Recently, the Jiu lid堤 Police Station in Jinniu District, Chengdu, teamed up with CapitaLand Plaza to create an anti-fraud-themed coffee shop, cleverly combining police outreach with coffee culture and attracting many citizens to visit. This coffee shop not only offers coffee but has also become a new hub for spreading anti-fraud knowledge. The interior uses a black-and-white color scheme, and at the entrance there is a cute panda police officer figure, creating a striking contrast. The police hope that through this novel approach, young people can easily learn fraud prevention knowledge while enjoying coffee and pass it on to their families, raising anti-fraud awareness across society. For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style); for more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex. [more…]

A police station set up a coffee stall at a creative market, and the baristas were real police officers—the Jiangbei Branch of the Ningbo Public Security Bureau opened a POLICE COFFEE stall with the theme "Have you fought fraud today?", using coffee culture to close the distance with young people and deliver anti-fraud knowledge in a relaxed atmosphere. From cup sticker slogans to age-specific anti-fraud small gifts, from free coffee for collecting likes to stand-up comedy case studies, the police uncles racked their brains to protect everyone's wallets. This article takes you to see what is so special about this cup of "police coffee," and how police in multiple places are collaborating with cafes to promote anti-fraud awareness. [more…]

Recently, a milk tea shop called "Police Tea" has drawn attention on social media, not because its products are particularly special, but because it is located inside the Suzhou Public Security Bureau and was launched by the police themselves. As soon as the news broke, netizens joked about wanting to "go to the station for tea," and some even jokingly asked whether starting a fight at the police station entrance would get them inside. The shop not only serves milk tea and coffee, but also cookies, desserts, and cultural merchandise, though it is not yet open to the public. Some people are curious about how to buy from it, while others question whether it is compliant for a government agency to run a business. In fact, this shop is essentially an internal canteen, and ordinary citizens can receive items for free on police open days by taking part in anti-fraud, anti-drug, and other activities. A similar approach by Hangzhou police, who partnered with Chagee to give out "police tea" on Police Day, also received considerable praise. This kind of publicity method that keeps pace with the times not only builds a friendly public image, but also makes the spread of legal knowledge more down-to-earth. [more…]

A counterfeit well-known coffee brand trademark case involving over 40 million yuan was recently successfully cracked by Shanghai Qingpu police. The criminal gang recruited franchisees nationwide under the name "Starbucks Coffee Service," falsely claiming to have official franchise qualifications and guiding the opening of counterfeit stores. In January 2024, the police launched a unified arrest operation, apprehending 17 suspects led by Yin. The case exposed a complete criminal chain from production and manufacturing, warehousing and transportation, to business training and marketing consulting, and also sounded an anti-fraud alarm for investors in the franchise chain sector. [more…]

A not-yet-opened beverage shop in Zengcheng District, Guangzhou, has sparked public debate after naming itself "Jingcha" (a homophone of "police tea") and using cartoon police imagery in its store decorations. Some see it as merely a clever pun, while more people worry it could mislead consumers. Market regulators and public security authorities have stepped in to investigate, and lawyers point out that the name may violate enterprise name registration regulations. Behind the incident lies not just the compliance of a single shop name, but the boundary between commercial creativity and public symbols. [more…]

New tea beverage brand Guming has recently launched a second-hand equipment trading platform within the DingTalk system, open to all franchisees, providing matchmaking services only and not directly participating in buying or selling. The platform offers valuation and inspection services for sellers, and price comparison and anti-fraud protections for buyers. According to Guming's prospectus, equipment sales account for approximately 4.5% of revenue, while franchisees' initial equipment investment is about 100,000 yuan. As competition in the new tea beverage industry intensifies, a wave of store closures once led to a backlog of unsold second-hand equipment, with recyclers even disposing of it as scrap metal. Whether Guming's move can provide franchisees with a safer and more convenient transfer channel is worth watching. Front Street Coffee has long monitored trends in the coffee and tea beverage industries and will continue to track the platform's actual performance. [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…]

Recently, multiple coffee shop owners have reported encountering group order scams on social media platforms. The scammers purchase large quantities of coffee drinks under the guise of school or corporate team-building events, then ask the shop owners to purchase gifts such as wagyu beef and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall on their behalf. Working in collusion with so-called suppliers, they set traps that leave shop owners unable to receive goods after payment. This type of scam is particularly frequent in the Guangdong region, with multiple shop owners encountering the same trap on the same day. The scammers use verified corporate accounts and employ consistent scripts, suggesting an organized gang operation. Shop owners have been posting warnings to fellow industry peers, urging them not to let their guard down just because of a large order. Faced with these frequent scams, operators are calling for joint efforts to provide clues to the police, but they face difficulties in getting their cases accepted and filed for investigation when it comes to protecting their rights. [more…]

