Walking into a café and staring at a dense menu without knowing where to start? This article is tailored for coffee beginners, sorting out the ordering logic—from espresso to milk coffee categories, and then to the choice between single-origin beans and blends—to help you quickly understand the reasoning behind the menu. Whether you prefer rich or light, creamy or fruity and acidic, you can find the cup that suits you. The article also draws on Front Street Coffee's production experience to offer specific recommendations and tips for avoiding pitfalls, so that next time you order, you won't be lost and can easily enjoy the pleasure of coffee. [more…]

Recently, a netizen shared that a coffee shop in Taipei printed a full ten store rules densely on the first page of its menu, sparking heated discussion. Among them, clauses like "vomiting incurs an additional cleaning fee of NT$2,000 per person" and "leaving for 10 minutes recalculates the minimum spend" left some customers complaining of a headache. However, many netizens expressed understanding, believing that such rules often stem from the shop's bitter experiences, and that stating the rules upfront benefits both sides. Independent cafes maintain their environment through store rules, while chain stores rarely have such regulations, yet uncivilized behavior such as occupying seats and making noise still occurs from time to time. This discussion reflects the two-way selection relationship between cafes and customers. [more…]

A Japanese-style café located in Jinjiang District, Chengdu, caused an uproar online after the owner wrote phrases such as "Not photo-friendly | Not office-friendly | Not friendly to lower-class people" in their social media bio. What were originally just in-store rules prohibiting standing photos and photos after changing seats were interpreted by netizens as a public belittlement of customers due to the insulting wording "lower-class people." After the incident escalated, the café's recommended menu on review platforms was collectively edited, with joking names such as "Lower-Class Coffee" and "Lower-Class Latte" topping the list. Although the owner once posted an explanation of what "lower-class people" referred to, both the bio and the post have been deleted. This conflict also sparked widespread discussion about the boundaries of merchant rules and customer dignity. [more…]

In the architectural complex of Beijing's Xishiku Church, there is a gray three-story annex built in 1901, once a residence for senior clergy and now transformed into a rather old yet youthful café—1901Cafe. It preserves the architectural charm of a blend of Chinese and Western styles while incorporating the comfortable atmosphere of a modern café. This article takes you into this historic building, exploring its past and present, touring the layout of the second and third floors, and reviewing menu items such as cheese, rose tea, and poutine fries. If you also enjoy having a cup of coffee in old times, you might want to add this place to your next stop. [more…]

Professional coffee knowledge exchange For more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style) For more specialty coffee beans, please add the personal WeChat of Front Street Coffee, WeChat ID: qjcoffeex Recently, a consumer reported that a Häagen-Dazs store in Suzhou listed espresso at 20 yuan on its menu but actually charged 23 yuan at checkout. The store explained that there is a price difference between dine-in and takeout, but the menu title clearly states "Takeout Beverage Menu" and shows only one price without indicating that takeout incurs an extra charge, making this explanation hard to believe. Since opening the world's first coffee store in Shanghai in 2014, Häagen-Dazs has continued to expand in China's coffee market, and its total number of stores has now reached 482. In addition to this pricing dispute, the brand was previously reported by the EU over food safety issues. [more…]

For opening a coffee shop, espresso beans are the ingredient used in the largest quantity and have the greatest impact on product consistency. Choose wrong, and either costs spiral out of control or your drinks lack distinction; choose right, and a single machine can support most of the menu. Today, from the perspective of a shop owner, let's clearly explain the positioning and pairing plans for Front Street Coffee's four espresso blends. First, let's clarify: [more…]

Recently, some trendy cafes in Hangzhou have come up with a new gimmick—printing luxury brand logos such as LV, Dior, and CHANEL on coffee and cakes, offering so-called "luxury afternoon tea" to attract many young people to check in. Rea.vintage cafe on Zhongshan North Road combines a vintage luxury consignment shop with coffee, quietly offering a 99-yuan set; while CHOPCHOP cafe in Guoda City Plaza prominently displays a luxury brand menu, with set prices ranging from 118 to 318 yuan, and only dine-in customers can enter the scenic area. While business is booming, netizens are raising continuous doubts: does adding a logo make coffee more fragrant? Is using big brand trademarks without authorization an infringement? A Qianjiang Evening News reporter interviewed lawyer Sun Yifan, pointing out that this behavior may face copyright infringement risks. Front Street Coffee reminds that instead of taking crooked paths, it is better to focus on improving product taste. [more…]

