Recently, Luckin Coffee reportedly announced that it will pay triple holiday wages to all employees for the 2025 Spring Festival, breaking the previous practice of only full-time employees receiving this benefit. Behind this move lies the high turnover rate and labor shortage that Luckin has faced over the past year. From cost reduction and efficiency improvement to increased performance demands, frontline employees have come under mounting pressure, and part-time workers' pay is not proportional to their effort, leading many employees to choose to resign before the Spring Festival. In order to retain experienced workers and maintain normal store operations, Luckin has had to respond to the labor shortage with a triple-wage strategy. This article reviews the causes of the incident, employee feedback, and the industry background, and also includes a brand recommendation from Front Street Coffee for readers to gain a deeper understanding. [more…]

Staying up late on New Year's Eve, exchanging New Year's greetings on the first day of the lunar new year — most workers can finally set aside their jobs and take a break. But in the coffee industry, there are still a group of people standing behind the bar, facing the morning rush of overwhelming orders, advance delivery orders, and the fluctuating customer flow after office buildings close for the holiday. Some are full of energy, driven by triple pay; some hold out on instant noodles in their posts until the New Year bell rings; and some set off on the road home well before New Year's Eve. This article records the real situations of coffee workers during the Spring Festival, taking a look at who is busy, who is slacking off, and who is secretly treating themselves to a latte during this holiday. [more…]

Starbucks has long been known as a "cup factory," releasing themed cup designs for every season, holiday, or regional specialty, and many of its standout or limited-edition cups are eagerly sought after by fans. Recently, Starbucks' Spring Mountain pastoral series mugs, a collaboration with a Yunnan peasant painter, went viral online. The retro spring color palette, combined with the buzz around "Spring Mountain studies," made the cup attract attention as soon as preview images surfaced. However, after the official launch, a series of issues emerged one after another: each store was allocated only one cup, some stores required customers to buy additional items to qualify, and secondhand prices tripled overnight. The last-minute changes to purchasing rules also left many consumers disappointed, raising doubts about Starbucks' sincerity. [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…]

Is Starbucks' pay really low? Is the promotion path truly so long? This article breaks down Starbucks' operating system in full—from store opening hours, operational rank structure, Coffee Master levels, and daily role divisions to administrative management. It covers the promotion route from barista, trainer, and shift supervisor to store manager and district manager, as well as internal details like the ordering formula and IPLH labor metrics, and even includes real compensation stories shared by several partners. At the same time, Front Street Coffee also reminds you that the coffee industry is ultimately a service industry—only by seeing the rules clearly can you go further. [more…]

The Spring Festival is traditionally a time for family reunions, but for frontline employees at Luckin Coffee, this year's triple-pay shifts have brought unprecedented challenges. The Guangzhou branch recently issued a notice requiring stores with fewer than 200 items to have only one person on duty all day during the Spring Festival, from opening early to closing, all completed by the same person. This means that employees on duty must single-handedly handle multiple tasks such as production, packaging, cleaning, and dealing with sudden order surges. Timely output rates, physiological needs, and unexpected order surges have become the three major problems weighing on their shoulders. What worries employees even more is that if they need to temporarily close the store to use the restroom, they must apply to the district manager in advance and submit a screenshot of the item count. This high-intensity labor efficiency management has sparked widespread discussion, with some employees bluntly saying it is "harsher than the King of Hell." This article will delve into the details behind this scheduling adjustment and the voices of the employees. [more…]

At the end of each year, Blue Bottle Coffee releases holiday-limited merchandise in Japan. This year's theme is "Delicious Gifts," featuring items such as the caramel-colored Kiyosumi Shirakawa cup and the dark caramel Kinto ceramic mug. However, after the products went on sale, many consumers found a noticeable color difference between the actual items and the official promotional images—the rich caramel color shown in the ads turned into a pale milk-tea shade once in hand. In addition, quality-control issues such as crooked logos, flaws on the cup body, and uneven coloring appeared frequently, triggering a flood of complaints and returns. The official explanation attributed the color discrepancy to the hand-glazing process and the influence of lighting during photography, but the controversy continues to intensify. [more…]

Recently, Starbucks has frequently trended on social media due to its "pay-to-sit" policy, sparking intense discussions among netizens. At the same time, Starbucks has been continuously active in distributing coupons and offering discounts in live-streaming rooms, with the price of a single beverage even dropping below 20 yuan, in sharp contrast to its earlier stance of "having no intention of participating in a price war." To balance revenue and expenditure, Starbucks is also controlling labor costs internally, with some office-building stores choosing to close and suspend operations on holidays. Although the brand has pulled out all the stops to attract customers, consumers' complaints that it is "overpriced and bad-tasting" remain undiminished. Front Street Coffee has observed that in China's increasingly cutthroat coffee market, it is becoming harder and harder for Starbucks to maintain its high posture. [more…]

During the Qingming holiday, visiting graves and paying respects to ancestors is a traditional custom, but getting up early to climb the mountain is quite a struggle for many young people. This year, temporary coffee stalls and coffee carts appeared in some cemeteries, providing refreshing drinks and simple meals for those who came to pay their respects, solving the inconvenience of scarce dining options around suburban grave sites. Some young people even brought coffee as an offering to their ancestors' graves, using this trendy way to share their current life with their forebears. In the comments section, netizens enthusiastically imagined what coffee they would drink a hundred years from now, with some even asking the next generation to bring pour-over equipment or a coffee machine. This phenomenon reflects the younger generation's innovative interpretation of traditional grave-sweeping practices, and also demonstrates the deep penetration of coffee culture into contemporary life. [more…]

