry coffee venture, for coffee enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

Drinking coffee and tea not only boosts alertness but may also protect our brains. A new study from Tianjin Medical University, published in PLOS Medicine, based on long-term tracking data from more than 360,000 people in the UK Biobank, has for the first time revealed the link between coffee and tea intake and the risk of stroke and dementia. The study found that moderate daily consumption of coffee or tea, or a combination of both, can reduce the probability of stroke and dementia to the lowest level. However, excessive coffee consumption may instead increase the risk of dementia. So how much is best to drink each day? And how do coffee and tea exert their protective effects? This article will explain in detail the key findings of this study. [more…]

Cotti Coffee (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. recently completed a change of its legal representative, with Luckin Coffee founder Qian Zhiya replacing Wang Baiyin in the role, while also serving as executive director and manager. The mentor-apprentice relationship between Qian Zhiya and Lu Zhengyao can be traced back to the CAR Inc. period. She single-handedly founded Luckin Coffee and drove its lightning-fast listing in 18 months, later leaving amid a financial fraud scandal. Now the two have once again joined forces to charge back into the coffee track. Facing an increasingly fierce competitive market environment, whether Cotti can replicate Luckin-style growth is worth continued attention. [more…]

Recently, a netizen from Zhejiang posted that Ningbo's last regular Costa store had quietly closed, sparking widespread discussion. Costa, which once had 8 stores in Ningbo, has now withdrawn all its regular stores, leaving only hospital stores and transportation hub stores. Meanwhile, news of Costa store closures has also emerged in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Tianjin, and many other places. Data shows that in the past 90 days, Costa opened 5 new stores but closed 23, with about 300 stores still in operation. This British brand, which once competed head-on with Starbucks, is gradually disappearing from city streets. Longtime customers miss its consistent quality and comfortable third space, and also lament this silent farewell. [more…]

In recent years, more and more cafés have started using SOE (single-origin espresso) to make espresso-based drinks, including high-priced beans like Geisha. Some consumers were shocked by menu prices while traveling in Tianjin, and some netizens complained about a dine-in experience of just over 200 milliliters for 38 yuan. Is a Geisha Americano reasonable? Behind high-priced SOE is a comprehensive consideration of bean costs, extraction difficulty, and customer base matching. Starting from real consumer feedback, this article analyzes the pricing logic, flavor performance, and market status of Geisha espresso, and reminds enthusiasts: finding the coffee that suits you is most important. Front Street Coffee will also provide related product references in this article. [more…]

Coffee is a commodity with global trade volume second only to crude oil, and its consumption growth in the East is particularly rapid, which is why scientific research surrounding it and human health has continued to deepen. Interestingly, the conclusions of related studies are not consistent: some have found that drinking coffee can slow cognitive decline, while others suggest that excessive consumption may shrink brain volume and increase dementia risk. This article reviews several representative cohort studies from around 2021, involving findings from Edith Cowan University in Australia, Tianjin Medical University, and the University of South Australia, attempting to clarify the complex associations between coffee intake and Alzheimer's disease and stroke, and to explore the relationship between the number of cups consumed daily and the safe upper limit of caffeine. [more…]

In just half a month, Cotti Coffee established 13 new branches in 9 major cities nationwide, demonstrating the rapid momentum of Lu Zhengyao's team returning to the coffee industry. Starting with its first store in Fuzhou, the brand has made a high-profile sponsorship of the Argentine national football team and set a goal of 10,000 stores in three years. Currently, the mini-program has launched nearly 60 products, covering coffee, tea drinks, cold brew, and other categories, including some of Luckin's hit items. The store model is divided into standard stores and mini stores, with the former accommodating dining and bar scenarios. However, the all-day multi-functional service has not yet been fully implemented, and food and alcohol are still not available. Whether Cotti can use Luckin's "magic" to defeat Luckin is worth continuous attention. [more…]

After leaving Luckin, Lu Zhengyao went through two not-so-successful food and beverage ventures, Qu Xiaomian and Shejian Yingxiong, before ultimately returning to the coffee battlefield he knows best. The first store of the brand-new COTTI COFFEE has officially opened in Fuzhou IFC, offering all-day dining that covers coffee, baked goods, light meals, and alcoholic drinks. The core team mostly comes from Luckin and the Shenzhou system, and the legal representative has been changed to former Luckin CEO Qian Zhiya. On the occasion of the first store's opening, Cotti also announced that it has become the China sponsor of the Argentina national team. Whether this highly anticipated coffee rookie can become Lu Zhengyao's comeback work, and whether it can add another major player to China's coffee market, is worth continued attention. [more…]

