Recently, Mixue Bingcheng made trending news due to an employee's sudden death. According to media reports, a female employee in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, suddenly collapsed after working only three hours on her first day on the job and tragically passed away despite rescue efforts. Mixue Bingcheng responded that they are negotiating with the family, and the incident is still under investigation. This tragedy is not only lamentable but has also sparked widespread discussion on legal issues such as employer liability, work-related injury determination, and social insurance contributions. At the same time, Mixue Bingcheng's previous fine for employing child labor has been brought up again. The health and rights protection of workers has once again become a focal point. [more…]

Manner recently launched a two-cup set promotion for its roasted nut latte, offering a lilac ceramic cup, which attracted a large number of merchandise enthusiasts to snap it up. However, during the promotion, store orders surged and service speed dropped sharply. Some customers only got the cup but never received their drinks, and regulars switched to other brands as a result. Employees, suffering under intense workloads, complained that promotions were too frequent and staffing was insufficient, while the company's feedback channel was described as virtually useless. This article sorts out the chain reactions triggered by the promotion, presenting the dual plight of employees and customers. [more…]

Recently, a customer complained on social media that employees at a Grandpa's Tea shop frequently shouted slogans, saying they had wanted to rest quietly but were startled by sudden advertising phrases, and described the experience as being in a pyramid scheme den. The post quickly resonated with consumers across the country, many of whom said they had been startled by similar scenes and believed such excessive promotion was both noisy and off-putting. Interestingly, however, when customers complained to the brand, the employees who were complained about not only showed no displeasure but thanked them repeatedly and encouraged more complaints. It turns out the brand mandates that employees recite scripts at set times, including shouting "Welcome" every 5 minutes and saying fixed phrases to customers and delivery riders; if surveillance catches them slacking off and shouting too little, they face punishment such as writing lines and pay deductions. Employees are full of complaints, and onlookers are also urging the brand to listen to real feedback and cancel this mandatory requirement that annoys customers and exhausts staff. [more…]

Many people throw themselves into starting a coffee shop with nothing but passion, only to end up shutting down in confusion. Through real cases, this article analyzes several common "death modes" for coffee shops: the death by obsession with quality caused by blindly chasing fancy decor and equipment, the death by collapsed confidence from gritting through the early no-profit period, and the death by cost pressure from skyrocketing rent. The article further explores how to improve the odds of success—from systematically learning coffee knowledge and gaining industry experience, to developing solid operational skills and accounting for every single expense. It also keeps relevant recommendations for the "Front Street" brand, for coffee lovers and entrepreneurs to reference. [more…]

Sexy Tea was once viewed pessimistically by the industry, which believed it would struggle to expand beyond Changsha. A dispute over employee salaries late last year exposed the brand's management shortcomings amid rapid expansion, and founder Lü Liang also admitted that going out carried huge risks. However, in April this year it officially announced entry into Chongqing, and in June it confirmed an August landing in Nanjing, stepping into Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai for the first time. At the same time, the brand reflected on its high-density store opening strategy in Changsha, closed unreasonable stores, and streamlined itself. This article reviews Sexy Tea's journey from an internal public opinion crisis to truly "going far away," and retains professional coffee information recommendations such as Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Recently, news about a Luckin Coffee store manager who had an emotional dispute with a 17-year-old part-time female employee, which ultimately led the girl to take medication and commit suicide, sparked heated discussion on social media. The girl's family knelt in front of the store to protest, claiming that the store manager used his position to deceive their underage daughter and is suspected of forcing her into a relationship that led to pregnancy, causing enormous psychological pressure on the girl. After investigation, police determined that the girl purchased the medication herself to commit suicide, that the case did not constitute a criminal case, and that it would not be filed. The judicial authorities organized two mediations, but the man said he was unable to pay compensation. After the incident was exposed, the store manager involved had resigned, and Luckin officially responded that it had not received any relevant notice. The truth of the incident and the attribution of responsibility still need to be further clarified. [more…]

A sudden fire reduced a café in Kostroma, Russia, to ruins in the early hours of the morning. At around 2 a.m. on November 5, the café caught fire and the flames spread rapidly, ultimately causing 15 deaths and 5 injuries, with the burned area reaching 3,500 square meters. A preliminary investigation suggests the fire may have been triggered by a drunk man firing a flare gun inside the premises. This tragedy once again reminds us that fire safety in public places cannot be ignored. Whether it is an ordinary café or a coffee shop that roasts its own beans, electrical equipment, fire extinguishing equipment, and gas use are all links that must be strictly controlled. This article will recount the course of the incident and share practical advice on fire safety for coffee shops. [more…]

