Canadian coffee brand Tims opened its first store in Harbin over the weekend. The brand had attracted a large number of consumers in advance through buy-one-get-one-free coupons and queue gifts, with the first 200 people to arrive able to receive different tiers of gifts such as coffee monthly cards and city mugs. However, on opening day the scene was chaotic, with some customers waiting several hours before getting their food and drinks, and the efficiency of order fulfillment and store management drew widespread complaints. Although the queue turnout reflected the brand's appeal, the lack of organizational capability also left many fans disappointed, affecting the impression of the brand's first store. [more…]

As Harbin became a popular tourist city in early 2024, locals' thoughtful attempts to cater to southern visitors gave rise to a unique drink—frozen pear coffee. This special concoction, combining traditional Northeastern frozen pears with espresso, offers a slushy texture paired with rich coffee, delighting southern tourists and surprising many Northeastern locals as well. In fact, this drink has existed in Northeastern cafes for several years, but it suddenly went viral this winter. This article will guide you through the origins of frozen pear coffee, how it's made, and the real reactions from all sides, so you can feel a cup of creative warmth in the icy city's winter. [more…]

During the May Day holiday, the former site of Harbin Pharmaceutical Group's No. 6 Factory, known as Harbin's "Northeast Louvre," became a popular photo spot. A coffee shop opened in its first-floor lobby launched two distinctive drinks — pairing Harbin Pharmaceutical Group's iconic small blue-bottle oral liquid with coffee to create a Blue Bottle Latte containing calcium gluconate and a Zinc Wish Latte containing zinc gluconate. However, this creative idea sparked consumer concerns about medication safety: the oral liquid's instructions explicitly warn against taking it with milk or caffeine, and both products are Class A over-the-counter drugs, not substances that can be used as both food and medicine. Under China's Food Safety Law, drugs may not be added to food, and the coffee shop's preparation method may violate regulations. Currently, the blue-bottle coffee has been taken off the menu, though it remains unclear whether this is a temporary sellout or a permanent discontinuation. [more…]

During the National Day holiday, Tims launched a limited-time promotion at selected stores in Harbin, Heze, and other locations. Customers who purchased designated combo meals or drinks had the chance to receive a maple leaf craft item containing 2mg of pure gold, some of which were engraved with local landmark designs. After a Harbin netizen posted photos of the actual item, the post unexpectedly went viral, and the comments section was flooded with Canadian netizens expressing envy, even joking that their own country's stores only give away "E. coli and norovirus." This seemingly small but delightful giveaway promotion reflects the frequent food safety issues at Tims in Canada in recent years, as well as the feelings of overseas Chinese returning home and marveling at the environment of domestic stores. [more…]

In May of this year, a tourist discovered two specialty drinks at a coffee shop in the Harbin Pharmaceutical Group No. 6 Factory scenic area — Blue Bottle Latte and Zinc Wish Latte — which had been supplemented with calcium gluconate and zinc gluconate oral solutions, respectively. Since these two oral solutions are Class A non-prescription drugs, adding them directly to food products is suspected of violating the Food Safety Law. After a consumer reported the matter to 12315, the local market supervision bureau opened a case on May 14. The consumer subsequently received multiple phone calls from the bureau and eventually signed documents in August confirming receipt of compensation and a reward totaling 2,000 yuan, which was donated to the Hebei Red Cross. The incident sparked heated discussion online, with some questioning whether the consumer was making a mountain out of a molehill, while others insisted that food safety is no small matter. [more…]

When the level of involution in the coffee industry has already become something people take for granted, the field of traditional Chinese medicine has unexpectedly joined this competition in a surprising way. The Guoyitang under Harbin Jiren Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital recently launched drinks called "coffee," but they contain no caffeine at all and are instead made entirely from traditional Chinese medicine ingredients. Even more surprisingly, some of these drinks can be paid for with medical insurance cards. This phenomenon has sparked widespread discussion: where exactly is the boundary between coffee and traditional Chinese medicine? From Tongrentang's goji berry latte to hand-brewed herbal drinks from traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, the combination of "traditional Chinese medicine + coffee" is becoming a new traffic password for attracting young consumers. This article will take you through the story behind this crossover trend and explore whether coffee can really be classified as traditional Chinese medicine. [more…]

Nayuki Tea opened its first PRO store in Beijing Changying Tianjie, marking that this new-style tea beverage brand has officially incorporated specialty coffee into its core product line. Unlike regular stores, the PRO store format has undergone a comprehensive upgrade in space design, product structure, and service scenarios, offering seven specialty coffees, over thirty bakery products, and more than twenty kinds of self-produced snacks. Coffee is priced at 15 to 24 yuan, positioned as everyday specialty coffee. Previously, the PRO store format had been successfully validated in Shenzhen. Nayuki plans to open about 200 PRO stores in 2021, and has already established more than ten in Nanjing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Harbin, and Beijing. This move not only fills Nayuki's gap in the specialty coffee market but also demonstrates its strategic intent to deepen its presence in new retail and expand business consumption scenarios. [more…]