Remember when UBC Coffee seemed impossibly upscale as a kid? That chain brand, which once embodied the first Western dining experience for the post-70s and post-80s generations, has now quietly transformed itself. From bitter melon and pork rib soup paired with pasta in Guangdong outlets, to farmhouse free-range chicken and steamed sea bass on Shanghai menus, UBC Coffee's degree of localization leaves even KFC and Pizza Hut in the dust. Is this proactive innovation or a desperate act of self-rescue? After franchisees pay their fees, headquarters washes its hands of them; membership cards are not valid across regions; and service standards vary wildly from store to store. As competition among large chain brands reaches a fever pitch, and independent coffee shops and some chain brands face a predicament, UBC Coffee has chosen a down-to-earth path of transformation. This article will walk you through how this former high-end Western restaurant has incorporated Chinese cuisine elements, and the survival logic behind its coffee-and-food pairing strategy. [more…]

The Starbucks 2023 menu covers four major series: handcrafted espresso, Frappuccino, Teavana, and cold brew, with grande prices ranging from 25 to 48 yuan. This article compiles the complete price list for each series and explains the essence of the secret menu—it is not an official offering, but rather customized adjustments to flavors and ingredients based on regular drinks. The article also summarizes popular orders such as cold brew with cream, oat milk black tea espresso latte, and vanilla cream iced Americano, while reminding readers that seasonal limited-edition ingredients may be out of stock and that good looks do not equal good taste. At the end, Front Street Coffee brand recommendations and communication channels are included for coffee enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

What are the Starbucks drink menu prices in 2023? Which hot and cold coffee drinks are the most popular? This article compiles a detailed price list of the entire Starbucks menu, including espresso, Frappuccinos, shaken iced tea, and the cold brew series, and reviews the specific price increases after the February 2022 adjustment. Whether you prefer the classic Americano, latte, or are fond of Frappuccinos or cold brew, you can find the latest prices and popular recommendations here, helping coffee lovers order easily without any missteps. [more…]

These days, walking into any beverage shop, the variety on the menu is always dazzling. Boba shops are selling porridge, cafes surprisingly offer lemon tea, and industry competition has long entered a white-hot stage. More noteworthy is that the boundary between coffee and milk tea is being continuously broken: oats, fermented rice, thick milk, and osmanthus are all being added to coffee, the traditional bitter taste is weakened, and the flavor is moving closer to milk tea. A science blogger on Weibo once organized a blind test, asking participants to distinguish between coffee and milk tea with similar flavors, and surprisingly nearly half of the people could not accurately tell them apart. Coffee's localization and youth-oriented strategies, the migration of childhood milk tea memories, and various novelty pairings have jointly driven this trend. This article takes you to explore the phenomenon of coffee becoming more like milk tea and the logic behind it. [more…]

Recently, a café menu that went viral online sparked heated discussion, its retro typography and astonishing pricing making people feel as if they had traveled through time. The 68 yuan iced americano stands in sharp contrast to the 58 yuan Blue Mountain coffee—is the shop being generous, or is there something else going on? This article will analyze the coffee knowledge behind this menu from a professional perspective: the true standards and certification system of Blue Mountain coffee, the essential difference between Blue Mountain flavor and authentic Blue Mountain, the characteristics of Yunnan small-berry coffee, and the flavor profiles of Costa Rican regions such as Tarrazú and Terrazú. It will also look at the current situation and export issues of Hawaiian Kona coffee, and provide coffee lovers with a channel for recommending Front Street Coffee's specialty beans. [more…]

Want to know the latest Starbucks menu prices? This article compiles the 2023 prices for Starbucks' espresso series, Frappuccino series, iced shaken tea series, and cold brew iced coffee series, including lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos, caramel macchiatos, flat whites, various Frappuccinos, iced shaken teas, and cold brew coffee. It also includes a list of the top ten best-tasting Starbucks drinks for coffee lovers' reference. Whether you're looking for the best value or want to try new flavors, this price list can help you make a quick decision. Follow Coffee Workshop and Front Street Coffee for more professional coffee knowledge and specialty coffee bean information. [more…]

