Luckin Coffee recently issued a notice regarding an adjustment to handwashing frequency standards, changing the previous requirement of washing hands once per hour to once every two hours. This change has delighted many Luckin employees, as last year's "pain of Luckin baristas' ruined hands" drew widespread attention. Frequent handwashing caused skin allergies and other problems that long plagued frontline baristas, with some even leaving their jobs because of it. The new rule will take effect on January 8. However, some employees believe the adjustment is limited in scope, as the actual number of handwashes during work remains relatively high. While maintaining high food safety standards, Luckin has begun to pay attention to employees' actual experiences. [more…]

Among the many coffee brands, what people remember most about Manner baristas is probably the latte art on a hot latte. When customers receive their coffee, they often look forward to today's design like opening a blind box—a heart, a swan, or a unicorn are all possible. But not every cup turns out as hoped. Recently, a netizen got an "abstract" latte art, prompting baristas to collectively share their own dark history to offer comfort. This discussion about "ugly latte art" actually makes people feel that even if the design fails, it does not affect the good mood of drinking coffee. This article takes you to see those latte art works that make people laugh and cry, and how baristas use humor to defuse awkwardness. [more…]

One of the most frustrating things about exploring coffee shops is traveling a long way to a café only to find its doors firmly shut. Faced with this awkward situation, the owner of a community café in Nanning, Guangxi, didn't choose to simply apologize and leave it at that. Instead, he cleverly defused customers' disappointment with a self-service "closed-door voucher"—tear off a slip of paper, add him on WeChat, and redeem a free coffee. This approach not only drew attention from netizens but also got many people thinking: besides the coffee itself, what else can a café use to keep customers coming back? This article takes you through this laid-back owner's business ingenuity and his calm response to questions about running at a loss. [more…]

Recently, an independent coffee shop in Seoul, South Korea, got into a conflict with five Chinese-speaking foreign female tourists over its dine-in rule of "one drink per person." The tourists ordered only two drinks but wanted to seat five people; when asked to order three more drinks, they refused and an argument broke out. As they were leaving, one tourist poured an unfinished drink onto the sofa and table, while her companions made obscene gestures at the manager who chased after them and hurled insults. The incident sparked anger among South Korean netizens. Independent coffee shops frequently clash with customers over house rules, and Front Street Coffee reminds us that understanding and respecting a shop's rules is the prerequisite for enjoying coffee culture. [more…]

Mandheling coffee is a classic representative among Asian beans, yet an interesting misunderstanding lies behind its name. This article will take you back to the origins of the name Mandheling, explore the producing regions, varieties, processing methods, and flavor differences between Front Street Mandheling and Golden Mandheling, and analyze exactly what kind of people this rich, full-bodied coffee suits. From Lintong to Lake Toba, from wet-hulling to the goat-hoof bean characteristic, and on to Front Street's roasting and brewing parameters, we'll explain the complete picture of Mandheling in one go. [more…]

On a cold, windy weekend morning—the kind of day meant for sleeping in until you wake up naturally—hundreds of people were already queuing for hundreds of meters outside Manner stores in several cities across China before dawn. Seven Gingerbread Man–themed stores in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and elsewhere attracted a large crowd of young people to get up early and endure the cold by offering a 9ml Jo Malone perfume and a Christmas badge with the purchase of a new coffee. The queue at the Shanghai Xuhui Binjiang store was the most spectacular: some people got up at 6 a.m. and arrived at 7 a.m., and by the time the store opened at 9 a.m., the line had already reached number 300. What exactly is the magic of this collaboration that makes young people willing to wait two or three hours in the freezing 0°C wind? Let’s take a closer look. [more…]

In today's era of social media dominance, coffee shops have become popular spots for photo check-ins. However, the accompanying inappropriate behavior of customers has also become a headache for shop owners. Recently, the owner of a well-known coffee shop in Thailand shared a series of frustrating encounters on social media—some customers splashed coffee after a dispute over photos and fled, leaving a mess behind; others damaged the shop's facilities and quietly left. These incidents not only caused financial losses for the shop but also affected the dining experience of other customers. This article will take you through the real dilemmas faced by coffee shop operators and netizens' views on such behavior. [more…]

