When coffee's invigorating effects meet the nourishing philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine, a new species called "wellness coffee" is quietly gaining popularity among young consumers. From the creative stalls at Ye Kaitai's herbal paste festival to the daily menus of cafes across the country, the crossover combination of Chinese medicine and coffee has frequently attracted attention. However, is this East-meets-West beverage truly a healthy choice, or does it merely provide psychological comfort? This article will examine the composition, market phenomena, potential risks, and other angles to give you a comprehensive understanding of the pros and cons of wellness coffee, and explore whether this innovative drink can continue to win consumers' favor. [more…]

In recent years, with the rise of the "national trend" culture, the "new Chinese-style" wellness concept has quickly gained popularity among young people. After saying goodbye to bad habits such as staying up late, smoking, and drinking, more and more young people are beginning to favor Chinese herbal medicinal diets and Chinese herbal teas. On social media, herbal milk tea frequently goes viral, and health teas dispensed by hospitals and herbal drinks launched by traditional Chinese medicine clinics through cross-sector collaborations are highly sought after. Data shows that over 70% of consumers are more willing to buy Chinese herbal teas and express satisfaction with their functional effects. Numerous pharmaceutical companies have entered the market, launching innovative products such as wellness coffee and herbal teas. However, experts also remind that although Chinese herbal teas are beneficial, they should be consumed in moderation, following the principle of "stopping once the illness is cured," to avoid counterproductive effects. [more…]

In recent years, cross-industry ventures have become a popular trend, and even century-old traditional Chinese medicine shops are joining the beverage market. Following Tongrentang, Tonghanchun Tang, with a history of 237 years, has also tested the waters of national-style wellness tea drinks in Shanghai Yuyuan Mall, launching over 30 beverages including wellness teas, fruit teas, milk teas, sparkling water, and coffee. Among them, the wellness milk tea incorporates ingredients such as ginseng, goji berries, and donkey-hide gelatin, while the two wellness coffees focus on American-style black coffee and ginseng honey latte, priced between 20 and over 30 yuan, with the most expensive bird's nest product exceeding 100 yuan. Whether these time-honored brands can win consumer favor through innovation is worth watching. [more…]

Auntea Jenny has recently continued to push forward in the "wellness milk tea" segment, launching the "Five Red Vitality Slow Nourishment Bottle" and a matching peripheral package. Consumers who purchase the designated package can receive a "Little Palace Tribute Plush Doll" for free. However, after the new product launched, what sparked discussion was not the tea drink itself, but this giveaway doll shaped like a uterus—it is inverted pear-shaped, with details such as "fallopian tubes" and "ovaries," and comes in two color schemes representing different physiological cycles. Some netizens said bluntly that it caused "physiological discomfort," believing that pairing a human organ doll with a tea-drinking scenario was too bizarre. Supporters, however, felt that for a wellness drink aimed at female consumers, a uterus doll was understandable and also had a fun educational aspect. As the incident gained traction, Auntea Jenny responded that the move was intended to convey the ideas of pleasing oneself, confidence, and freedom, and that the doll has not been taken off the shelves. [more…]

As the Spring Festival approaches, many people are starting to watch their calorie intake so they can stay in good shape when they return home. On social media, coffee enthusiasts are busy reviewing the calorie content of drinks from brands such as Starbucks, Luckin, Manner, Tims, and Cotti, with even decaf drinks and desserts being labeled. Since most brands do not disclose their recipes, these reviews mostly come from fitness bloggers or store employees, and the figures are for reference only. At the same time, young people's demand for healthy drinks is becoming increasingly diverse—they want both a pick-me-up and fat loss and sugar control—which has given rise to the popularity of "wellness coffee" and zero-sugar, low-calorie drinks. Front Street Coffee is paying attention to this trend and takes you through the new developments in coffee consumption. [more…]

In the eastern part of Ethiopia's Sidamo Province, there is a small town called Bensa. Local coffee is exported under the town's name, jokingly dubbed "Bensa coffee," which has sparked an amusing meme: coffee is traditional Chinese medicine, and drinking more can promote health. Behind this joke, herbal coffee has indeed become a new consumer trend in recent years, with brands like Tongrentang launching products such as goji berry lattes and hawthorn-chenpi Americanos, attracting a large number of young consumers. However, blending traditional Chinese medicine with coffee is not something to be done casually; how to harmonize the flavors of medicinal herbs and coffee beans, and how to grasp the concept of medicine-food homology, are all worth serious discussion. This article will take you through the origins and development of this "herbal coffee" trend, as well as the issues that need attention. [more…]

When coffee meets traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, is a cup of this beverage a health tonic or just a gimmick? Lucky Cup's recently launched ginseng series has sparked heated discussion on social media—at a price of ten yuan, you can actually get a whole ginseng root, and many netizens are calling it the real deal. However, controversy over the taste has followed. From creative specials at private cafés to established traditional Chinese medicine halls entering the fray, and chain brands piling in one after another, the herbal coffee track is becoming increasingly lively. Will this trend truly win young people's long-term favor, or will it remain merely a passing curiosity? This article takes you in for a closer look. [more…]