In the depths of winter, the Northeastern specialty frozen pear has once again become a focal point—this time, it has sparked a new trend by colliding with coffee. KFC, Nestlé, and Luckin Coffee have all coincidentally launched frozen pear coffee series, among which Luckin's Big Frozen Pear Americano, a collaboration with the TV series *Country Love*, has drawn considerable attention. However, this new product has been collectively criticized by netizens for being too sweet and having a weak coffee presence, with many saying it tastes just like Master Kong's Rock Sugar Snow Pear juice, triggering a heated online discussion about the taste of frozen pear coffee. [more…]

As finals approach and most students look forward to the holidays, students taking the elective coffee course at Heilongjiang University of Science and Technology hope the course never ends—because finishing it means never again getting to drink the free coffee made fresh in class. In a classroom video, the teacher explains and prepares Irish coffee at the podium, flames dancing between glass cups, drawing gasps from the students. This elective, covering coffee culture, tasting, and preparation, has become one of the hardest courses to get into on campus, with some saying that even spending all their credits might not guarantee a spot. Students from other universities openly envy it, and graduates lament missing out on such a great course back in their day. This article will take you through what this coveted university coffee course actually teaches and why it is so wildly popular. [more…]

Tims China has always held a special place in consumers' minds—many people remember it not for its coffee, but for the bagel on its breakfast menu. However, this chain brand, known for its bagels, has recently been plagued by frequent store closure news. The first Tims store in Yinchuan, which was also the brand's 700th store in China, the Xinhua Department Store location, quietly closed after less than a year in operation, prompting regret among local consumers. Looking at the entire commercial district, this store was surrounded by 3 Luckin Coffee, 2 Starbucks, and 1 Cotti Coffee locations, highlighting the intense competitive pressure. More notably, Tims stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Dalian, and other cities have also successively announced closures. From the thousand-store target in its financial reports to the 885 stores counted by Narrow Door Dining Eye, Tims' expansion path seems to be facing severe challenges. This article will start with the closure of the first Yinchuan store to analyze Tims' current operating situation and market challenges. [more…]

In 2021, Starbucks celebrated its 50th anniversary and announced the expansion of its eco-friendly store framework, accelerating the global rollout of its "Greener Stores" initiative. This green store format made its debut outside North America, choosing Shanghai as its first location, and subsequently expanded to Suzhou, Shenzhen, and other cities. Recently, North China also welcomed its first green-certified store—Starbucks Beijing CITIC Prudential Store. When customers purchase handcrafted beverages in the store, they can get a reusable cup for an additional 15 yuan, or enjoy a 4 yuan discount if they bring their own cup. This certification system was co-initiated by Starbucks and WWF in 2018, covering eight major standards including energy conservation, water consumption, and waste treatment, with the goal of building or renovating 10,000 green stores globally by 2025. However, in the face of the rise of local coffee upstarts, whether Starbucks' green strategy can maintain its lead is worth watching. [more…]

Recently, the news that Starbucks' first store in Guangzhou is about to close has attracted widespread consumer attention. This coffee shop, once famous for being open 24 hours, holds countless memories and emotions for many people. From adjusting its business hours during the pandemic to now facing closure, its departure is not only the end of a store but also reflects the balancing challenge Starbucks faces between expansion and optimizing its layout. Meanwhile, long-established stores in Shenyang, Hong Kong, and other places have also successively announced the end of their operations, with longtime customers expressing their reluctance. This article will take you through the story of this first Guangzhou store, as well as the market logic behind Starbucks' recent store closure trends. [more…]

Recently, Guilin's first Starbucks store—the Dream Island store—suddenly closed without any warning, sparking widespread attention and nostalgia among local residents. This store, which opened in October 2014, was once a check-in landmark for coffee lovers in Guilin and carried the youthful memories of many people. However, with the shift of the city's commercial center and changes in foot traffic distribution, this ten-year-old store ultimately came to an end. At the same time, Starbucks' new store in Diecai Wanda is about to open, reflecting the brand's adjustment in market layout. This article will review the rise and fall of this first store, explore the profound impact of urban development on commercial forms, and preserve Front Street brand's continued attention to coffee culture. [more…]

The Starbucks store at Wangfujing Department Store in Changsha's Wuyi Square, the brand's first location in Hunan Province, has recently been reported to be permanently closing. Having operated for fourteen years, this store not only witnessed Starbucks' expansion in Changsha but also carried the coffee memories of countless residents. However, with intensifying competition among tea and coffee brands in the Wuyi commercial district, adjustments to commercial leasing policies, and changes in Starbucks' market strategy, this iconic store has ultimately reached its end. This article will review the store's glorious past, analyze the possible reasons for its closure, and present the regret expressed by local residents. [more…]

