Sexy Tea (Chayan Yuese) trended on social media after its advertising copy was accused of insulting women, and it issued two apology statements late on February 19 and in the early hours of February 20. The incident was triggered by the inappropriate use of Changsha slang such as "picking up scraps" on its cups, which sparked netizens' doubts about the brand's creative boundaries. The first apology failed to calm public opinion, and Sexy Tea then issued another statement, admitting that it had mishandled the boundaries in its early product creation and had removed the problematic products from sale. This controversy not only exposed the brand's missteps in using dialect slang and gender-relation jokes, but also prompted reflection on balancing marketing creativity with values. [more…]

Recently, Coffee Post issued a stern statement regarding fraudulent franchise recruitment activities in the market that falsely use its brand name, explicitly stating that it has never authorized any third party to engage in franchise cooperation and has initiated legal proceedings to pursue accountability. This incident has once again thrust this coffee brand—jointly created by China Post and Zhongyu Kaye—into the spotlight, and also reflects the market chaos behind the continuously heating coffee track. This article will sort out the sequence of events, the brand's operational structure, and future layout challenges, helping readers clarify the facts and avoid falling into the trap of "fake" operators. [more…]

Recently, a leak about Manner Coffee's discounted wages during the pandemic sparked heated discussion on social media. The leak claimed that Manner required employees to choose between two compensation options: hourly basic pay, or 80% of Shanghai's minimum wage of 2,072 yuan. The incident quickly trended on Weibo, and Manner subsequently issued a statement identifying two former employees as having made false claims, and said it had reported the matter to police to pursue criminal and civil liability. The statement also detailed wage payment standards during the pandemic, saying its treatment was far above Shanghai's minimum wage, and implicitly suggested that employees of competitor Mstand Coffee were involved. This article reviews the course of the incident, both sides' accounts, and lawyers' views, and explores the legality of barista pay during the pandemic and the state of the industry. [more…]

Recently, a violent conflict between a customer and an employee broke out at a store of the local Malaysian coffee chain Zus Coffee in Kuala Lumpur. A video of about 15 seconds spread rapidly online, showing both sides throwing drinks and objects at each other, with the scene briefly spiraling out of control. The incident sparked various speculations among netizens about the cause of the conflict and also triggered discussions about how brands should protect frontline employees. After the incident, Zus Coffee issued two consecutive statements denying that the employee involved had been fired and saying it had referred the matter to the police. This article will sort through the course of the incident, the reactions of all parties, and the brand's official response. [more…]

Recently, news about Luckin Coffee opening franchises has been circulating online, drawing attention from many consumers and entrepreneurs. However, Luckin officials quickly clarified: no form of franchise cooperation is currently open, and all so-called franchise and agency information is false. From counterfeit stores in Bangkok, Thailand to scam tactics using homophone accounts, the knockoff problem keeps emerging. This article will sort out the key points of Luckin's official statement, the history of the Little Deer Tea brand's merger, and insiders' interpretation of the franchise suspension, to help coffee lovers and potential investors distinguish truth from falsehood and avoid traps. [more…]

Manner Coffee has been thrust into the spotlight of public opinion due to three incidents of conflicts between staff and customers that occurred over two consecutive days. The brand issued an apology statement through its official Weibo in the evening, pledging to make improvements, but netizens did not accept the content of the statement, especially expressing dissatisfaction over the lack of a clear response to the incident in which "a customer broke into the bar area and assaulted a staff member." At the same time, the content of Manner's two official Douyin accounts has been completely cleared, sparking further speculation. Behind the incidents, media investigations and revelations from former employees have exposed that under Manner's rapid expansion, frontline baristas face high-intensity work, heavy psychological pressure, and an unreasonable compensation system. As one of the few brands in the industry with a thousand stores that still insists on using semi-automatic espresso machines, how Manner can strike a balance between efficiency, quality, and employee rights has become an urgent issue to be resolved. [more…]

Recently, photos of Luckin Coffee appearing on the streets of Thailand have sparked heated discussions online. Has this national coffee brand, which successfully turned its fortunes around, really gone global? The company quickly gave a clear response: the Thailand store is purely a counterfeit. This article sorts out the ins and outs of the incident, including how the counterfeit store was discovered, Luckin's progress in defending its rights, and netizens' amusing reactions. It also explores Luckin's current overseas expansion plans. For those of you who love coffee, understanding brand developments and market phenomena is equally important. [more…]

