A highly anticipated coffee culture festival was recently held in a certain location, but the "100 baristas gathering experience" event that the organizers had heavily promoted surprisingly failed to materialize. Many coffee enthusiasts went there in the rain, only to find just a few coffee trucks, which sparked widespread dissatisfaction. The organizers explained that due to venue restrictions, the 100 coffee trucks event was temporarily postponed to the following day, but no announcement was made in advance, leaving visitors disappointed. The incident highlights shortcomings in the planning and emergency notification of large-scale events, and also reminds participants to pay attention to event updates. [more…]

The EU's deforestation-free regulation (EUDR), introduced last June, is facing strong backlash from the coffee industry. The European Coffee Federation (ECF) recently wrote to the European Commission requesting a delay to the implementation deadline for large companies, originally set for the end of 2024, warning that the regulation could impose an unbearable burden on millions of smallholder farmers. ECF members include giants such as Lavazza, Illy, Nestlé, and Starbucks, and their joint letter directly points to inadequate regulatory preparation. Meanwhile, companies such as JDE Peet's have already begun taking action, but analysts worry that passing on compliance costs will disrupt the coffee market. This article will sort out the sequence of events and include relevant observations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Manner previously announced a giveaway cup event on Xiaohongshu, and the light purple ceramic cup in the accompanying images quickly captured the hearts of many cup enthusiasts. As usual, new merchandise would land on various platforms within a day or two after the official poster was released, and many fans even checked with stores in advance about stock availability, gearing up for the rush. However, this event has yet to appear, with some people setting alarms for several nights in a row only to come up empty-handed, while store employees also said they had not yet received notice. Is it the weather that has delayed the nationwide launch, or has there been a problem with the brand's communication? This article will reconstruct the course of events and explore the communication shortcomings exposed by Manner during the event delay controversy. [more…]

During the May Day holiday, Guangdong was hit by severe convective weather, and the site of the Shenzhen coffee festival descended into chaos under the onslaught of torrential rain. Leaking canopies over temporary stalls, sudden power outages on site, and yellow sewage gushing from drainage outlets—a triple blow that caught vendors and visitors off guard. Although the organizers and the mall carried out emergency repairs afterward, the incident still exposed the shortcomings of outdoor events in responding to extreme weather. This article reconstructs the course of events and brings the latest news on compensation for the event's postponement. For friends who love coffee culture, Front Street Coffee will also continue to follow such industry developments and bring more on-site reports. [more…]

Recently, the TV drama "Forever Night Star River" has surged in popularity, and the milk tea brand Molly Tea took the opportunity to launch a collaboration, but issues such as delayed merchandise, stock shortages, and reselling have led to collective complaints from fans of the show. Although the official side issued an emergency apology on the 15th and promised compensation, the limited-edition paper bags will not be available until the 30th at the earliest, prompting fans to exclaim that "the timeline is too long, and enthusiasm is being worn down." Why did this highly anticipated collaboration fail? Who exactly was hurt when the brand temporarily changed the schedule and store issues occurred frequently? Join Coffee Workshop as we review the entire incident and also take a look at the heartwarming recommendations Front Street Coffee has prepared for coffee lovers. [more…]

520 was a great opportunity for merchants to promote sales through livestreams, yet Good Tea's Douyin livestream room sparked widespread consumer dissatisfaction after orders were automatically refunded by the system following a rush to grab coupons, and the topic quickly trended on Weibo. Although the company issued an apology and promised compensation, many netizens still said they were not buying it. The next day's livestream had to be postponed, and the system recovered slowly. Notably, this was already Good Tea's third brand trust crisis in 2022, after earlier exposures and penalties over food safety and tax evasion. Consumers are still waiting for a satisfactory answer on how the incident will develop further. [more…]

Over the past weekend, a large outdoor coffee market in Fuzhou attracted hundreds of brands, but temperatures of over 30 degrees Celsius, even approaching 40 degrees, turned what was meant to be a relaxing coffee gathering into something far less pleasant. Although the organizers adjusted the event hours to the evening and took some cooling measures, the temperature difference between the inner and outer areas was stark. Vendors in the outer area felt as if they were trapped in a steamer, while visitors complained repeatedly about unclear signage and insufficient lighting. When holding outdoor events in extreme weather, there is clearly still considerable room for improvement in heatstroke prevention plans and on-site management. [more…]