Luckin Coffee launched the Drum Deer Deer series metal badges this week, paired with a blind box promotion where buying two cups earns a badge, quickly sparking a buying frenzy among consumers. However, the random distribution mechanism of the blind boxes has left many Luckin fans struggling to collect their desired styles—some drank multiple cups without success, while others opened sixteen blind boxes in two days just to complete a set. To crack the blind box challenge, some consumers took a creative approach by bringing electronic scales to stores to weigh the packaging boxes and determine which badge was inside, with some even compiling the precise weights of the five badges for others' reference. This trend of weighing to pick badges has gradually evolved from a spontaneous act by netizens into a common practice at stores, and Luckin employees have shifted from initial confusion to understanding, even actively helping with weighing during idle times. This article provides a comprehensive overview of this amusing phenomenon triggered by coffee blind boxes. [more…]

Recently, a netizen shared on social media their experience ordering at Luckin: a single cup of coffee was repeatedly remade by the staff four times before they finally got it. From getting the hot/iced order wrong, to rinsing the cup with tap water, to being stopped by a colleague when about to add ice and milk, the whole process left many onlookers exclaiming how absurd it was. The incident also sparked heated discussion about Luckin's employee training, operating standards, and food safety. What exactly happened? Was the customer's complaint reasonable? And what problems did the store's operations expose? Let's take a look. [more…]

Starbucks partnered with Stayreal, the streetwear brand co-founded by Mayday lead singer Ashin and Taiwanese artist No2Good, instantly igniting the enthusiasm of the band's fans and netizens alike. The online limited-edition themed cups were snapped up by tens of thousands of people the moment they went on sale, with the official app and mini-program lagging due to overwhelming traffic. Some users failed to complete payment and missed out on the cups they wanted, sparking complaints. Meanwhile, the limited-edition Starbucks gift sets released at physical stores, thanks to their relatively low threshold for acquisition, attracted a large number of fans who queued up with stools in the early hours of the morning. This collaboration craze showcased the fans' frenzy while also exposing the inadequate capacity of online channels and the controversy over offline queuing rules. [more…]

Luckin Coffee has launched a second collaboration with Honkai: Star Rail, offering limited-edition merchandise. However, many fans discovered after placing their orders that the limited-edition cups and themed paper bags were severely out of stock. Some received only one of the two, while others got neither, forcing them to piece together orders across multiple stores. For collectors, these limited-edition packaging materials included with orders are part of the collaboration experience, and the insufficient restocking at stores left them quite disappointed. Whether brands should ensure packaging supply in tandem when launching new promotional campaigns has become the core of this controversy. [more…]

In the scorching summer, iced coffee has become a favorite for many coffee enthusiasts, and making cold brew at home is a recent popular choice. Mstand, known for its peripheral marketing, launched a cold brew set in early July, including cold brew coffee bags and a glass cold brew pot, quickly attracting a large number of fans to purchase. However, recently, multiple consumers have reported serious quality issues with this cold brew pot—some had the bottom suddenly shatter and got cut by fragments while using it, and more encountered unexplained cracks at the bottle mouth joint. Although the product is labeled as ordinary glass not resistant to high temperatures, users who reported the issues all stated they did not use hot water and operated carefully. This is not the first time Mstand's peripherals have failed; the previously launched woven bag was also criticized for its easily broken handle. While the strategy of using high-appeal freebies to drive set sales is effective, frequent quality control issues are eroding fan trust. [more…]

The Manner Coffee collaboration ceramic cup with WEDGWOOD, a British Royal Warrant brand, officially launched on March 4th, limited to 50,000 units, and quickly ignited social networks. However, on the first day of the event, the Manner mini-program crashed due to excessive traffic, and some consumers who successfully placed orders encountered automatic system refunds and had their orders canceled; others, when purchasing the drip bag cup set, discovered that the complimentary gift had a production date of last November, suspected to be inventory clearance. At the same time, there were also lucky ones who successfully got their desired collaboration items. This collaboration event can be described as full of twists and turns, showcasing the brand's appeal while also exposing shortcomings in its service. As coffee lovers, while paying attention to the hype, we might also take note of the stable quality experience offered by brands like Front Street Coffee. [more…]

