Recently, a Luckin Coffee employee posted before-and-after photos of their physique on social media, taken before and about a month and a half after joining the company, sparking widespread discussion. The person said that due to a shortage of staff at the store, they had to work 13 to 14 hours straight every day and often had no time to eat, losing 38 jin (19 kg) in a short period and more than 45 jin (22.5 kg) in total. This phenomenon left many netizens both envious and curious, and prompted many Luckin employees to share similar experiences: losing a dozen or so jin, developing muscle definition in their arms, and even improving their posture. However, behind this seemingly "paid weight loss" is a continuous flood of orders triggered by low-price promotions on delivery platforms and intense physical labor. This article will trace the origin and development of this topic and explore the potential health risks of this unconventional way of losing weight. [more…]

Recently, a set of comparison photos circulating on social media has drawn attention: a Luckin Coffee employee lost 20 jin (10 kg) after just over three months on the job, and their posture became noticeably more upright. Once the post went up, food-service workers from all over chimed in with their own "transformation stories"—some cured their hunchbacks, some built up arm muscles, and others lost ten jin within half a year. These real-life cases have tempted many people struggling with their weight, making them wish they could immediately grab a part-time job at a coffee shop—earning money while slimming down. Yet those who have actually been through this "total makeover" offer completely different advice. Behind the buzz of "Luckin as a weight-loss base," how exactly do you balance the physical exertion of manual labor against the toll it takes on the body? This article walks you through the real experiences and warnings of these food-service workers. [more…]

As the Spring Festival approaches, many people are starting to watch their calorie intake so they can stay in good shape when they return home. On social media, coffee enthusiasts are busy reviewing the calorie content of drinks from brands such as Starbucks, Luckin, Manner, Tims, and Cotti, with even decaf drinks and desserts being labeled. Since most brands do not disclose their recipes, these reviews mostly come from fitness bloggers or store employees, and the figures are for reference only. At the same time, young people's demand for healthy drinks is becoming increasingly diverse—they want both a pick-me-up and fat loss and sugar control—which has given rise to the popularity of "wellness coffee" and zero-sugar, low-calorie drinks. Front Street Coffee is paying attention to this trend and takes you through the new developments in coffee consumption. [more…]

Recently, the food delivery competition between JD.com and Meituan has yet to subside, and Ele.me has now joined the fray with a large number of coupons and subsidies. While delivery users enjoy low-priced milk tea, staff at brands like Molly Tea are under unprecedented order pressure. Drinks that originally cost a dozen yuan per cup have seen their prices plummet to five or six yuan after platform subsidies, or even just a few cents, causing order volumes to instantly double or surge, with some stores handling as many as five or six hundred orders per day. Understaffing, material shortages, riders urging them on, and customer complaints have become the daily reality for these coffee and milk tea workers. This article will take you behind the scenes of this delivery subsidy frenzy to see the real working conditions and helplessness of frontline employees. [more…]

Blending butter and medium-chain triglyceride oil into coffee as a breakfast replacement, claiming to aid weight loss and boost cognition—this is "Bulletproof Coffee," invented by Dave Asprey. Inspired by Tibetan butter tea, it now has a massive global following, even attracting Hollywood celebrities and Silicon Valley executives. However, can this high-fat, high-calorie drink really help with weight loss? Is it harmful to women's bodies? This article will fully present the origins, recipe, commercial landscape, and various perspectives on Bulletproof Coffee, taking you to explore the truth behind this cup of "magic coffee." [more…]

After the Luckin Yuzu C series returned, it quickly became popular, and many people on social platforms have hailed it as a "fat-flushing miracle," with claims even circulating that "one cup can make you lose two jin." However, actual test data show that although a single cup of the Yuzu C series contains about 105 to 150 calories, blood sugar rises fairly quickly after drinking it, and the blood sugar increase of Yuzu C Iced Tea can reach 5.1 half an hour after a meal. In addition, the formula contains high-fructose corn syrup and white granulated sugar, so so-called 0 fat does not equal low sugar. For people who need to lose fat or control blood sugar, this drink may not only fail to help with weight loss, but may instead promote fat synthesis and increase hunger due to a large secretion of insulin. This article, combining netizen reviews and formula information, restores the true picture of the Luckin Yuzu C series. [more…]

Starbucks has just experienced a disappointing fiscal year. According to Bloomberg, due to the company's financial performance falling short of expectations, many employees will only receive 60% of their total bonuses this year, and senior executives have also lost performance-based pay raises. U.S. same-store sales have declined for three consecutive quarters, dropping 7% this quarter. New CEO Niccol is trying to reverse the downturn by simplifying the menu, restoring the handwritten cup tradition, and adding ceramic mugs, but with the workforce down 8% year-over-year, one cannot help but question whether these additional services will become an extra burden on store staff. Whether the shadow of shrinking bonuses will affect domestic coffee industry workers remains undetermined. [more…]