The EU plans to postpone the deforestation regulation (EUDR) originally scheduled to take effect at the end of 2024, and intends to classify countries by risk level, giving producers and traders more time to adapt. The regulation requires traders to prove that their product supply chains do not involve deforestation after December 30, 2020, otherwise imports will be banned. As an industry closely linked to deforestation, the coffee sector will be significantly affected in producing countries such as Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia, and Colombia, with export costs likely to rise substantially. The European Coffee Federation previously wrote to the European Commission requesting a postponement of implementation. The EU is currently discussing classifying exporting countries into three risk levels—low, standard, and high—with high-risk countries facing stricter scrutiny. Industry insiders worry that the classification system lacks flexibility, may unfairly penalize compliant exporters, and that small farms also face the risk of losing market access. Front Street Coffee will continue to monitor the progress of this regulation and its impact on the coffee industry chain. [more…]

Seesaw, once hailed as one of the representative specialty coffee brands in China, has recently suffered a series of setbacks. Its last store in Chengdu was evicted after the shopping mall terminated the lease early; employees exposed illegal dismissals and successfully defended their rights through legal channels; and the founder was once again subject to high-consumption restrictions due to contract disputes, while the company's equity was frozen and debts were enforced through the courts. A stream of negative news has plunged this coffee brand, once favored by capital, into its darkest hour. This article will sort through the sequence of events and present the operational and legal difficulties Seesaw currently faces. [more…]

The European Parliament recently voted to postpone the implementation date of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to December 2025, giving Kenyan coffee exporters an extra year of buffer time to adapt to the new rules. However, many exporters remain deeply worried, believing that under current conditions it will be very difficult to meet the EU's strict requirements. The EU is one of the most important overseas markets for Kenyan coffee, accounting for more than 20% of its total exports. Yet with Kenya's fragmented smallholder farmers, underprepared cooperatives, high compliance costs, and multiple pressures including stalled reforms, climate-related production declines, the Red Sea crisis, and port congestion, the outlook for this East African coffee-producing country is full of uncertainty. [more…]

Meitu, Inc. recently teamed up with Suzhou-based coffee brand Algebraist to open Fujian's first co-branded coffee shop inside the Meitu Building in Xiamen. This store is not only a key step for Algebraist in expanding beyond Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, but also an aesthetic coffee space that Meitu has created for its new headquarters. The interior design balances comfort and visual experience, while also serving as a window to showcase Meitu's brand image and the building's character. This collaboration is not Meitu's first foray into the coffee sector — back in 2022 during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the two parties launched a co-branded coffee gift box that garnered considerable attention. Thanks to their prior rapport, this co-branded store has achieved a deep integration in aesthetic expression. For coffee enthusiasts, this adds yet another distinctive spot worth visiting; however, since it is located inside an office building and closed on weekends, those planning to check it out should keep the timing in mind. [more…]

The price of US C-type coffee futures once again set a new record, reaching a high of 284.93 cents per pound and finally closing at 279.35 cents per pound. Behind this round of gains is a mix of multiple factors: drought and fires in major South American producing regions, the postponement of the EUDR regulation, the limited effect of Brazil's rainy season, the impact of the Atlantic hurricane season, the strengthening of the US dollar driven by the US election, and the Red Sea crisis together with rising container freight rates. Although the EU has already approved a one-year delay in the implementation of the EUDR, the market's concerns about tight global coffee supply have still not faded, and futures prices are expected to remain high in the short term. [more…]

The latest report from the United States Department of Agriculture shows that Indonesia's total coffee production for 2024/25 is expected to increase by about 2.4 million bags (60 kg/bag) compared with the previous year, but the overall recovery remains below expectations, with production revised down by 8% year on year. Affected by strong domestic demand, the volume available for export is expected to fall by 12% to 5.2 million bags, though this is still 18% higher than exports in 2023/24. Recovery has been slow in the Robusta-producing areas of southern Sumatra, while the Arabica-producing areas of northern Lintong have suffered heavy rainfall and secondary disasters. Domestic purchasing power is weak, and consumption growth is less than 1%. The European Union had increased purchasing because of the EUDR regulations, but later postponed implementation for one year. Production in Vietnam and Brazil is unstable, and coffee prices remain high. Front Street Coffee will continue to monitor developments in producing regions. [more…]