A pre-mixed coffee called "Kopi Songkok" contains sildenafil, a prescription ingredient that can be fatal, and has been placed on Malaysia's Ministry of Health ban list, yet it is still circulating on the market. Malaysian doctor Amusankhan posted a warning on social platform X that drinking this coffee may cause headaches, palpitations, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and even death. What is worrying is that many Malaysians continue to buy and drink it. This article reviews the coffee's ban history, health risks, netizens' personal experiences, and a domestic case in which someone was sentenced for selling coffee containing sildenafil, reminding consumers to be more vigilant. [more…]

Recently, a franchise store of the South Korean coffee chain The Venti was exposed for a serious food hygiene issue: after filing calluses on their feet inside the store, the manager did not change gloves or wash hands and directly made drinks for customers. After witnessing the entire process, the consumer took photos as evidence and called the head office to demand a refund, but was refused. The incident quickly spread online, sparking widespread attention and heated discussion. The Venti subsequently issued a formal apology on its official website and promised to strengthen hygiene training. This "foot callus coffee" incident not only made consumers feel uncomfortable, but also triggered deep public reflection on hygiene management in the food and beverage industry. [more…]

Recently, Manner Coffee has drawn widespread attention after suddenly cutting the hourly wages of its part-time employees. Some part-timers discovered that, even with the same number of scheduled hours for the coming month, their daily income was nearly forty yuan less. It is understood that this wage cut affects multiple regions, with reductions ranging from 1 yuan to 6 yuan, including Shanghai dropping from 28 yuan to 24 yuan and Shenzhen from 28 yuan to 22 yuan. After the news spread, discussions in part-time worker groups became heated, and the brand at one point restored the original hourly wage, only to cut it again less than two hours later, leaving many employees caught off guard. Coming right at the peak summer sales season, whether this move will affect store operations and the stability of the part-time team is worth continued attention. [more…]

A severe landslide occurred in the Gofa Zone of southern Ethiopia on the evening of July 21 local time. As of now, 229 deaths have been confirmed, and the casualty toll is feared to rise further. The disaster was triggered by persistent heavy rainfall, and a secondary landslide buried rescue workers. Of particular concern to coffee lovers is that the affected area covers important coffee-producing regions such as Kaffa, Jimma, and Yirgacheffe, where torrential rain and geological disasters are directly threatening the coffee-growing environment and infrastructure. At the same time, the conflict in the north and the impact of the Red Sea crisis on the port of Djibouti have plunged Ethiopia's coffee industry into multiple difficulties. Front Street Coffee will continue to follow the developments and their potential impact on the coffee supply chain. [more…]

On October 28, a distressing scene unfolded in a cat café in Wuxi, Jiangsu: a father, because a cat had startled his child, actually kicked the cat down the stairs. After the surveillance footage was exposed, netizens were furious and offered the shop owner advice on how to pursue accountability. However, because the owner had not called the police in time and feared retaliation afterward, he ultimately chose not to pursue the matter further. This incident once again sparked discussion about whether cat cafés should admit children, and also reflected the real-world dilemma of animal protection and the safeguarding of merchants' rights. [more…]

Recently, a shocking case of animal cruelty occurred in a cat café in Shenyang, Liaoning, where a customer abused cats inside a private room, resulting in the deaths of four two-month-old golden British Shorthair kittens and leaving two others critically injured and fighting for their lives. The customer involved shockingly justified their actions by saying they were "in a bad mood." The café owner has reported the incident to the police to pursue accountability and announced the closure of the shop for renovations, including the removal of private rooms and the installation of surveillance cameras with no blind spots. Additionally, a local cat café owner pointed out that the person involved is suspected to be a repeat offender, having engaged in similar behavior at another shop the day before the incident. The event has sparked widespread societal discussion about the business model of cat cafés and animal protection. [more…]