Sexytea has recently announced the removal of the English logo "Sexytea" from its newly opened stores and promised that future stores will no longer use the name, with existing stores' English logos also being gradually replaced. The brand explained that "Sexy" was intended to mean "charming," hoping customers would feel surprise in every cup of tea, but due to the word's multiple meanings causing controversy, they deeply apologize. The statement also mentioned that the team had discussed optimizing the English name during a mid-year review, but progress was slow, and this online discussion served as a wake-up call. Additionally, netizens dug up past incidents where Sexytea had apologized twice—once for a mug with the phrase "pick up leftovers" and once for tea bags labeled "Officer, I want it"—sparking renewed discussion about the boundaries of brand creativity. As a representative of Changsha's local guochao tea beverage scene, how Sexytea balances creativity and values is worth watching. [more…]

Heytea opened a new store near Columbia University in the United States. The store had originally planned to hold a soft-opening event on January 23, claiming that Columbia students could receive a free cup of milk tea and a limited-edition fridge magnet by showing their student ID. However, many students who showed up that afternoon were told by staff that they needed an invitation from the brand to enjoy the perk. They queued in sub-zero temperatures only to leave empty-handed, triggering widespread dissatisfaction and complaints. Some staff even claimed that the related promotional posts on the platform were false information, while the students who posted them countered that the rules had been changed by the store at the last minute. After the incident quickly escalated, Heytea issued an apology that same evening, admitting shortcomings in the planning and execution of the event, and reiterating that on the official opening day of January 24, Columbia students could still receive a free drink by showing their ID. [more…]

A local tea beverage brand in Nanning, Guangxi, caused an uproar on social media due to a consumer notice in its mini-program titled "Three types of people should order with caution." The notice listed three types of people as unsuitable buyers: "those who focus on packaging and blindly follow big brands," "those who lack awareness of the prices of high-quality fruits," and "those with dull palates who think all brands are about the same." Netizens criticized the notice for its condescending tone and for setting rules for consumers. The brand subsequently issued an apology statement, claiming the copy was written by an early operations staff member who had already left, but the statement failed to quell public anger and was instead accused of "lecturing consumers." Currently, the controversial notice has been taken down, and the apology post has also been deleted. Market regulatory authorities have stepped in to investigate. Front Street Coffee continues to follow developments in the coffee and tea beverage industry. [more…]

Taiwan, China-based chain brand Seattle Premium Coffee was found to have blended Robusta into several pre-packaged bean products labeled "100% Arabica," prompting prosecutors to charge founder Liu and two others with adulteration and misrepresentation. The brand initially argued that Timorese/Timor varieties are a hybrid of the two species, then later changed its statement, saying it was an administrative oversight that the labels were not updated, and was willing to recall only some batches. The court calculated criminal proceeds at approximately 4.07 million yuan, and Liu sought to pay a public welfare fund in exchange for a suspended sentence. The core dispute in the case is that adding Robusta itself is not illegal, but whether a mismatch between the label and contents constitutes adulteration and misrepresentation under food safety law. This article sorts through the sequence of events, test data, and new courtroom statements, so coffee enthusiasts can understand industry labeling standards. [more…]

Hand-shaken lemon tea brand Ningji recently announced a collaboration with the Japanese anime "Detective Conan," but found itself embroiled in controversy over CP-themed posters displayed in its stores. The posters placed Conan alongside Haibara Ai, and Shinichi Kudo alongside Ran Mouri, sparking strong discontent among fans of the original work. Although Ningji quickly issued an apology statement, attributing the incident to unauthorized actions by an individual franchisee, netizens and industry insiders broadly rejected this explanation, believing the brand was clearly derelict in its material review and respect for the IP. Notably, this is already the second time this year that Ningji has publicly apologized over problems with marketing material oversight. For coffee and tea beverage enthusiasts, how collaborative marketing can strike a balance between respecting the original work and consumers has once again become an industry topic worth watching. [more…]

Recently, pages posing as the official Luckin Coffee website have appeared online, publishing franchise information and drawing the attention of many coffee enthusiasts. However, Luckin Coffee has long clearly stated that the brand operates on a direct-management model and does not accept franchising in any form. This article will expose the tricks of these fake franchise websites, sort out Luckin Coffee's operating entities and store types, and help readers identify scams to avoid financial loss. At the same time, Front Street Coffee also reminds everyone that investing in the coffee industry requires carefully verifying official information. [more…]

