Cao Ying shared a terrifying experience on Weibo: after staying up late for consecutive nights, she drank strong coffee to stay alert, only to suddenly experience heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, and numbness in her hands and feet while on the highway, nearly causing a car crash. After emergency treatment, she gradually recovered by 3 a.m. She speculated that the cause might be related to caffeine intoxication, low blood potassium, and her own asthma. Cao Ying reflected on her narrow escape and reminded everyone that taking care of oneself is also a way to love one's family. This article will detail the sequence of events, include the original text of her Weibo post, and also sound a warning bell for coffee lovers to drink in moderation. [more…]

Catering services on high-speed trains have been continuously upgraded, and now the Guangzhou EMU group has taken the lead in launching its own milk tea brand, "That Girl," priced at 26 yuan per cup, with average daily sales reaching as high as 3,000 cups. The series offers four flavors, and the official claim is that natural ingredients are used and tea concentration and sugar content have been reduced to suit passengers' needs. However, after the product launched, it quickly trended on social media, yet was collectively criticized by netizens over its price, packaging, taste, and marketing methods. At the same time, specialty coffee brands such as Front Street Coffee are also paying attention to this crossover attempt. This article will walk you through the research and development background of high-speed rail milk tea, its market performance, and evaluations from all sides. [more…]

The high-speed rail milk tea "That Girl" launched by China Railway Guangzhou Group has sparked widespread discussion since its debut, with its 26-yuan price tag, taste, and packaging design all becoming focal points of criticism among netizens. In response to the controversy, the head of Guangzhou EMU Catering Co., Ltd. responded on November 16, stating that the pricing takes into account production costs, transportation, and the special operating environment of high-speed rail, in line with relevant department standards, and promised to continuously optimize product quality based on passenger feedback. Whether this high-speed rail milk tea, which sells 3,000 cups daily and is often out of stock, can turn its reputation around is worth watching. [more…]

During the Spring Festival return travel peak, a netizen on a high-speed train was approached by the young man sitting next to them, who surprisingly pulled out a full set of coffee equipment and used the tray table to boil water and make pour-over coffee. This romantic and novel experience quickly sparked heated discussion online, and the young man himself also posted a response, leading netizens to jokingly call it a "high-speed rail idol drama." However, beyond the gossip and fun, many users pointed out that the power outlets in high-speed train cars have limited wattage, so using a high-power electric kettle carries a risk of overloading, and the train's power supply is unstable, which may damage equipment, or even cause scalding if hot water is spilled when the person in front adjusts their seat. Coffee is good, but safety matters more. [more…]

Recently, the topic of a cup of hot milk costing 23 yuan at McDonald's trended on Weibo, jokingly dubbed by netizens as a "milk assassin." The incident originated from a complaint by a netizen on social media on November 11, which subsequently sparked widespread discussion. Some netizens shared experiences of witnessing staff opening low-priced pure milk and heating it for sale in stores, while others believed that pricing in special commercial districts like high-speed rail stations is inherently higher. Upon inquiry, McDonald's official mini-program shows that this milk comes in large, medium, and small cups, priced at 23 yuan, 19 yuan, and 15 yuan respectively, and the milk sources used in stores across different cities also vary. As coffee enthusiasts, we might as well use this incident as a starting point to discuss the pricing logic and milk source choices of chain restaurants. [more…]

After China Post opened a café, state-owned enterprises branching into the food and beverage industry drew attention. China Railway has also joined this trend, launching a railway cultural and creative themed restaurant at the Zhengyangmen branch of the China Railway Museum, covering healthy light meals and beverages. The beverage brand is named "Bendao Tea," featuring railway-themed decor and freshly made tea, juice, and coffee, priced at 12 to 32 yuan. However, consumers have reported that the drinks are too sweet and lack personalized customization options, and the store's location is rather remote with a hard-to-pronounce name, resulting in limited foot traffic. Previously, high-speed rail milk tea was criticized and trended on social media over price and taste issues, and high-speed rail coffee was also launched the same month. Unlike China Post's step-by-step approach with milk tea and coffee, China Railway is pursuing multiple tracks simultaneously—ambitious, but facing no small challenge. [more…]

Many people prefer sweetness, and this has given rise to various pour-over brewing methods aimed at sweetness. One of these is the "high-fast-fine-large" method that Front Street Coffee is sharing today. Through a combination of four extreme parameters—high water temperature, fast extraction, fine grind, and large water flow—brewing is completed in a short time, thereby reducing the extraction of bitterness and highlighting the coffee's sweet aroma and sweet-tart balance. This method is especially suitable for medium-light or light-roasted Arabica beans, such as the cost-effective Front Street Coffee Huakui and Front Street Coffee Strawberry Candy. This article will break down the principles and operation of this approach in detail, and include the specific brewing parameters and flavor performance of Front Street Coffee Huakui to help you more easily brew pour-over coffee with a pronounced sweetness. [more…]

