Recently, a woman in Ontario, Canada, was refused service when she tried to pay with an old version of the 5 Canadian dollar banknote issued in 1986 at a coffee shop, sparking attention. The Bank of Canada responded that merchants have the right to decide which payment methods to accept, and can even refuse specific denominations of banknotes. This incident has once again pushed the trend of cashless payment into the spotlight of discussion. Meanwhile, Starbucks in the UK announced that it would completely stop accepting cash payments starting from October 2022, and the cashless trend seems to be accelerating. However, for the elderly, people with disabilities, and consumers in areas with limited internet access, cashless payment still brings many inconveniences. This article will walk you through the whole story and the views of all parties. [more…]

Colombia, as the world's third-largest coffee producer, has recently received a series of favorable news: a bank report shows significant growth in agricultural output and announces an investment of 22 billion Colombian pesos to support agricultural development. Meanwhile, the country's coffee production is expected to reach 12.53 million bags in the 2023/24 season, a year-on-year increase of 18%, and is expected to exceed 13 million bags in the 2024/25 season. However, drought, forest fires, rising cultivation costs, internal conflict, and the possible arrival of La Niña still bring many uncertainties to the coffee industry. This article will review the latest developments and potential risks in Colombia's coffee industry. [more…]

Blue Mountain coffee has long been hailed as the "black gem," revered by coffee lovers as "the coffee beauty that combines all the virtues of good coffee." Why does it hold such a status? The answer lies in the unique climate, volcanic soil, and altitude conditions of Jamaica's Blue Mountains. Only coffee grown at elevations between 900 and 1,700 meters qualifies to bear the Blue Mountain name. This article will guide you through the flavor characteristics of authentic Front Street Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, and follow a 2013 field visit to the historic Mavis Bank Coffee Estate, restoring the true face of this legendary coffee—from tasting and production to identifying counterfeits. [more…]

Starting in January 2024, Heytea quietly lowered the prices of several popular products, including Cheese Strawberry, Pure Grape, Pure Milk Tea, and Pure Green Tea, with reductions ranging from 3 to 7 yuan, and the cheese milk cap also became 1 yuan cheaper. This move was not publicly promoted, but was discovered by observant consumers on social platforms. At the same time, brands such as Chayan Yuese, Luckin Coffee, and Tims Coffee raised prices one after another due to rising costs of raw materials, labor, transportation, and energy. Why could Heytea cut prices against the trend? Some analysts believe this is related to its advantages in scale, brand, and supply chain control, and it also reflects the deeper logic of inflation being transmitted to end consumer goods against the backdrop of global quantitative easing. This article takes you through this exceptional move amid the "price increase wave," and includes professional exchange information from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Recently, the Ethiopian government, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), launched a long-term coffee land-use plan with a budget of up to US$20.8 million, aimed at curbing deforestation, promoting the sustainable development of the coffee industry, and helping local coffee comply with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The project, named FOLUR, is part of a US$345 million global initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and is planned to run from 2024 to 2031. The project covers 22 districts across four major regions, including Oromia and Sidama, and aims to restore 10,500 hectares of non-productive coffee forests and 60,000 hectares of key forest land, while improving the livelihoods of about 440,000 people. This move is not only related to the lifeline of Ethiopia's coffee exports—which account for 30-35% of its export earnings—but also provides key support for responding to the EUDR regulations that the EU is about to bring into effect. [more…]

Recently, a Taiwanese netizen claiming to be a former Starbucks employee exposed on social media that a Starbucks power bank they received in 2023 suddenly overheated, emitted smoke, and exploded into flames during charging, nearly causing a larger accident. The product has a capacity of 10000mAh, supports 15W wireless charging, and is manufactured by Taiwan Life Factory International Co., Ltd. After the incident, the person contacted Starbucks customer service to report it, but received a negative response and was even fobbed off with the excuse that "after all, it has been used for two years," leaving them deeply disappointed. This incident has sparked discussions about corporate gift safety vetting and after-sales responsibility. As observers of coffee culture, Front Street Coffee also continuously monitors the quality of brand merchandise and consumer rights. [more…]

The Ethiopian government has launched drone airstrikes in the Gondar region of Amhara State, killing more than 60 civilians. The local anti-government Fano militia says the airstrikes cannot reverse the defensive forces' passive position, but instead have won them more grassroots support. The conflict has left millions of students out of school, damaged medical facilities, blocked roads, and disrupted the country's agriculture and livestock sectors and prices. Although the southern coffee-growing regions have so far not been affected, exports face pressure from the delayed implementation of the EU's EUDR and falling international coffee prices. Ethiopia's prime minister says annual coffee production has doubled from 500,000 tons to more than 1 million tons over the past five years, but producers believe regional security is the top priority. [more…]