Recently, a shocking sudden incident occurred inside a Good-Me milk tea shop in Guangdong. A completely naked man holding a knife suddenly burst into the store, where multiple customers were waiting to pick up their drinks at the time. Facing this critical situation, four employees remained calm in the face of danger and, through patient maneuvering and decisive action, ultimately joined forces with concerned members of the public and police officers to subdue the knife-wielding man, with no one injured throughout the entire process. After the incident video circulated online, it attracted widespread attention, and netizens praised the employees' bravery. On May 26, Good-Me officially issued a commendation notice, awarding the four employees the title of "Advanced Individual in Courageous Action" and giving them monetary rewards. Front Street Coffee continues to follow developments in the coffee and beverage industry, bringing you the latest report. [more…]

A seemingly ordinary lemonade actually claimed the life of a 21-year-old girl. In September 2023, University of Pennsylvania student Sarah Katz drank a beverage called "Charged Lemonade" while dining at Panera Bread, and just hours later, she tragically passed away from cardiac arrest. Her parents recently filed a lawsuit against Panera, alleging that the product contained an alarming amount of caffeine—260mg for a small cup and 390mg for a large cup, far exceeding the content of a can of Red Bull. What is even more concerning is that this drink was marketed as a "clean plant-based beverage," which led Sarah, who had a heart condition, to let her guard down. This incident has once again sounded the alarm about caffeine intake safety. [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…]

The Spring Festival is traditionally a time for family reunions, but for frontline employees at Luckin Coffee, this year's triple-pay shifts have brought unprecedented challenges. The Guangzhou branch recently issued a notice requiring stores with fewer than 200 items to have only one person on duty all day during the Spring Festival, from opening early to closing, all completed by the same person. This means that employees on duty must single-handedly handle multiple tasks such as production, packaging, cleaning, and dealing with sudden order surges. Timely output rates, physiological needs, and unexpected order surges have become the three major problems weighing on their shoulders. What worries employees even more is that if they need to temporarily close the store to use the restroom, they must apply to the district manager in advance and submit a screenshot of the item count. This high-intensity labor efficiency management has sparked widespread discussion, with some employees bluntly saying it is "harsher than the King of Hell." This article will delve into the details behind this scheduling adjustment and the voices of the employees. [more…]

Recently, the Oceanian nation of Papua New Guinea has been hit by a series of severe natural disasters. A massive landslide occurred in the early hours of the 24th in the Mulitaka area of Enga Province in the north, burying more than 2,000 people, with the death toll now exceeding 670. Months of heavy rainfall that loosened the soil was the main cause of the disaster. The disaster area, Mount Enga, is adjacent to the Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea's core coffee-producing region, where coffee is mostly grown in the Waghi Valley. As the coffee harvest season is currently underway, emergency evacuations have left the coffee cherries unpicked, and production is certain to be affected. At least 15 landslides had already occurred in the country previously, and the coffee-producing region of Chimbu Province in the central region was also affected. Several countries have dispatched rescue teams to assist with search and rescue efforts. [more…]

Luckin's Orange C Americano has always been a favorite among many coffee lovers, winning a large number of loyal fans with its refreshing, sweet taste. However, recently this popular drink has received negative reviews from consumers due to the orange sauce becoming thicker in texture and the taste being too sweet and cloying. Luckin responded quickly, requiring stores to thaw overnight and destroy the problematic batches of orange sauce, while urgently removing the Orange C Americano from the ordering platform. This move sparked heated discussion among netizens: some worry that this drink will disappear for good like previously discontinued flavored coffees, while others feel it is a pity to destroy so many raw materials. Luckin employees revealed that the orange sauce will be replaced, and in the short term most stores may not be able to sell the Orange C Americano. Whether this adjustment can bring the "white moonlight" back to its original taste remains to be seen by consumers. [more…]

Recently, the Wahaha Group has become a focal point of public opinion due to a collective lawsuit filed by several former employees. According to reports, since August, some employees have been required to terminate their contracts with the Wahaha Group and instead sign with Hongsheng Beverage Group, which is controlled by Zong Fuli, resulting in the cancellation of their original bonus dividend benefits. At the same time, the equity of Hangzhou Xiaoshan Shunfa Food Packaging Co., Ltd. was transferred to Zong Fuli's personal name for zero yuan, raising concerns among employees about investment returns. In response, Wahaha recently issued a statement claiming that some media reports are severely inaccurate, that the union has not received litigation information from the so-called rights protection committee, and that the equity repurchase and transfer are legal and valid. However, the statement did not mention key details such as the re-signing of contracts and the zero-yuan transfer, and many questions remain about the incident. [more…]