Molly Tea's first Canadian store opened in Toronto at the end of last month, drawing an unprecedented queue on its opening day. However, just half a month into operation, the store was apparently vandalized, with a large hole smashed in its glass door and shattered glass strewn across the floor, while customers were told by staff that opening would be delayed. The incident sparked concern among fans, with speculation running rampant in the comments section that "Chahuanong did it," to which Chahuanong's official Canadian account responded with "???" Some netizens also suggested it could have been the work of a drunk person or a homeless individual, and some even floated theories based on the ambiguity of the English name "Molly." Two hours later, Molly Tea's official Canadian account stated that the store had resumed operations, but offered no explanation for the incident. This article walks you through what happened and how all parties responded, along with Front Street Coffee recommendations and product information. [more…]

Brazil's coffee-growing regions have finally received effective rainfall, and the long-drought-stricken arabica-producing areas are expected to find relief in the new flowering season in November. However, months of extreme heat and water shortages have already caused substantial damage to production for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 crop years. Water levels in the Amazon basin remain at historic lows, and shipping disruptions are driving up logistics costs. At the same time, the sharp plunge in the real exchange rate, port delays, and the postponement of the EU's EUDR policy, among multiple interwoven factors, have filled the outlook for Brazil's coffee production and prices with uncertainty. This article reviews the latest weather developments, industry impacts, and chain reactions in the market, and includes Front Street Coffee's continued attention to origin information. [more…]

The Costa Rican coffee industry is facing its most severe challenge in decades. The latest report from the United States Department of Agriculture shows that the country's coffee production for the 2024/25 crop year is expected to be only 1.185 million bags. Although this is on par with the previous year, it represents a sharp 66% decline from the 3.5 million bags seen in the 1990s, approaching a historic low. High debt, the continued appreciation of the colón, depressed international prices, and shrinking demand have greatly increased the financial pressure on growers, leading them to reduce fertilizer inputs and postpone the renewal of disease-resistant, high-yield varieties. In 2023, an early rainy season and abnormal high temperatures and humid harvest conditions triggered by El Niño further damaged coffee quality and yields. At the same time, transportation disruptions caused by protests in Panama and labor shortages caused by Nicaraguan migrants moving north made harvesting even more difficult. On the export side, only 975,000 bags are expected in 2024/25, and exchange rate issues have already sparked marches and protests across multiple industries. Front Street Coffee will continue to monitor developments in this producing region. [more…]

Since the start of spring in September, Brazil's drought and fire situation has not eased but has instead continued to worsen. Multiple cities in Minas Gerais have gone without rain for a long time, and the Bom Despacho waterfall has even dried up; after briefly bringing fires under control, São Paulo state has seen 12 cities hit by fires again, with initial agricultural losses estimated at 2 billion reais. At the same time, large areas of smoke have caused air quality to plummet, and Brazil's meteorological agency has warned that five states will experience "black rain." The number of fires in Rio de Janeiro state has surged by more than 95% year-on-year, and nearly 4,000 cities nationwide face the threat of drought. The Brazilian government has sent a letter to the European Union requesting a postponement of the deforestation-free regulation (EUDR) set to take effect at the end of the year, but international coffee prices are still climbing, and Brazil's coffee industry is deeply worried about production and export prospects for the new crop season. [more…]

Diplomatic friction between Ethiopia and Somalia continues to escalate. Somalia recently expelled Ethiopia's second-ranking diplomat in Somalia, and relations between the two countries are becoming increasingly tense over the Somaliland port agreement. Meanwhile, the Red Sea crisis has caused throughput at the Port of Djibouti to decline, severely disrupting the import and export of major commodities such as Ethiopian coffee. Combined with peak-season shipping price increases, the depreciation of the birr, and the delay of the EU's EUDR, Ethiopian coffee bean prices have risen across the board, and the local coffee industry is facing dual pressure from exports and costs. [more…]

The Brazilian coffee industry is facing a dual shock from drought and fires. Since the end of August, fires have continued to spread across various regions, burning large swaths of coffee plantations and forcing producers to replant, delaying the originally planned 2025 harvest to 2027. Meanwhile, the worst drought on record has swept across the country, and falling water levels in Amazonian rivers have caused congestion at southern ports, where about 1.2 million bags of coffee have piled up and been damaged, with losses reaching as high as US$300 million. Smoke has covered nearly 5 million square kilometers, affecting at least 10 states. In view of multiple factors such as fires, worsening air quality and port delays, coffee exports are expected to decline and prices will continue to rise. [more…]

What is a microlot coffee bean? Will the quality of microlot coffee beans be better than that of regular batches? Now, when drinking single-origin coffee, it is very easy for us to trace back to which country, which producing area, and even to the ha [more…]