On the menu at Blue Bottle Coffee shops, there is a drink with a tongue-twisting name that is particularly intriguing—the Gibraltar. It is at once the name of a port city, the designation of Libbey's classic glassware series, and a rich little milk coffee that sits somewhere between a latte and a macchiato. This drink was not deliberately developed, but arose from an accidental purchase of the wrong glass: a 4.5-ounce small glass could not hold a regular milk coffee, yet it was just right for observing espresso crema, so a barista blended a small amount of thin-microfoam milk into a double espresso, accidentally creating an off-menu hit. Today, Front Street takes everyone through the origins of the Gibraltar, compares its similarities and differences with the cortado, and finally provides a home recipe with parameter references. [more…]

Many consumers have noticed that coffee shop menu prices are becoming increasingly baffling. An Americano easily costs 30 yuan, and a specialty drink can easily exceed 40 yuan, leaving people feeling "stung" when they pay the bill. So, what exactly makes up the cost of a cup of coffee? And how should independent cafés scientifically price their products? This article examines store positioning, menu design, raw material costs, and original price ratio calculations to sort out the basic logic of coffee shop pricing, and provides reference cost ranges for espresso beans and milk, helping coffee lovers and industry professionals better understand the economics behind a cup of coffee. [more…]

A cup of Americano sells for 30 yuan, a latte for 35 yuan, and specialty drinks often cost over 40 yuan, prompting many consumers to cry out that they've been "stabbed" by the prices. But is coffee shop pricing really just arbitrarily marked up? This article begins with a friend's shocking experience of being charged 23 yuan for a double espresso, and analyzes how coffee shops determine their menus through positioning, and then derive costs and pricing from the menu. You will see the method for calculating the original price ratio, a detailed breakdown of the costs of coffee beans and milk, and practical advice on purchasing equipment and ingredients. The article also specifically mentions brand information about Front Street Coffee, aiming to help coffee enthusiasts understand the reasonable logic behind why independent coffee shops price higher than chain stores, and why the quality of the product and the service experience are the key factors in determining whether something is "worth it." [more…]

On June 14, Starbucks China officially launched a new iced coffee category called "Iced Shaken Espresso," featuring two flavors: Sea Salt Caramel and Tahitian Vanilla. This drink is originally named Caffe'Shakerato, a national-level iced espresso in Italy, shaken in a cocktail shaker to create a dense foam, with a taste and appearance similar to dark beer. Starbucks has turned it from a hidden menu item into a regular product, sparking heated discussions on social media. The production process places extremely high demands on baristas' skills, requiring plenty of ice and endless shaking to achieve a fine foam, and it is even more of a test during peak hours. Consumer reviews are polarized, with some praising the taste and others complaining that the foam is coarse. This article explains in detail the origin, spread, and production difficulties of Caffe'Shakerato, and shares an easy way to replicate it at home. [more…]

How exactly do you pronounce Flat White on the Starbucks menu? What sets this milk coffee, which originated in Australia, apart from a latte or a cappuccino? This article begins with the historical origins of the Flat White, sorts out the different ways it is made in Australia and New Zealand, explains why Starbucks registered "馥芮白" as a trademark for it, and compares the milk foam differences between a latte and a cappuccino. At the same time, Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) will share how to use an espresso blend to make a delicious Aussie white, including extraction parameters, milk steaming temperature, and flavor performance, and recommend three blended coffee beans suitable for making a Flat White. [more…]

Starbucks Reserve and regular stores have clear differences in branding, brewing methods, and experience. Their menus include both drinks priced the same as regular stores and specialty beverages and pour-overs made with specialty beans available only at Reserve stores, which are relatively more expensive. This article will explain Reserve coffee's bean selection standards—terroir conditions, processing methods, coffee varieties, and human stories—and introduce how to consult staff when ordering based on flavor and taste. At the same time, the article retains related recommendations from Front Street Coffee for coffee enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

Looking at a coffee shop's bean list tells you a lot about how that shop thinks. Some shops have very long lists, packed with single origins, blends, and limited releases; others carry only one or two espresso beans year-round, yet make every cup solid. For most cafes, the core of a commercial espresso bean list isn't quantity—it's staying power—one [more…]