Owning a coffee shop on a university campus is a startup dream for many students. Recently, a junior student shared their experience of opening a coffee shop at an abandoned counter on campus: personally selecting beans, milk, and equipment, and with no rent pressure, the average price was only 9 yuan, yet business remained sluggish. Aside from occasional visits from teachers, there was almost no foot traffic. Why couldn't low prices win over the student body? Netizens analyzed that chain brands such as Luckin, Cotti, and Lucky Cup had long established themselves on campuses, and at comparable prices, consumers tend to favor chains with brand assurance and standardized products. In addition, campus coffee shops need to clarify whether they are grab-and-go stores or third places, and open up the market through online promotion, community operations, and campus delivery. This article compiles netizens' practical suggestions to provide reference for campus coffee entrepreneurs. [more…]

Over the past year, global online searches for the health benefits of coffee have surged by 650%, with searches for "benefits of black coffee" skyrocketing by 1,450%. A survey by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee shows that during the pandemic, 42% of coffee drinkers increased their caffeine intake. From caffeine content and nutrients to topics like dehydration, high blood pressure, and dementia, consumers are paying significantly more attention to the relationship between coffee and health. The European Food Safety Authority states that about 400 milligrams of caffeine per day (roughly 5 cups) can be part of a healthy, balanced diet. Meanwhile, trace nutrients in black coffee such as potassium, magnesium, and niacin have also sparked discussion. Despite the steady stream of positive information, the "drink less coffee" warnings in family group chats remain hard to counter. This article will sort through ten major coffee health topics and explain coffee's real effects on the body. [more…]

The history of adding sugar to coffee has spanned nearly five hundred years, and today flavored syrups are quietly transforming the consumer landscape of the entire coffee industry. Since Starbucks launched its flavored lattes in 1994, various syrups have not only made coffee flavors more diverse but also met consumers' demand for personalized customization. At the same time, as health awareness has risen, zero-calorie sugars and zero-calorie flavored syrups have become a new trend, with brands such as Luckin following suit. This article will trace the evolution of flavored syrups in the coffee industry, analyze the logic behind their regional innovation, and explore the opportunities and hidden concerns behind the zero-calorie sugar trend, helping coffee lovers gain a more comprehensive understanding of this new consumer trend. [more…]

This article begins with the fact that in 2022, the wholesale price of Arabica coffee beans on the New York Intercontinental Exchange fell below $1 per pound, reviews the current price situation in the green coffee bean trade market, and explores in depth the sanitary handling, storage conditions, and purchasing channels for green beans. The article also offers suggestions on practical issues such as green bean washing and temperature and humidity control, while reminding industry practitioners to raise their awareness of coffee bean food safety, helping coffee enthusiasts and industry professionals gain a more comprehensive understanding of the key stages of green beans from import to before roasting. [more…]

Recently, Luckin Coffee made trending headlines after employees were punished by being made to copy out customer negative reviews as a form of discipline. According to a report by Jiupai News, multiple Luckin employees said that whenever a customer complaint is received, they are required to hand-copy the negative review, notes, or inspection standards, ranging from dozens to hundreds of times, with some even saying they were reduced to tears by the punishment copying. Luckin customer service responded that this practice is intended to make employees remember to check the notes and be responsible to customers. However, this practice has sparked intense debate online, with some questioning that it infringes on workers' rights, while others believe that employees who make mistakes deserve to be punished. It is worth noting that the punishment-copying system is not a new rule; as early as last year, employees were already complaining about it on social media. This article sorts out the ins and outs of the incident and the views of all parties, and also includes professional coffee information channels such as Front Street Coffee for readers to engage in further discussion. [more…]

Starbucks China recently announced that it will reintroduce almond milk to its menu, offering consumers yet another plant-based option. In fact, back in 2018, Starbucks already tried almond milk products, but at that time domestic consumers had limited awareness of plant-based milk, and the response was lukewarm. Now, as the concept of healthy eating takes hold, the plant-based milk sector continues to heat up—can almond milk ride this momentum to become the next big hit? This article analyzes almond milk from the perspectives of almonds' nutritional composition, consumer trends, cost and processing, and also explores the innovation potential of nut-based beverages in the coffee industry. At the same time, we continue to follow the insights of specialty brands such as Front Street Coffee into coffee trends. [more…]