What would you do if a sudden, large group-building order landed at your coffee shop? A shop owner in Tianjin recently encountered just such a stroke of "good luck," only to see through the scam at the last moment and pull out in time. This kind of order fraud targeting independent coffee shops and small food and beverage businesses is nothing new. Scammers pose as schools or companies placing group-building catering orders, first lulling the owner into lowering their guard, then setting a trap by asking them to buy gifts on the scammer's behalf or advance payment for goods. Some even use transfer money-laundering schemes to leave the owner with neither money nor goods. This article compiles the real experiences of several victims and shares the key precautions summarized by peers in the industry, to help coffee operators stay clear-headed when facing large orders and avoid becoming a sucker who hands money to scammers. [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…]

During Women's Day, Luckin Coffee's holiday gifts for female employees drew attention. This chain brand, with over 130,000 employees and a female proportion of 61%, did not distribute uniform holiday gift boxes this year as it did last year, but instead had each region prepare them on its own. As a result, Beijing employees received wellness sets, while those in Yunnan and Sichuan got folding fans and eye masks, but employees in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi'an, and other places said they received only air. What made some people even more dissatisfied was that even when there were gift boxes, part-time staff were excluded. This regional disparity in benefits led many workers to complain continuously on social media platforms. [more…]

In the depths of winter, Mixue Bingcheng has once again become a hot topic thanks to its "Northeast Big Floral" elements. The brand launched a series of fridge magnets featuring floral padded jackets and crispy fries merchandise, drawing consumers in with rich Northeastern flair. However, unlike last year's nationwide campaign, this year only certain regions can participate, sparking discontent among southern consumers. At the same time, out-of-stock merchandise has also hurt the experience for some customers. This article sorts through the details of Mixue Bingcheng's marketing campaign, the cultural background of the Northeast Big Floral, and the current state and hidden concerns of merchandise promotions in the new tea beverage industry. [more…]

Following China Post's opening of offline cafes, India Post has also taken a cross-industry step. According to The Indian Express, India's first post office cafe is located in the General Post Office in Kolkata, the third-largest city, and is named Siuli, meaning "a flower." This "parcel cafe" not only serves regular coffee but also sells gifts, antiques, and even Ganges water packaged in Gangotri. The interior furnishings are mostly old furniture nearly two hundred years old, including parcel sorting tables from the 1850s and spears used by postal workers during British India. The Postmaster General said the move is intended to attract young people into post offices and boost parcel business. Behind this crossover is the postal industry's effort to adapt in the face of express delivery competition and a narrowing market. [more…]

As competition in the new-style tea beverage sector reaches a fever pitch, Nayuki was the first to list on the capital market, claiming the title of "the first stock of new-style tea drinks" and was once regarded as an industry benchmark. Recently, however, a consumer in Shanghai discovered raw dough that could stretch into strings in a durian bread purchased from Nayuki via delivery. The store explained it as "baked relatively soft," and the refund request was also rejected. This incident quickly fermented on social platforms and once again brought Nayuki's past food safety issues back into the public eye—from expired milk and rotten fruit to chaotic kitchen practices, what has happened to this brand with a halo over its head? [more…]

Robust, once part of a "three-way split" in the drinking water market alongside Wahaha and Nongfu Spring, has recently re-entered the bottled water race with 1-yuan mineral water, drawing market attention. This veteran company, founded in 1989, has seen its presence dwindle after going through twists and turns such as being acquired by Danone and having its brand change hands. Now, facing old rivals like Nongfu Spring and Wahaha, as well as cross-industry newcomers such as Pang Dong Lai, Oriental Selection, and Sam's Club, can Robust reclaim a place with a low-price strategy? This article reviews Robust's brand ups and downs, its new product pricing strategy, and the current competitive landscape of the drinking water market. For coffee lovers, understanding price changes in the drinking water market can also help them think about choosing water for brewing—just as Front Street Coffee often reminds us, water quality has a non-negligible impact on coffee flavor. [more…]

Luckin Coffee founder Lu Zhengyao has made another move, planning to launch a new coffee brand called Cotti Coffee, drawing industry attention. Cotti Coffee has Wang Baiyin as its legal representative, but Lu Zhengyao is said to be the actual operator. The brand name derives from the Italian biscuit Biscotti, symbolizing a combination of coffee and leisure. Cotti Coffee plans to adopt two models, standard stores and mini stores, offering all-day dining services covering coffee, meals, snacks and alcoholic drinks, intending to combine the strengths of Luckin and Starbucks and open up a new track. Whether Lu Zhengyao's comeback will succeed this time is worth anticipating. [more…]