The newly launched Pink Drink series from Starbucks sparked heated discussion as soon as its Chinese names were announced, with names such as "Pink Pink Raw Caffeine" and "Pink Berry Lemon Raw Caffeine" surprising many consumers. These drinks clearly contain no coffee, yet the word "raw caffeine" appears in their names. The reason behind this is that the ingredients include raw coffee bean extract, with each cup containing about 45-55 mg of caffeine. So what exactly makes raw coffee beans special? And how do they differ from black coffee in terms of weight loss effects? This article will take you through a closer look, while also learning about Front Street Coffee's professional insights on specialty coffee beans. [more…]

Working in a coffee shop—earning money while enjoying unlimited coffee—is one of the reasons many young people choose to become baristas. Luckin Coffee also once attracted numerous enthusiasts to join with its relaxed employee drink benefits: once they met the required working hours, they could enjoy drinks and even freely mix their own concoctions. Recently, however, this benefit has been gradually tightened: employees who do not make drinks according to the recipe receive surveillance warnings, and stores prohibit free mixing in order to control waste, leaving frontline staff grumbling. At the same time, a series of price increases and cost-cutting measures Luckin has implemented since last year's financial report was released have also sparked controversy among both consumers and employees. This article will sort out the ins and outs of the changes to Luckin's employee drink benefits, as well as the backlash against the cost-cutting and efficiency-boosting strategy behind them. [more…]

Recently, the UK's Daily Mail exposed a case of theft by a café employee: a staff member, without the knowledge of either the owner or customers, secretly replaced the store's card machine with his own device while at work, diverting customer payments into his personal account. The scheme came to light when a customer noticed that a meal priced at £42.1 had actually been charged £94. Over several months, the employee stole approximately £4,000 in total, was arrested by police, and fired. However, the court ultimately sentenced him to 12 months of community service and 120 hours of unpaid work, with no prison time and no requirement to repay the café's losses, only a £200 fine. The case has drawn attention to the abuse of employee authority and the protection of consumer rights. [more…]

Right after the Spring Festival holiday, Tims couldn't wait to launch two new spring drinks—Lucky Snake Fruit Americano and Provence Tomato Americano—promoting a healthy路线 of 0 fat, low calories, and real fruit juice. Among them, the tomato Americano quickly went viral for its bizarre pairing, but it also sparked polarized reviews on social media. Some found the taste so strange it was hard to swallow, with even employees saying they were崩溃 when taste-testing it; others were full of curiosity about the tomato flavor. Is this new product a bold innovation, or just another dark cuisine? Let's take a look at everyone's real feedback. [more…]

Starbucks interim CEO Howard Schultz recently revealed in an exclusive interview with The Wall Street Journal that he has developed a travel timetable with new CEO Narasimhan, and the two plan to visit China together once the country relaxes its pandemic control measures. Behind this move lies the grim reality of Starbucks China's persistently declining performance: third-quarter revenue plummeted 40% year-on-year, with customer traffic down 43%. Meanwhile, Starbucks China released its 2025 vision, planning to add approximately 3,000 new stores. Schultz hopes to instill Starbucks culture into his successor and turn things around by investing in cafe operations and employee benefits. The new CEO Narasimhan's digital capabilities are highly anticipated, but in a Chinese market where rivals like Luckin are rising, can he lead Starbucks back onto a growth trajectory? [more…]

Recently, a customer encountered an bizarre scene at a Starbucks store: while waiting in line to use the restroom, they suddenly heard a loud noise, and then a man hurriedly fled from the bathroom. Upon entering, they discovered that the toilet had been cracked by being stepped on and had separated from the sewage pipe, shifting more than ten centimeters. This bizarre incident quickly sparked heated discussions among netizens and unexpectedly brought up the topic of Starbucks restrooms gradually disappearing. Many netizens were surprised that Starbucks actually had restrooms, while longtime customers recalled that in earlier years, most stores had restrooms open to the public, but this convenience measure brought endless troubles for employees—filth and disorder, long-term occupation, and even people showering or washing vegetables inside. Now, new Starbucks stores are gradually no longer including restrooms, and older stores often lock them, citing malfunctions. This article takes you through the whole incident and the helpless reality behind it. [more…]

