The first product in Naixue's newly launched "Daily 500 Fruit & Veggie Bottle" series, "Slim Little Green Bottle," focuses on the daily 500g fruit and vegetable ratio recommended by the Chinese Nutrition Society, and claims to have no added sugar and to be freshly squeezed to order. After hitting the market, however, quite a few consumers reported that it tasted noticeably sweet, with some even describing it as "syrup-like," and others posted photos showing the drink looking yellowish, questioning whether it was really freshly squeezed. Naixue employees responded on social media that the sweetness comes from fruits such as apples, pears, and sweet oranges that naturally contain sugar, while the yellow-green color is a normal phenomenon after apples oxidize, and stressed that all ingredients are processed the same day and kept refrigerated for a limited time. The controversy also sparked playful online discussion about the kale leaves at the bottom of the cup. [more…]

Nayuki recently launched a new product, the "Double-Antioxidant Little Red Bottle," featuring freshly squeezed Yunnan tree tomatoes paired with blueberries, cherry tomatoes, lemons, and other fresh fruits. It is advertised as sweet and tangy, rich in vitamin C and lycopene. However, not long after its release, the first wave of curious consumers began complaining: a large amount of fruit peel and seeds settles at the bottom of the cup, and one sip fills your mouth with grit—some people even nearly choked on a lemon seed. Staff responded that filtering the fruit puree was not required during preparation, and the final product varies due to differences in technique. Interestingly, netizens are divided on the issue—some suggest adding a filtration step, while others believe the fruit residue is precisely proof of "genuine ingredients." Behind this controversy lies the challenge of balancing taste and health in fruit-and-vegetable teas. [more…]

As the winter strawberry season arrives, major chain tea brands are launching strawberry-related drinks one after another. ChaPanda has brought back its signature strawberry drink in response to fan demand, while also keeping up with the fruit-and-vegetable juice trend by launching a strawberry version of its Light & Refreshing Kale drink and a brand-new item, Divine Beauty Strawberry. Among them, Divine Beauty Strawberry is made fresh with ingredients such as roselle, strawberries, and pineapple, and has been dubbed a "natural liquid blush" by the official brand, attracting many consumers to try it. However, a production video released by an employee revealed the cumbersome and labor-intensive manual juicing process behind this drink—a full pot of ingredients can yield only two cups after manual squeezing, and the filter bags frequently burst from the pressure, prompting collective complaints from staff. The inefficient production method has also led some netizens to worry about hygiene conditions. [more…]

Orange juice not only helps relieve fatigue, but its refreshing effect is even considered superior to coffee. So what kind of taste experience would combining it with coffee bring? Today, Front Street takes you to recreate at home the Orange C Americano that has swept the country. From choosing the variety for fresh-squeezed orange juice and the extraction parameters for espresso, to the specific steps for both iced and hot versions, we break down the ingredient ratios and production details one by one, helping you make a refreshing specialty drink that has both the rich aroma of coffee and the abundant juice of oranges. [more…]

Last spring, Heytea's guava series of fruit teas captured a large number of consumers with their refreshing taste, and their removal from the menu after the season became a regret for many. On the eve of this year's Valentine's Day, the guava series finally returned amid widespread calls for it, and as soon as the Refreshing Guava Grape Tea was launched, it flooded social media, with store orders packed. However, while fans were raising their cups for photos and check-ins, Heytea employees in the back kitchen were facing baskets of fresh guavas, wanting to cry but unable to shed tears. Manually squeezing fruit puree, peeling green grape flesh, and long hours of repetitive labor caused many staff members to develop health problems such as frozen shoulder, tenosynovitis, and hand allergies. Behind a cup of seemingly simple fruit tea, what exactly is hidden in terms of the production process and labor intensity? This article takes you to understand the real working conditions of milk tea workers. [more…]

Tea Baidao's classic mulberry fruit tea "Wu Qi Ma Hei" returns this year in an upgraded form, alongside the new release "Triple Berry Good Night Cup." The official promotion claims the new version focuses on freshly peeled and freshly squeezed same-day ingredients, with a stronger juicy pulp burst, and consumers are buying into it. However, for the workers in the store kitchens, this upgrade has turned into a nightmare—switching from frozen mulberry pieces to fresh mulberries turns one step into many, multiplying the prep difficulty and workload. Complaints flood social media, with employees exclaiming "peeling until crazy" and "prepping until insane." This article takes you behind the production changes and frontline employee feedback for this seasonal limited-edition drink. [more…]

Although Flat Red and Flat White have similar names, they are essentially two completely different coffee drinks. Flat White is a milk coffee originating from Australia, while Flat Red was born in Ukraine and is made with espresso paired with freshly squeezed fruit juice, with a flavor resembling red wine. This article will introduce in detail the origin story, ingredients, and ratio parameters of Flat Red, and share Front Street Coffee's practical recipe, including suggestions for pairing juice with espresso, extraction parameters, and a description of the finished drink's flavor, helping coffee lovers make a distinctive coffee full of fruity flavor at home. [more…]