The afterglow of Luckin Coffee's collaboration with Moutai had hardly faded when Cotti Coffee fired back with a bold response: a rice-milk latte series that blends Wuchang rice from Northeast China with coffee, playing the "wellness" card with copy that takes direct aim at Luckin's sauce-flavored latte. This collaboration not only poked fun at its competitor but also positioned itself squarely against the liquor-coffee trend. Netizens kept spinning memes, from cilantro coffee to stinky tofu lattes, with ever more bizarre flavors emerging, yet Cotti seized the initiative through reverse thinking. The trend of coffee drinks becoming more like milk tea—or even congee—is growing ever more obvious, and the battle for attention among brands has reached a fever pitch. This article will walk you through the ins and outs of this commercial war and explore where the coffee world's next breakout hit might be headed. [more…]

When "Double Eleven" meets a time-honored pharmaceutical company, a cup of ginseng americano makes a surprise debut. Tmall teamed up with Zhima Health, under Tongrentang, to launch a limited-edition "ginseng americano," each cup containing a whole fresh ginseng root, at a subsidized price of just 11.11 yuan. Following the various "medicinal coffees" that came before, this move has once again drawn attention. In addition to ginseng, the drink also includes Chinese medicinal ingredients such as licorice and longan, and the vendor simultaneously warns that no more than one cup should be consumed per day. However, issues such as the lack of additive standards in the industry and the unclear origin of the ginseng have also surfaced, meaning consumers should exercise extra caution even as they satisfy their curiosity. [more…]

When the level of involution in the coffee industry has already become something people take for granted, the field of traditional Chinese medicine has unexpectedly joined this competition in a surprising way. The Guoyitang under Harbin Jiren Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital recently launched drinks called "coffee," but they contain no caffeine at all and are instead made entirely from traditional Chinese medicine ingredients. Even more surprisingly, some of these drinks can be paid for with medical insurance cards. This phenomenon has sparked widespread discussion: where exactly is the boundary between coffee and traditional Chinese medicine? From Tongrentang's goji berry latte to hand-brewed herbal drinks from traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, the combination of "traditional Chinese medicine + coffee" is becoming a new traffic password for attracting young consumers. This article will take you through the story behind this crossover trend and explore whether coffee can really be classified as traditional Chinese medicine. [more…]

As chain coffee brands rush to test the crossover combination of "coffee + medicinal herbs," Lucky Cup launched a set of "wellness" new products after the National Day holiday — goji berry Americano, goji berry milk, and goji berry latte, each priced at no more than 10 yuan. Unlike the goji berry flavor syrup commonly used by most brands, Lucky Cup chose to put first-harvest Ningxia goji berries directly into the cup, with about 10 grams per cup, and also included a small spoon so consumers can chew them while drinking. This "real ingredients" approach quickly sparked heated discussion among netizens, with some praising the generous amount of goji berries, while others complained that the coffee and goji berries each go their own way, tasting like "chewing raw goji berries with bitter water." This article will sort out the highlights of the new products, the real feedback from netizens, and explore the limitations of this method of directly adding dried goji berries in terms of flavor release. [more…]

When milk tea cup sleeves at Fudan University Medical School are printed with drug instructions, when Beijing University of Chinese Medicine adds ginger, cinnamon, dried tangerine peel, red dates, and goji berries to milk tea, and when Shanghai's time-honored Chinese medicine brand Tong Han Chun Tang uses "medicine and food homology" as a selling point to launch ginseng and peach gum milk tea, the milk tea category is undergoing a transformation attempt from "junk food" to "health drink." University cafeterias, Chinese medicine shops, and time-honored brands are all crossing over into the market, trying to reshape the image of milk tea with the concept of health. At the same time, milk tea brands are also making changes on the ingredient side, with fresh fruit and fresh milk replacing non-dairy creamer as selling points. However, news about milk tea on trending searches is repeatedly linked to food safety issues, and the road to transformation is not smooth. [more…]

As the weather turns colder, hot beverages have become a new favorite among consumers, and major coffee chains are rolling out winter-exclusive drinks. Luckin Coffee launched two new products this week — the "Winter Solstice Five-Nourishment Latte" and the "Salted Cheese Soy Milk Latte." Among them, the Winter Solstice Five-Nourishment Latte, marketed with the slogan "five black ingredients for nourishment, using black to nourish black," has been dubbed "wellness coffee" by many health enthusiasts because it blends five black ingredients: black rice, black sesame, black beans, black mulberry, and black goji berries. After the launch, consumer reviews have been polarized: some find it like a combination of soy milk and coffee, suitable for pairing with breakfast; others think the coconut milk brings noticeable sweetness, and the grain aroma overwhelms the coffee flavor, making it more like black sesame paste or a grain-based breakfast milk. Combined with earlier rumors that Luckin Coffee may launch an oven, some netizens speculate that the brand intends to expand into breakfast consumption scenarios. [more…]