Global food giant Nestlé has reportedly been working with investment bank Morgan Stanley on a strategic review of its high-end coffee chain brand Blue Bottle Coffee, with a sale being one of the core options. Sources say Nestlé may choose to sell the physical store network while retaining the brand's intellectual property. Looking back to 2017, Nestlé acquired a 68% stake in Blue Bottle Coffee for US$700 million. Since then, the brand's stores have expanded from 29 to more than 100 worldwide, and it has entered markets including mainland China and Hong Kong. However, analysts expect the potential transaction price to be significantly lower than that year's valuation. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is also considering selling its Costa Coffee store business, drawing attention to the trend of major conglomerates adjusting their strategies in the physical coffee chain sector. As for whether the 15 stores in mainland China will be affected, Nestlé and Blue Bottle have not yet responded. [more…]

Recently, two Starbucks stores in the UK posted notices stating they would stop accepting cash, sparking heated discussion online. Many people worried that this move deprived consumers of their right to choose, and public opinion quickly escalated. Starbucks UK officially clarified afterwards that these stores are independently operated by licensed partners, and going cashless is not a unified company policy. In fact, Starbucks once tested a cashless model in the US but did not roll it out, and although it encouraged electronic payments during the pandemic, it still emphasized that cash always remains an option. This article will recount the course of the incident and sort out Starbucks' historical stance on payment methods and its future direction. [more…]

According to Ethiopian media reports on September 14, 2025, exporters in Ethiopia recently stated that their businesses are facing severe disruptions due to outdated systems and poor communication between financial institutions and the National Bank [more…]

On October 15, the National Bank of Ethiopia introduced a new regulation capping the spread between the buying and selling rates for foreign exchange transactions at 2%, effective the following day. This marks another significant adjustment following the country's shift to a market-based exchange rate system in July of this year. Previously, the birr depreciated sharply, and the bid-ask spread at one point exceeded 10 birr, placing heavy pressure on exporters. The new policy requires banks to disclose all fees transparently, which is expected to reduce exchange losses for exporters and bodes well for major export commodities such as coffee. Nevertheless, Ethiopia still faces multiple challenges, including the conflict in Amhara region, the Red Sea blockade, and the port dispute with neighboring Somalia. [more…]

Since Ethiopia implemented a new foreign exchange policy on July 31, the birr has fallen three times in a row against the US dollar within just a few days, dropping to 83.94 birr per US dollar on August 2, sharply increasing the pressure on local people's livelihoods. The Addis Ababa City Trade Bureau promptly sanctioned 387 businesses suspected of price gouging, while opposition parties criticized the timing of the reform as inappropriate. At the same time, exports of agricultural products such as coffee have gained competitiveness in the short term due to currency depreciation, but climate disasters, the Red Sea shipping crisis, and domestic conflict cast a shadow over the long-term outlook. This article will sort out the deeper impact of exchange rate fluctuations on Ethiopia's economy, prices, and coffee industry, and also look at how brands such as Front Street Coffee are responding amid changes in the place of origin. [more…]

On March 16, Heytea trended on Weibo for using WanDianZhang facial recognition cameras. Previously, CCTV's 315 Gala exposed over 20 well-known brands, including Heytea, Kohler, and BMW, for illegally collecting facial information through WanDianZhang cameras without consumers' knowledge. Heytea responded that the cameras are only for security and will never illegally collect facial data. WanDianZhang stated that the platform's facial data volume has reached hundreds of millions and is drafting an announcement to explain its business scope and rectification measures. This incident has once again sparked public concern over the abuse of facial recognition technology and personal privacy security. [more…]

Recently, multiple media outlets including Bloomberg reported that the coffee chain brand Manner Coffee is preparing for a Hong Kong listing, potentially debuting on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as early as next year with a valuation expected to reach US$3 billion. Manner responded to this by saying it had "no comment," a shift from its previous stance of outright denial. Looking back at Manner's development, it started in 2015 as a 2-square-meter small shop in Shanghai, rising rapidly through a strategy of making specialty coffee affordable and a community store model, and successively attracted backing from Capital Today, Meituan Dragonball, ByteDance, Temasek, and other capital investors. As of November, Manner had 2,234 stores nationwide, ranking sixth in scale, and among the top six brands it, like Starbucks China, operates under a direct-operated model. Amid successive moves by competitors, Manner's listing rumors have drawn widespread attention. (Recommended by Front Street Coffee) [more…]