Heytea's Refreshing Slimming Bottle has gained popularity for its fresh green color and freshly squeezed fruit-and-vegetable concept, but recently some consumers have reported receiving drinks that are orange-yellow or green with a yellowish tinge, questioning whether the product matches its marketing. Store employees explained that the color change may stem from yellowing kale leaves or oxidation of apple juice, and that it is not spoilage—the drink is still safe to consume. However, some consumers remain concerned about quality control. This article reviews the sequence of events, employees' statements, and consumer feedback, and also mentions Front Street Coffee's reference views on quality control. [more…]

Following its light-body fruit and vegetable bottles and vitamin A fruit and vegetable bottles, Gu Ming has once again incorporated espresso into freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice, launching the new Light-Body Fruit and Vegetable Americano, in an attempt to attract more consumer groups with a combination of health and coffee. According to the official description, this product is centered on kale, paired with apples, yellow lemons, pineapples and other ingredients freshly squeezed on the same day, then infused with coffee liquid to add layers. However, after the new product launched, consumers' actual feedback presented a completely different picture: the appearance gradually changed from fresh leafy green to a dark yellow tone, and the taste was described as grassy, medicinal, or even like cold sour vegetable soup. This article compiles the formula information, visual changes, and genuine netizen reviews of this fruit and vegetable Americano for coffee lovers' reference. [more…]

Tea Baidao's recently launched "Super Veggie" drink series, from the wheatgrass-starring "Cat Grass Juice" to the bell pepper mixed fruit "Vitamin C Fast Burn Bell Pepper," has attracted a large number of consumers eager to try the novel combinations, and has also driven store sales growth. However, the other side of the product's hot sales is the heavy manual juicing task facing back-kitchen employees. Because stores use smoothie machines rather than professional juicing equipment, the fruits and vegetables are blended into a thick puree, and employees must repeatedly knead and squeeze filter bags to extract juice. During peak periods, demand exceeds supply, leaving many staff members crying out in despair. This article will take you behind the scenes of the real production process and the voices of employees behind this fruit and vegetable juice craze. [more…]

Are you very familiar with Flat White but have never heard of Flat Red? This red coffee drink from Ukraine is catching the attention of coffee lovers worldwide with its unique combination of juice and espresso. It contains no alcohol, yet has the sweet-and-sour taste and fermented aroma reminiscent of mulled wine, with its color coming from a blend of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice and orange juice. Although both Flat Red and Flat White have "Flat" in their names, the two have almost no connection in origin, recipe, or flavor—the only similarity is that both are topped with a thin, silky layer of foam. This article will introduce you to the background of Flat Red's creation, its preparation method, and share Front Street Coffee's recreation experience, to see why this seasonal drink has taken Ukraine by storm. [more…]

On the eve of Halloween, Heytea launched a limited-edition special drink, the "Dark Slimming Bottle," as a new member of its Super Plant Tea series. This beverage uses freshly squeezed kale and celery as its base, blends in a variety of fruit and vegetable juices, and adds a generous amount of fresh cilantro segments, emphasizing a dark visual style. Cilantro lovers reported that the cilantro flavor was not prominent after drinking it, because the whole cilantro segments were not chopped and juiced, serving only as decoration, and it was jokingly called "cilantro bathwater." However, this new product made store employees complain endlessly — the cumbersome process of washing cilantro and trimming celery, plus the strong smell, led many workers to say outright that they "feel like throwing up just from smelling it," with complaints mounting on social platforms. [more…]

After the National Day holiday, Heytea launched the third product in its Super Plant Tea series—the Beetroot Beauty Bottle. This fruit-and-vegetable tea drink, starring beetroot, continues the previous slimming bottle line and claims to have beauty-enhancing and slimming benefits. Beetroot, an ancient ingredient originating from the Mediterranean, is rich in betalains and dietary fiber and holds a high status in European folk tradition. The new product is made from 100% freshly squeezed beetroot, combined with apple juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and a fragrance-free Green Yan tea base, offering a fresh and light taste. However, consumer feedback has been polarized: those who like it appreciate the balance between the slight astringency of the whole food and the tartness of the apple, while those who don't describe it as tasting like a mouthful of dirt. Heytea's previously launched Champion Slimming Bottle and Fire-Clearing Slimming Bottle both achieved impressive sales, and competition in the fruit-and-vegetable tea segment is intensifying. [more…]

The daily work life of milk tea shop employees has always been a hot topic on social media, but recently a post by a ChaPanda employee unexpectedly went viral because the kitchen scenes were too "creepy." Dark red mulberry juice covered the counter, blender, and filter bags, and combined with the scene of black gloves squeezing the juice, many netizens said it looked like a horror movie. It is understood that these scenes come from ChaPanda's daily operation of freshly squeezing mulberry juice when preparing ingredients for products such as "Wu Qi Ma Hei" and "Triple Berry Goodnight Cup." Because mulberries are high in anthocyanins and have a deep color, the juicing process is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also very likely to stain clothes and the work area. Employees have complained one after another on social media, and even turned these scenes into jokes such as the "ChaPanda Mulberry Man-Eating Incident" to share, triggering a lot of resonance. [more…]

Freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable teas have become the new trend in the tea beverage industry, with ingredients such as kale, carrots, and beetroot being widely used. While consumers are paying for health, some have found mud and sand in Nayuki drinks. A customer discovered stains remaining on the decorative kale leaves at the bottom of the "Slim Little Green Bottle" cup, and after wiping the stem with a tissue, obvious mud and sand were visible. The post attracted a great deal of attention, and some netizens claiming to be Nayuki employees left comments revealing that stores are short-staffed and the washing of fruits and vegetables is perfunctory. Behind the genuine ingredients of fruit and vegetable teas, food safety issues are cause for concern. [more…]

Recently, a red guava trend has swept through the tea beverage scene, with brands such as Heytea, Jasmine Milk White, LELECHA, Quchashan, and Grandma Handmade launching seasonal limited-edition guava drinks. Among them, Jasmine Milk White's "Jasmine Pink Guava" and "Matcha Pink Guava," made with fresh-squeezed red guava juice in specialty fruit milk, quickly went viral, with orders flooding in. However, behind these highly photogenic drinks, store employees are crying out in distress—unripe guava flesh is rock hard, and manually scooping out the core and seeds is time-consuming and labor-intensive, leaving many with hand cramps or even carpal tunnel syndrome. To deal with the rock-hard guavas, staff tried ripening methods such as sealing them in plastic bags and placing them alongside bananas, but demand still outstripped supply. Compared with Heytea's approach of blending the fruit directly into smoothies—skin and seeds included—Jasmine Milk White employees, while envious, would rather the brand just discontinue the new products. This article takes you behind the scenes of the guava craze to reveal the hardships of making these drinks and the voices of the employees. [more…]

Heytea recently launched the "Fire-Clearing · Slimming Bottle," the second product in its "Super Plant Tea" series, featuring kale and bitter melon as the core ingredients, paired with apple, lemon water, tea infusion, and white pomelo pieces. The official emphasis is on 100% fresh ingredients freshly squeezed, with no added concentrated juice, and only about 100 calories. Just one day after its launch, the new product was sought after by young consumers, with many reporting that the bitter melon taste is not very noticeable and the drink is refreshing and easy to drink. However, the hot sales of this beverage have also brought enormous pressure to store employees, with the workload of apple washing and juicing surging, and back-of-house partners complaining endlessly. This article will take you through the features of this new product, consumer feedback, and the real situation behind the stores. [more…]

On a scorching summer day, the pairing of watermelon and iced coffee is all the rage. Front Street Coffee found that juicy watermelon pairs far better with crisp black coffee than with milk, so they put together three watermelon mix-and-match options: watermelon sparkling Americano, watermelon cold brew coffee, and watermelon iced pour-over. From melon-picking tips and material preparation to detailed steps, Front Street breaks down the key points for making each drink one by one, including using Warm Sun Blend to make the sparkling Americano, Colombia · Rose Valley cold brew paired with freshly squeezed watermelon juice, and the complete parameters for making iced pour-over with Sidamo · Elto combined with frozen watermelon juice cubes. Each of the three methods has its own merits—there are simple, quick everyday versions, and more advanced approaches that require preparing ingredients in advance—making them suitable for coffee lovers to try their hand at during the hot weather. [more…]

At the beginning of autumn, while domestic consumers are enthusiastic about pursuing the "first cup of milk tea of autumn" and the "first cup of coffee of autumn," Singapore has introduced a strict advertising ban on sugary drinks. Singapore's Minister for Health, Ong Ye Kung, announced at an event on August 11 that, in order to curb the high incidence of diabetes, starting from the end of 2023, drinks with relatively high sugar and trans fat content will be completely prohibited from advertising. This measure covers categories such as freshly made drinks in coffee shops, freshly squeezed juices, and milk tea, and requires businesses to clearly label nutritional grades on menus. Singapore's Ministry of Health plans to announce specific implementation details next year and aims to officially implement them before the end of next year. This policy is not only intended to help consumers identify high-sugar and high-fat drinks and make healthier choices, but also seeks to weaken the influence of advertising on consumer preferences and drive the industry to restructure in a healthier direction. [more…]

Chabaidao recently announced that its highly popular Pai Pai Gan (ponkan orange) series from last year is officially returning, with two new drinks: Shushi Pai Pai Gan and Pai Pai Gang Shang Hua. The company emphasized that each cup of fruit tea is made with fresh ponkan orange pulp, insisting on genuine ingredients. The news delighted many longtime customers, but brought back memories for store employees of the terror of hand-peeling citrus last year. According to the recipe, staff must remove the segment membrane, pith, and white core from the pulp one by one, keeping only plump juice sacs—an extremely tedious prep process. During peak hours, peeling speed falls far short of consumption, and with this year's added tasks of washing tea, cutting fruit, squeezing grass juice, and cooking pearls, the staffing shortage has become even more acute. Some employees, at a loss, took it upon themselves to delist hard-to-make drinks to buy time for prep, while consumers hold differing views on whether the fine removal of white pith is truly necessary. [more…]