The profession of barista has gained increasing popularity among young people in recent years, but controversy surrounding it has never ceased. Some believe that baristas should be individualistic and cool, and need not grovel before customers; others feel that coffee shops ultimately belong to the service industry, and providing quality service is simply part of the job. Starting from the professional positioning of baristas, this article explores what service awareness means for this line of work, and how baristas should correctly view their own role. It also analyzes why professional knowledge and skills must complement a service spirit, with neither being dispensable. If you are working in the coffee industry, or are curious about the real situation of baristas, this article may offer you some inspiration. [more…]

The NAIXUE store in Bao'an Uniwalk, Shenzhen, debuted as the "second NAIXUE Tea · green light drinks and light meals store nationwide," but customers noticed that the wording on the light sign had changed from "by NAIXUE" to "by Naisnow NAIXUE." On social platforms, some netizens also shared that two stores had adopted the "Naisnow NAIXUE" name and a new snowflake-shaped logo, sparking widespread discussion. NAIXUE was originally called "Nayuki," but because it was often mistaken for a Japanese brand, it gradually changed to "NAIXUE" in 2023. Tianyancha shows that its parent company submitted 8 trademark applications in March this year, including "Naisnow NAIXUE." Netizens have mixed opinions on the new name. Some speculate that it is paving the way for overseas expansion, while others think it is neither Chinese nor Western, hard to remember and hard to pronounce. The new logo has also been said to resemble a biotech company or a software icon. Whether frequent brand name changes affect brand awareness has become a point of concern. [more…]

Over the past decade or so, the coffee industry has developed rapidly, and the third wave of coffee has led more and more consumers to pay attention to specialty coffee. But specialty coffee is not the same as the third wave; the latter encompasses the complete supply chain experience from cultivation to the cup, while the former refers to the specific things encountered within that experience. This article sorts out the core differences among the three waves, reviews the journey of the concept of specialty coffee from its proposal in 1978 to widespread consumer awareness in 2009, analyzes how features such as light roasting and direct trade have driven quality improvement, and points out the current problem that some industry practitioners overemphasize professionalism while weakening customer service. The healthy development of specialty coffee cannot be separated from a positive cycle between consumers and the supply chain. [more…]

In recent years, as public awareness of intellectual property has grown, trademark disputes surrounding well-known brands have become increasingly common. The two major new-style tea beverage brands Chayan Yuese and Mixue Bingcheng once joined forces to oppose the "Chayan Bingcheng" trademark, yet the China National Intellectual Property Administration ultimately ruled that the trademark be registered. This incident not only reflects the real-world dilemmas faced by brand protection but also sparked discussions about copycat culture and consumer choice. This article will sort out the sequence of events, review the historical origins of the copycat phenomenon, and explore the interplay between innovation and imitation in the new tea beverage industry. [more…]

星巴克近日宣布与百事可乐合作，将于3月1日在美洲地区推出三款水果口味能量饮品BAYA Energy。这款每12oz含160毫克咖啡因、90卡路里和90毫克维生素C的低卡高因饮品，标志着星巴克正式跨界能量饮料市场。面对疫情后美国能量饮品年销量从150亿增长至180亿美元的诱人蛋糕，星巴克能否凭借低卡高维素的差异化策略，打破消费者对传统能量饮料品牌的忠诚度？与此同时，星巴克在即饮咖啡领域早已布局多年，从罐装黑咖啡到燕麦奶咖啡不断推新。本文将深入分析星巴克此次跨界背后的市场逻辑与潜在挑战。 [more…]

Which region in China produces coffee? The answer inevitably points to Yunnan. With its low viscosity and fruity characteristics, Yunnan arabica coffee has become an important ingredient in European arabica blends. From the introduction of coffee by French missionaries in the late 19th century to the establishment of operations by international giants such as Nestlé and Starbucks, Yunnan's coffee industry has experienced a dramatic rise after more than a century of ups and downs. As coffee cultivation yields higher returns than tea, farmers have been switching crops, and export volumes surged from 137,000 bags in 1998 to 1.1 million bags in 2012. Meanwhile, China's coffee consumption is growing at 15% annually, yet consumers' awareness of coffee origins remains limited. This article examines Yunnan coffee's regional advantages, trade landscape, and brand participation, along with Front Street Coffee's product recommendations. [more…]