The United States White House announced on September 6 that it will continue to impose a national emergency on Ethiopia, a decision that came after news of a currency swap agreement between China and Ethiopia. Ethiopia's finance minister has confirmed the existence of the agreement, but specific details and the timeline have not yet been made public. Meanwhile, the United States has imposed a state of emergency on Ethiopia since 2021 under the pretext of the National Emergencies Economic Powers Act, and this extension will run until 2025. Ethiopia was removed from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in 2022, and tariffs were reinstated on major export goods such as coffee, textiles, and leather products, dealing a severe blow to the economy. Although the U.S. attitude slightly eased after Ethiopia implemented a new foreign exchange policy in August of this year, AGOA eligibility remains out of reach. Germany is the largest importer of Ethiopian coffee, while the United States ranks only fourth, accounting for 9.3 percent. The continuation of the state of emergency may further restrict bilateral trade, reduce U.S. imports of Ethiopian coffee, and at the same time hit Ethiopia's exports of fertilizer and industrial supplies, exacerbating local price increases and the rising cost of coffee. [more…]

On September 18, 2024, the Federal Reserve announced a 50 basis point cut to the federal funds rate target range, bringing it to 4.75%-5.00%. This was the first rate cut since March 2020, marking a shift in U.S. monetary policy from tightening to easing. The move is expected to stimulate global economic recovery, lower financing costs, and have multiple effects on the coffee industry. Meanwhile, Brazil's central bank announced a rate hike of 0.25 percentage points the same day; combined with ongoing drought that has reduced coffee production, as well as a wave of stockpiling ahead of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) taking effect at the end of the year, Brazil's coffee exports have performed strongly, though the price outlook remains uncertain. This article will examine how these factors work together to affect the global coffee market. [more…]

A global digital accident triggered by a Microsoft 365 service outage caused devices running Windows systems to collectively display the "blue screen of death," paralyzing multiple industries including aviation, finance, and education. As a well-known brand affected, Starbucks saw its point-of-sale systems fail in a large number of stores across the United States and Canada, forcing mobile ordering and payment functions to be suspended, with some stores even closing outright or offering customers free drinks. Some Starbucks stores in China were likewise not spared, as computer failures forced staff to return to the "handwritten cup era," manually marking requests after orders were placed through Feikua. Microsoft later announced that the root problem had been fixed, but residual effects continued. This article reviews the specific impact of the incident on Starbucks and how stores responded. [more…]

How much can a cup of pour-over coffee sell for? Recently, a coffee shop in Wenling, Zhejiang, sparked heated discussion with a hand-brewed coffee priced at 2,888 yuan on its menu, with the original price even marked at 3,888 yuan. Netizens joked, "Did they forget to mark the decimal point?" The owner responded that the high-priced beans are all BOP auction lots, and the pricing is based on international competition auction prices, not set arbitrarily. One of them, a 2021 Panama Geisha, once set a record at $2,568 per pound, and now a single cup sells for 3,888 yuan with a 10-day advance reservation required. Besides the top auction beans, the shop also offers affordable options ranging from 18 to 188 yuan, with an average spend of about 47 yuan per person. Front Street Coffee takes you behind the story of this cup of coffee that "ordinary workers don't deserve to drink." [more…]

Recently, the global coffee market has experienced a round of sharp fluctuations. New York Arabica futures once hit a record high of 343.4 cents per pound, then US C coffee futures pulled back to around 319.6 cents, while Robusta futures continued to decline. At the same time, Brazil's central bank raised interest rates to 12.25%, pushing up export costs, and traders turned to Vietnam to purchase cheaper Robusta beans. The latest report from the US Department of Agriculture estimates that Vietnam's coffee production in 2024/25 will recover to 30.1 million bags, but climate uncertainty still hangs over the market. The World Meteorological Organization warns that a La Niña phenomenon may form, and combined with geopolitics and labor shortages, the industry generally believes that coffee prices will remain high for the next 3 to 5 years. [more…]

In the UK, there is a group of independent coffee shops that reject assembly-line production and treat every cup of coffee as a work of art. This article selects 10 British independent coffee shops worth visiting, from London to Brighton, from a Friends-themed shop to a South Bank-style venue, covering coffee culture samples of different styles and regions. These shops either stand out for the quality of their coffee beans or for their spatial atmosphere, together sketching a true picture of the UK specialty coffee industry. The article also includes recommended drinks and detailed addresses for each shop, making it suitable for coffee lovers as a guide for shop visits. Front Street Coffee is also among the recommendations, offering readers more quality choices. [more…]