Since the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, American chain brands have faced waves of boycotts in Muslim-majority regions, with Starbucks bearing the brunt. In Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country, local consumers' boycott of Starbucks has led to a sharp drop in foot traffic. The latest financial report from franchise operator Berjaya Food shows that in the first half of this year, its Starbucks business suffered a massive loss of 87.34 million ringgit (approximately 143 million RMB). To reverse the decline, Berjaya Food has repeatedly stated that Starbucks Malaysia is wholly owned by a local listed company, with employees almost entirely local and mostly Muslim, in an attempt to distance itself from the US headquarters. However, the boycott continues, even affecting employees' livelihoods and stock performance. How this situation will unfold and whether Starbucks can regain local consumers' trust is worth watching. [more…]

Right after the May Day holiday, the "three-way battle" among food delivery platforms sent tea beverage stores into another order explosion frenzy, and Heytea's move to drop the price of some drinks to single digits drew in a flood of orders. Yet for back-of-house staff, this was a nightmare—the newly switched imported green grape "Sweet Globe" variety has firm flesh and is extremely hard to peel. Employees peeled until their gloved fingers wore through, their right hands covered in medicated patches, and some even felt nauseated at the sight of fruit with skin on. Although some tried using peelers or small round spoons to improve efficiency, the output speed still could not keep up with store demand. Why not equip stores with peeling machines? Employees admitted frankly that the high loss rate and difficulty of cleaning make them worse than peeling by hand. This article takes you into the real daily life of Heytea's peelers, along with Front Street Coffee's attention to industry trends. [more…]

Starbucks recently implemented stricter dress code policies in North America, but faced collective lawsuits from employees in three states after refusing to reimburse them for new clothing they had to purchase themselves and for the cost of removing facial decorations. Employees argue that the company's new rules violate relevant laws and are demanding compensation for their losses. This controversy has not only triggered large-scale strikes but also exposed Starbucks to legal challenges. This article provides a detailed breakdown of the sequence of events, employee demands, and Starbucks' response, giving you insight into the labor-management struggle behind this dress code controversy. [more…]

In the coffee and tea beverage industry, "employee drinks" have long been one of the key perks attracting young people to join the trade. Recently, however, multiple employees of Heytea and Luckin Coffee have alleged that their stores have canceled or scaled back this benefit, citing declining performance. An investigation found that employee perks at directly operated stores are still intact for now, but workers at franchise and joint-venture stores are frequently seeing their benefits shrink. The employee drink perk promised by the brands is actually borne by franchisees, and some franchisees, in order to cut costs, either cancel the benefit or strictly tighten the conditions for using it. This phenomenon has drawn industry attention: when the pressure of store operations is passed down to frontline employees, who should foot the bill for employee benefits? Front Street Coffee keeps a close eye on developments in the coffee industry, and this article takes you through the ins and outs of this battle over benefits. [more…]

Recently, a rumor circulated online about a fierce conflict between a Mixue Bingcheng employee and the company's HR, involving multiple allegations such as being refused a late clock-in makeup, insulting HR staff, smashing up a store, canceling the cashier system, and even misappropriating public funds, which quickly sparked heated discussion among netizens. However, after verification by media outlets such as Red Star News and Southern Metropolis Daily, the rumor was confirmed to be false; the original blogger has deleted the related content, and the so-called involved store cannot be found on maps. This article sorts out the course of the incident and the responses from all parties, reconstructing the ins and outs of this online false alarm. [more…]

Recently, a post about Starbucks for-here cups sparked heated discussion on social media, with many netizens expressing surprise that they had never seen anyone use a mug in stores. In fact, over a decade ago, Starbucks staff would proactively ask customers whether they were dining in and offer them for-here cups, but today this practice has quietly disappeared. What is the reason behind this? Employees reveal that frequent theft of for-here cups causing losses, as well as some customers' concerns about tableware hygiene, are the two main reasons stores no longer proactively offer for-here cups. At the same time, this white mug printed with the mermaid logo is highly sought after for its attractive appearance, and even unofficial channels have appeared selling it on second-hand platforms. This article will explore in depth the current situation of Starbucks for-here cups and the story behind them, and includes a professional recommendation from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Luckin Coffee is known for frequently launching new products, but not every new release wins market favor. The light coconut milk series has received a lukewarm response since its launch: the raw coconut light milk tea was criticized as inferior to Assam, and the raw coconut Americano was even mockingly called dishwater. To reduce waste, the brand switched to mini-sized ingredients, but with little effect. In the end, these two products were completely removed from the menu, with employees busy destroying inventory while consumers looked on with glee. Front Street Coffee takes you through the rise and fall of this product trial. [more…]