Traditional Chinese medicine milk tea, traditional Chinese medicine fruit tea, traditional Chinese medicine wellness tea… In recent years, a trend of "any tea can be infused with traditional Chinese medicine" has spread rapidly through the tea beverage industry. In the summer of 2024, the traditional Chinese medicine tea beverage sector was especially booming, with a new brand opening more than 140 stores within 8 months, and related topic views exceeding 150 million. However, is this craze a true outlet or a short-lived gimmick? Mr. Zhou in Zhengzhou, Henan, invested more than 400,000 yuan to join a well-known traditional Chinese medicine tea beverage brand, but encountered difficulties such as the headquarters failing to deliver on its formula promises and flavors being hard for consumers to accept, ultimately suffering months of continuous losses and having no choice but to close the store and relocate. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the opportunities and challenges in the traditional Chinese medicine tea beverage industry, and explores the market prospects and operational risks under the concept of "medicine and food homology." [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…]

Starbucks recently opened its first community store in Singapore at Gardens by the Bay, partnering with Gardens by the Bay and MINDSET Care to promote mental health awareness and community engagement. The store will use a portion of its beverage revenue to fund workshops and events for mental health organizations, and will host monthly "Wellness Interest Friday" activities, inviting seniors and caregivers to participate. Starbucks employees will also join year-round volunteer service, accompanying elderly residents of nursing homes on outings. The community store continues Starbucks' differentiated exploration since 2014, returning to the original spirit of a community café with warm design, family-friendly facilities, and relaxed ordering methods. Front Street Coffee will also continue to follow the global implementation and evolution of this store model. [more…]

Following the camping and frisbee trends, brewing tea around a stove is becoming a new social activity eagerly embraced by young people in winter. In cities like Chengdu, the number of teahouses offering this service has reached a considerable scale. Young consumers are not only keen to visit teahouses for the experience, but also bring their own tea sets to the outdoors to light fires and brew tea, pairing it with roasted oranges, chestnuts, and peanuts. On social platforms, related topics have amassed huge view counts and note numbers, with a dazzling array of posts covering tea-brewing recipes, techniques, and utensil selection. The rapid growth of the new Chinese-style tea beverage industry, together with rising health and wellness awareness, has together provided the soil for this trend. Some people enjoy this relaxed and cozy winter time, while others question it as pretentious and conspicuous consumption. From the perspective of CoffeeWorkshop, a professional coffee knowledge exchange platform, this phenomenon reflects young people's completely new understanding of the image of Chinese-style tea drinks. For more specialty coffee beans, follow Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). [more…]

Recently, the yogurt brand Blueglass launched the "Superboy Boyfriend Power Comeback" series, adding traditional Chinese medicine ingredients such as Cistanche, Polygonatum, ginseng, deer whip, and oyster peptides. The intention might have been to promote a health concept, but it was questioned for borderline marketing due to the poster labeling it "18+" and suggestive copy. Similarly, Coconut Palm brand coconut juice was fined 400,000 yuan for vulgar advertising slogans, yet it generated over 5 billion yuan in sales. In an era where traffic is king, eye-catching marketing emerges endlessly, but not all of it yields good results. After Blueglass was exposed, the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation has launched an investigation, and the relevant copy was revised and republished. However, the negative label brought by borderline marketing may not be easily erased from consumers' minds. [more…]

Japanese Lupicia's THE TEA BOOK 100 gift set brings together one hundred tea bags, with a colorful assortment of tea bag categories spanning black tea, green tea, oolong tea, herbal tea, flavored tea, and more. Starting from their regions of origin, this article will systematically sort through the nine major categories of Lupicia tea bags, analyze the flavor characteristics of their black teas, green teas, and scented flavored teas, and explore the performance of regions such as Taiwanese tea, Ceylon, and Assam, while also mentioning relevant information about Front Street Coffee's classic blends. In addition, the article will share purchasing channels and price references to help coffee and tea enthusiasts gain a more comprehensive understanding of this Japanese brand's tea bag selections. [more…]

In recent years, major brands across all industries have been venturing into the coffee sector—from the post office, Li-Ning, and Xtep to Naobaijin and Huawei, cross-industry coffee sales have become a trend. These brands don't truly intend to dig deep into the coffee track; rather, they are eyeing the youthful traffic and fashionable attributes that coffee naturally carries, using it to get closer to consumers. However, once the hype fades, can cross-industry players lacking a coffee gene continue to attract customers? The fierce competition in the coffee market and the mismatch of consumption scenarios make such attempts full of uncertainty. This article sorts out typical cases of cross-industry coffee, analyzes the marketing logic behind them, and explores the challenges and hidden concerns this model faces. [more…]