The adorable bear delivery rack jointly created by Starbucks and Meituan has recently been delivered to consumers one after another, but unexpectedly sparked a series of amusing incidents. Some people went to stores to pick up their packages only to find the staff completely confused; some only discovered after assembling it that the promotion had long ended; and some stores even mistook the delivery rack for promotional material and placed it outside the door to welcome customers. This merchandise, which requires meeting Meituan's spend-and-get conditions to reserve for free, won over countless fans with its sensor-activated glowing bear and sturdy fiberboard material, but also left netizens who missed out lamenting, "Big data, you're too late." Those who successfully got their hands on one are now starting to worry: will such a cute rack get swiped if I put it outside my door? The various experiences surrounding this co-branded merchandise reflect the subtle gap between brand campaign promotion and consumer reach. [more…]

Heytea's limited-time new product last month, Yak Milk Chaanmoo, quickly became popular thanks to the unique flavor of Tibetan yak milk, but was in short supply due to scarce ingredients. However, recently many repeat customers have found that the drink tastes very different from when they first tried it—the milky aroma has become weaker and the tea flavor more prominent. When verifying with store employees, they unexpectedly got the answer that "the recipe was changed on the morning of the second day after launch." Employees also revealed that further fine-tuning was done afterward. This silent recipe change has sparked consumer dissatisfaction, as they believe the actual taste does not match the promotional claims and that it may cause store employees to bear the misunderstanding of "cutting corners." [more…]

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…]

Milk tea toppings are getting more and more elaborate, and some people even just want the toppings without the tea base. Recently, a "low-cost Heytea" hack has been trending on social platforms: spend 2 yuan on a portion of brown sugar boba, pair it with a bottle of fresh milk, shake it a few times, and you've got a mini version of brown sugar pearl milk. It's said that bringing your own cup saves even more—3 yuan gets you two portions of toppings. But does this DIY version actually taste good? How big is the gap compared with the original from the store? This article walks you through netizens' hands-on test experiences and ordering phrases, and takes a look at the consumer psychology behind the involution of milk tea toppings. [more…]

Last weekend, Heytea's new store at Canton Tower officially opened its doors to customers. What should have been a lively opening celebration instead turned into a complaint fest due to the chaotic rules for claiming limited-edition merchandise. The brand launched an exclusive fridge magnet inspired by the Canton Tower and promised that only 200 would be stocked each day, available on a first-come, first-served basis. As soon as the news broke, a large number of fans got up early on their day off and rushed to the scene, only to find disorderly queues, inconsistent explanations from staff, and the quantity of merchandise shrouded in mystery. What annoyed consumers even more was that after they had already placed orders and waited in a long line, they were told when they were about to check in that the merchandise had already been given out, and they could only come back the next day. How did this new store marketing campaign, which should have been a plus, spiral out of control step by step? [more…]

Every year before the new-crop Huakui coffee beans arrive at port, the domestic coffee community is already abuzz with discussion. In May 2023, Huakui 7.0 officially arrived in China, yet it sparked considerable skepticism: Why doesn't it taste like "Huakui"? Why do the flavors lean toward Yirgacheffe? Is it still Huakui if it's not from the Buku Abel processing station? This article starts from the origins of Huakui, traces how the 2017 TOH championship batch got its name, analyzes the relationship between Buku Abel village and the surrounding processing stations, explains the flavor expression of Huakui 7.0 and the typical characteristics of Sidamo natural beans, and shares Front Street Coffee's roasting and cupping results for this batch of new beans. [more…]

Coffee enthusiasts' passion for peripheral products is never limited to beans and equipment. This time, we got our hands on ten popular coffee machine and grinder building block models available on the market all at once, covering five series: Late Autumn in Sicily, Midsummer Green, Roman Holiday, Twilight Venice, and Early Spring in Milan, and it took us a week to complete the assembly. From basic models to patience-testing ones, the number of pieces, color schemes, and fidelity to the original machines vary. The article will introduce one by one the real coffee equipment parameters corresponding to each building block set, including Rocket R58, EK43, Slayer Steam EP, Mythos One, La Marzocco GS3, Ultra, Victoria Arduino VA388, LWW EG-1, Kees Speedster, and Mazzer Super Jolly, while also sharing the actual performance of domestic building blocks in terms of fit and structural support. If you also like coffee peripherals, why not take a look at these interesting little items together. [more…]