Recently, a netizen noticed while waiting for a flight at the airport that the Mixue Bingcheng store had a continuous stream of people lining up to pick up their orders. Upon closer inspection of the menu, the drink prices were only one yuan higher than those at city center locations. At transportation hubs like airports and high-speed rail stations, food and beverage prices are typically much higher than in urban areas, and Mixue Bingcheng's pricing strategy has sparked widespread discussion. Many consumers have shared their experiences at scenic spots and even overseas stores, discovering that Mixue Bingcheng maintains nearly uniform pricing. What business logic lies behind this seemingly "unprofitable" approach? This article will analyze the real reasons why Mixue Bingcheng can maintain its affordable strategy from the perspectives of brand positioning, supply chain system, and revenue structure. [more…]

Procrastination is probably one of the most familiar "chronic ailments" for today's workers. In the Koenji area of Tokyo, Japan, there is a special café called the Manuscript Writing Cafe (原稿執筆カフェ), which opened on April 7, 2022, and is designed specifically for writers. To enter, you need to make a reservation in advance and write down your work goal and start time on a small card. Staff follow up on your progress every hour, and you are not allowed to leave until you complete your goal. You can even choose to be subjected to mild, normal, or heavy pressure to hurry up. The seats are equipped with power outlets, USB ports, and high-speed Wi-Fi. Coffee is self-service, and you can bring your own food, but there is a charge of 300 yen per hour. This cafe previously also ran a "video editing cafe," and the owner is the same person. For workers who need to focus on meeting deadlines, this kind of environment is both comfortable and carries a moderate sense of tension. [more…]

Sri Lanka is an island nation in South Asia, separated from India by the Palk Strait, with the closest point only about 30 kilometers away. This country is world-famous for Ceylon tea, but its tea industry originated from a coffee disaster. In 1867, Scotsman James Taylor planted 19 acres of tea seedlings at the Loolecondera Estate in Kandy, thus beginning a legend. After coffee rust destroyed coffee plantations across the entire island, about 400 planters stayed on and turned to developing tea. Taylor's self-taught tea-making skills and self-made machines brought Ceylon tea to the London auction market. Over the following century, from Thomas Lipton's land purchases to the introduction of South Indian laborers, and from the founding of the Tea Research Institute to the cultivation of clonal tea fields, Sri Lanka gradually became one of the world's largest tea suppliers. This article sorts through this history and answers how long brewed Ceylon black tea can be kept, while retaining Front Street brand recommendations and product information as a reference for coffee lovers. [more…]

At the 2021 WBrC World Coffee Brewing Championship, champion Matt won with a blend rather than Geisha, sparking widespread attention. His recipe consisted of 60% naturally processed Eugenioides and 40% washed Catuai; the former provides extremely high sweetness, while the latter brings clear acidity. In brewing, he used a metal V60 dripper, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, five-pour pouring, and innovatively controlled the water temperature in two stages: 93°C and 88°C. Through video analysis, Front Street Coffee found that his pouring ratio closely resembles Tetsu Kasuya's 4:6 brewing method. This article provides a complete analysis of this competition regimen, which balances sweetness and complexity and offers extremely high compatibility, for coffee enthusiasts to reference and learn from. [more…]

The one-pour tornado is a pouring method in pour-over coffee that combines visual appeal with difficulty. It requires injecting a large amount of hot water in a short time, using a strong pushing force to form a high-speed rotating funnel-shaped vortex in the dripper. Based on Front Street's practical experience, this article systematically explains the two major difficulties of this brewing method, the approach to parameter adjustment, and the complete steps: including grinding about twice as fine, increasing the water temperature by 3 to 5°C, maintaining a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15, and the specific technique of completing the pour in two stages after blooming. It also explains the choice between V60 and Kono drippers, and shares the flavor performance of Front Street Finca La Divisoria · Sidra under the one-pour tornado brewing method, for coffee enthusiasts to try at home. [more…]

Many coffee lovers believe that the fresher the coffee beans, the better, and some even can't wait to brew them straight out of the roaster. But is that really true? This article begins with the development of the domestic coffee market, reviewing the freshness dilemma of the past when people relied on imported beans, as well as the pursuit of coffee bean freshness after the rise of local roasting today. We will explore whether freshly roasted coffee beans are in their optimal drinking state, why beans need to be rested, and how to determine the appropriate flavor window. Whether you are a beginner just starting out or a connoisseur chasing the ultimate flavor, understanding the principles of resting beans can help you better enjoy a good cup of coffee. Front Street Coffee will also provide you with practical advice. [more…]