On January 30, multiple %Arabica stores in the Philippines suddenly closed their doors, and its official Instagram account also appeared to be deactivated, sparking speculation among local consumers and media about whether the brand would withdraw from the Philippine market. The next day, %Arabica issued a statement on Facebook, saying it had terminated its partnership with former Philippine partner Allue Hortaleza, that existing stores were temporarily closed, and that it had found a new agency, promising to resume operations within the year. Regarding the account deactivation, the official explanation was that it had been hacked, and updates have now resumed. The former partner also issued a statement on February 1, saying it would continue to provide high-quality coffee. Behind the incident, some netizens speculated that the post-pandemic business recovery prompted the former partner to strike out on its own. How exactly will this sudden breakup turmoil affect %Arabica's future in the Philippines? [more…]

Recently, a Fuzhou branch of the chain tea brand Bao Zhu Gong became embroiled in a public opinion storm over an ordinary customer complaint dispute. A consumer claimed that after their milk green tea was made incorrectly, they received a refund and coupon compensation, but then got into an argument with the store over the usage rules. Subsequently, comments appeared that seemed to be from an employee leaking information, claiming that management fired all store staff because of the customer complaint, and even dredging up an old issue where a student employee had previously been fined 1,000 yuan. The incident quickly escalated, with tens of thousands of comments forcing the original post to be deleted. At noon today, an account claiming to be the owner of the store involved issued a statement, saying that the online rumors were all false and that the person involved had gone to the police station to give a statement and file a report. What is the truth? Front Street Coffee takes you through the full picture of the incident. [more…]

Recently, the "tear-the-cup" lucky draw campaign launched by Chagee in Malaysia has become mired in controversy. A video exposed that store employees were suspected of screening prize cards inside cups in advance and keeping the grand prizes aside, triggering strong consumer doubts about the fairness of the campaign. The brand initially demanded that netizens delete their posts through legal means, then responded successively on November 18 and 19 and issued an apology statement, admitting that the employees' conduct did not conform to corporate principles and announcing that starting in December it would switch to QR codes instead of paper lucky draw slips. Although the brand promised to make rectifications, public doubts about its handling approach and transparency have still not been completely dispelled. [more…]

A cup of Americano with a splash of milk—this seemingly trivial request has recently stirred up quite a commotion on social media. Some consumers report that after buying a hot Americano at a Manner outlet and asking for milk, they were flatly refused by the barista, even though the same request had never been a problem before. What's even more puzzling is that different stores and different employees give completely opposite answers—some say it's fine to add milk, while others explicitly say it's not allowed. Does the brand have a unified policy? Can consumers enjoy a consistent customization experience? This debate reflects the real tension between standardization and personalization faced by chain coffee brands. [more…]

Taiwanese specialty coffee chain "Oklao" and coffee buyer "Black Gold Coffee" have recently become embroiled in a cross-border coffee bean controversy. Willem J. Boot, the owner of the renowned Panama estate Finca Sophia, publicly accused the two of selling coffee products under the name "Finca Sophia" in both 2023 and 2025 without ever purchasing from the estate. The incident continued to escalate: Black Gold Coffee went from initially denying it to deleting its post and apologizing, while Oklao held a press conference on December 19, at which its chairman and general manager bowed in apology, admitting that internal operational errors led to the estate name being mislabeled. A local regulatory authority investigation determined that the product labeling did not match the source, and as a result Oklao had its "Taichung Top 10 Souvenirs" award eligibility revoked and faced consumer returns and compensation. This article provides a complete rundown of the incident timeline, both parties' responses, and the subsequent fallout, so coffee enthusiasts can understand the full story behind this brand trust crisis. [more…]

Recently, a video of a Cotti Coffee employee destroying a standee of former spokesperson Wang Yibo sparked a huge uproar on social media. In the video, the store clerk deliberately cut up the standee's face and posted it with a caption, provoking widespread discontent and a boycott among fans. As the incident continued to escalate, Cotti issued a public statement of apology on February 28, announcing the termination of cooperation with the store involved and its closure, while promising to strengthen training and oversight of the material recycling process. This controversy has brought the issue of material handling standards after the termination of brand endorsement contracts to the forefront, and has once again drawn industry attention to the protection of artists' portrait rights. [more…]

Recently, a chain brand named "People's Coffee" has sparked widespread controversy over the use of its store logo. Media pointed out that there are discrepancies between its trademark registration and actual use, which may mislead the public and damage the public value of the word "People." Subsequently, the brand "Yaochao People's Coffee" issued a statement of apology, promising comprehensive rectification, and unifying all mainland China stores under the name "Yaochao People's Coffee." Meanwhile, the first nationwide store, the Shanghai Sihang Warehouse branch, has suspended operations, and the Beijing Qianmen branch has also changed its signage and lowered drink prices. The incident continues to escalate, triggering in-depth public discussion on business ethics and legal compliance. [more…]