Recently, netizens reported that the Peet's Coffee store located on the first floor of Teemall in Guangzhou will cease operations on March 31. This store was Peet's first outlet after entering Guangzhou at the end of 2021 and also its second store in South China. Surprisingly, the store had been doing well since opening, often fully occupied, and the sudden closure notice caught many fans off guard. At the same time, Peet's also closed a popular store in Hangzhou's West Lake earlier this month. With two high-traffic stores shut down within a month, it has sparked discussions about the brand's development prospects. What exactly caused these closures? Is it due to adjustments in the business district's format, or challenges facing its high-end positioning? This article will review the sequence of events and various perspectives. [more…]

Recently, multiple netizens in Inner Mongolia posted that the %Arabica city first store located in Hohhot MIXC will officially cease operations starting December 16. This store only opened in early July this year simultaneously with the shopping mall, making it the brand's first store in Hohhot, and it was marked as a pop-up store on the official mini-program. It was originally planned to operate for about three months, and after the lease expired, it was renewed to continue operating until a closure notice recently appeared at the entrance. Regular customers felt caught off guard after receiving closure notification text messages and rushed to the store to check in and stock up on coffee beans. Nearby residents believe that %Arabica focuses on specialty coffee, and its pricing of over 40 yuan is not cost-effective; combined with the mall's fading popularity and reduced foot traffic, the pop-up store's business performance was average, so it is not surprising that it delayed until now before withdrawing. Since the beginning of this year, %Arabica stores in Nanning, Guangzhou, Wuxi, and other places have also closed one after another, continuing operations in the form of Kiosk coffee trucks. Some netizens speculate that after the closure of the Hohhot first store, the brand may return in a new form. [more…]

Peet's Coffee's first store in South China—the Shenzhen MixC World branch—officially closed after business hours on July 16 this year, and the original site has been taken over by a chain tea beverage brand from Suzhou. This store, which had been open for nearly four years, once attracted a large number of coffee lovers to check in, and built up a loyal customer base with consistent quality and a comfortable environment. Unexpectedly, no closure notice was posted before the store shut down, and many regular customers were unable to say goodbye in time. At the same time, Peet's stores in Shenzhen, Shanghai and many other places have also quietly withdrawn from shopping malls, sparking speculation about adjustments to its market layout. The brand responded that the Shenzhen MixC World store closed because its lease expired, but the successive closures still leave some consumers worried. [more…]

Recently, the Heytea store in Dalian Roosevelt Plaza was reported to have ceased operations, and the site was quickly taken over by another brand's hoarding. This store, which opened in May 2020 and once sparked queuing frenzies, was Dalian's first directly operated store, and its sudden withdrawal surprised many consumers. According to GeoHey brand monitoring data, although Heytea opened new stores in the past 90 days, it also closed 161 stores, with the total number in operation dropping from 4,410 to 4,265, equivalent to about 2 stores disappearing every day. The closures were not limited to franchise stores; some directly operated stores that had been in business for years also exited due to factors such as rent and contracts. The impact of this round of adjustment on the brand's future remains to be seen. [more…]

Blue Bottle Coffee, hailed as the "Apple of the coffee world," opened its second store in mainland China on August 5 at Shanghai's Jing'an Kerry Centre. Unlike its first store by the Suzhou Creek, this new location is rooted in the Nanjing West Road commercial area, with a two-story space of over 500 square meters and about 160 seats, mainly targeting white-collar workers. The design incorporates traditional Chinese roof tile elements, using more than 13,000 handmade terracotta bricks. On opening day, queues were still necessary, but the wait time had shrunk from seven hours at the first store half a year ago to about 25 minutes. Blue Bottle Coffee has not joined the domestic price war, maintaining its niche specialty pricing of 28 to 50 yuan. [more…]

Tims' Nanning MixC store, the brand's first outlet in Guangxi, recently posted a notice announcing it will close permanently after business hours on March 8, 2026. The store has been in operation for three years since opening at the end of 2023, and the news immediately sparked widespread discussion among local consumers. Some reminisced about the long queues when it first opened, some shared delivery order screenshots to express their reluctance to see it go, and others pointed out that the store had few customers on ordinary days. Notably, two of Tims' four stores in Nanning—both operated in partnership with Sinopec—have already quietly closed. If the MixC flagship store closes as scheduled, only the Yuda International Center store, which opened in July 2025, will remain in the city. Long-time customers worry about whether the brand will shrink further and are calling on the company to choose a new location. This article reviews the sequence of events and reactions from all sides, and includes relevant recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]