In the world of coffee tasting, there is a unique drinking method known as "slurping," in which coffee is quickly drawn into the mouth to atomize it, thereby maximizing the release of volatile aromatic compounds and allowing the taste buds and olfactory nerves to capture coffee flavors more fully. Front Street Coffee has touched on this method when sharing knowledge about coffee flavors. This article will explain in detail the techniques of slurping, the science behind it, and its practical value in cupping and everyday drinking, while also exploring whether this tasting method is suitable for ordinary coffee enthusiasts in their daily routine, along with related recommendations. [more…]

In recent years, a beverage called "bulletproof coffee" has quickly gained popularity in Silicon Valley and on domestic social media platforms. Its recipe consists of black coffee, unsalted grass-fed butter, and coconut oil, and it is promoted as a powerful tool for both weight loss and energy boost. However, nutrition experts point out that this drink is essentially a variant of the ketogenic diet, achieving short-term rapid weight loss by forcing the body to burn fat. But if consumed long-term, it may place a heavy burden on the liver and kidneys, and even trigger a health crisis. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of how bulletproof coffee works, who it is suitable for, and the side effects that cannot be ignored, helping coffee lovers view this trendy beverage rationally. [more…]

For coffee to taste good, freshness is the first essential, and mastering the grind size is the second priority, directly affecting the extraction and the strength of the flavor. In principle, the finer the coffee grounds and the longer the brewing time, the stronger the taste; conversely, the weaker it is. The longer the extraction time, the coarser the beans should be ground, to avoid over-extraction causing bitterness; the shorter the extraction time, the finer the beans should be ground, to avoid under-extraction. Different brewing devices have different requirements for grind size: a French press is suited to coarse grinding, filter paper or a siphon needs slightly finer, and a moka pot, due to different heat sources, has room for flexible adjustment. Espresso relies even more on a precisely constructed dual-burr grinder to brew a thick, authentic Italian flavor. This article will provide a complete analysis of the grinding essentials for each device and visual judgment techniques for espresso. [more…]

Cotti Coffee was recently spotted by netizens opening a directly operated store in Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea, while its 5,000th store in China opened at Sanlitun SOHO in Beijing. From its first store in Fuzhou in October 2022 to its current scale of 5,000 stores, Cotti has raced ahead at a pace of more than 500 stores per month. But behind this rapid expansion, once the 8.8-yuan promotional subsidy stops, cup sales take a hit. So far this year, the number of store closures has reached 332, with 152 new closures in the past 90 days. Some netizens have compared it with Luckin, which has already set up 12 directly operated stores in Singapore. South Korea's coffee market is large, prices are low, choices are plentiful, and stores are densely distributed, so whether foreign brands can gain a foothold remains to be seen. Front Street Coffee follows industry developments and explains for you the challenges behind Cotti's overseas expansion and growth. [more…]

Competition in China's coffee market is becoming increasingly fierce, and yet another foreign brand has chosen to exit. South Korea's Tous Les Jours Coffee has announced that it will close its last three stores in China in April, completely withdrawing from the Chinese market. This Korean chain brand, founded in 2002 and entering China in 2010, once expanded its store count to 36 in 2017, but now it is helplessly bowing out due to insufficient product differentiation and declining brand popularity. Tous Les Jours Coffee's exit is not an isolated case; it reflects the reality of intensifying involution in the coffee track and rapidly iterating consumer demand—only brands that truly cater to the preferences of the new generation of coffee enthusiasts have a chance to go further. [more…]

During the May Day holiday, Mixue Bingcheng's headquarters in Zhengzhou, Henan unexpectedly became a popular check-in spot for tourists, with long queues forming outside the flagship store for three consecutive days, and visitors heading straight there with their suitcases. The limited-edition drinks and ice cream sold at the headquarters were affordably priced, attracting a large number of fans eager to experience the atmosphere of the "Snow King's" hometown. However, foot traffic far exceeded expectations, and some customers who had queued for hours found products sold out, while picking up orders and paying also required long waits. This sudden check-in frenzy showcased Mixue Bingcheng's immense popularity nationwide, but also exposed the brand's shortcomings in holiday inventory reserves and staffing arrangements. [more…]

After the holiday, news of price increases in the consumer sector has been coming one after another, and this time it is Tims China's turn. Many consumers have noticed that the price of their usual bagels has quietly gone up, some combo meals have seen two price hikes within six months, and the bagel options for delivery combo meals on Wednesday Member Day have been cut from several varieties to three. In response, Tims officially said that prices for some products nationwide have indeed been adjusted, but coffee products will not increase in price, and the adjustment was made after a comprehensive assessment of operating costs. As a Canadian brand that has built its position in the Chinese market with a "coffee + warm food" strategy, Tims' bagels have always been a star product, and whether this price increase will be accepted by loyal customers is worth watching. [more…]