In today's rapidly evolving coffee industry, barista positions attract a large number of enthusiasts submitting their resumes. However, during interviews, the gap in expectations between recruiters and candidates often leads to both amusing and exasperating situations. This article compiles real interview experiences from multiple coffee professionals, covering everything from entering the industry with zero experience, requirements for latte art and pour-over skills, probation-period salary negotiations, to the professional thresholds for part-time positions, recreating those conversations that leave a complex mix of emotions. Whether you're a newcomer preparing to step into the coffee industry or a shop owner currently hiring, these cases are worth reading. At the end of the article, we've also included channels for learning professional coffee knowledge to help you avoid unnecessary detours. [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…]

During every long holiday, food and beverage workers face a tough battle, and coffee shops bear the brunt of it. During this year's May Day holiday, order volumes at Luckin Coffee stores across various regions soared sharply. Stores in scenic spots, commercial districts, and transportation hubs stocked up in advance and crammed their freezers full, yet still struggled to keep up with the relentless pace of receipt printers spitting out orders. Yangmei Rui Narbing (Bayberry Luckin Ice) unexpectedly became a hit due to rising temperatures, and the slush machines ran almost nonstop all day. Employees single-handedly minding the stores scrambled amid constant催促 for orders, with situations like ingredients running out and drinks spilling happening frequently. Interestingly, when the ice machines ran dry and the ice storage bins were emptied, employees actually got a brief breather—the system would automatically restrict orders for iced drinks, and the store's pace would slow down accordingly. This article documents the real state of Luckin Coffee workers during peak holiday periods, and also recommends checking out related products from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

As the Spring Festival approaches, many people are starting to watch their calorie intake so they can stay in good shape when they return home. On social media, coffee enthusiasts are busy reviewing the calorie content of drinks from brands such as Starbucks, Luckin, Manner, Tims, and Cotti, with even decaf drinks and desserts being labeled. Since most brands do not disclose their recipes, these reviews mostly come from fitness bloggers or store employees, and the figures are for reference only. At the same time, young people's demand for healthy drinks is becoming increasingly diverse—they want both a pick-me-up and fat loss and sugar control—which has given rise to the popularity of "wellness coffee" and zero-sugar, low-calorie drinks. Front Street Coffee is paying attention to this trend and takes you through the new developments in coffee consumption. [more…]

Starbucks recently launched a Happy Holiday Member Night event for Gold and Diamond members, allowing eligible users to book free in-store participation through the official App. However, after the event ended, a large number of feedback posts appeared on social platforms, with many members calling the experience extremely poor: the new product tasting consisted of only one mini drink, limited-edition badges were in short supply, the coffee lecture and interactive games were simply canceled, and there were no discounts on merchandise purchases either. Some participants also pointed out that the quality of the event varied by store, and stores that attached greater importance to it still delivered a decent holiday experience. Starbucks employees, meanwhile, revealed that rushed preparation, insufficient bookings, and last-minute situations could all dilute the effectiveness of the event. Why did this member event receive such polarized reviews? This article will sort through feedback from all sides and the reasons behind it. [more…]

Since its launch in March this year, the "curbside pickup" service jointly introduced by Starbucks and Amap has aimed to provide a convenient coffee-buying experience for drivers and passengers during rush hour and on busy roads. However, a special promotion during the National Day holiday sparked considerable controversy. Due to limited stock, many customers were unable to get the cute pet tote bag offered as a gift in the campaign; at the same time, the ordering system had problems such as inaccurate route matching and closed stores still being able to accept orders, greatly reducing the user experience. In addition, the extra 3 yuan service fee also made some users feel it was unreasonable. Although Starbucks hoped to use this service to expand into new scenarios, the various inconveniences in actual operation led many netizens to question whether it was adequately prepared. This article will sort out the highlights of the campaign and user feedback in detail, and explore room for improvement in the curbside pickup service. [more…]

Luckin Coffee launched a limited-edition Pumpkin Oat Latte during Halloween, and thanks to the festive atmosphere it quickly sparked a social media check-in craze. However, when a large number of consumers imitated the online photos for their own recreations, things frequently went wrong, with the pumpkin daifuku creating all sorts of clumsy scenes atop the whipped cream. This discussion, triggered by the gap between customer photos and official photos, not only reveals the extra charges behind drink styling, but also reflects consumers' misunderstandings of store operating standards. Front Street Coffee has noticed that similar phenomena are not uncommon in holiday marketing in the coffee industry. This article will analyze the issue from three levels: product design, customer DIY, and store execution. [more…]

During the 40th Teachers' Day, Chagee launched an exclusive campaign called "Honor Teachers with Tea, Enjoy Tea on Us," originally intended to pay tribute to the teaching community and enhance brand goodwill. However, after the campaign was rolled out, it sparked widespread dissatisfaction among teachers: limited-edition cards at many stores were quickly claimed, and some stores did not participate in the campaign at all, causing many teachers to make a wasted trip. This article sorts out the specific rules of the campaign in various regions, teachers' real experiences of claiming the offer, and responses from the brand and store managers, to help you understand the ins and outs of this marketing controversy. [more…]

No sooner had the Qingming holiday ended than Starbucks was already busy preparing for its next round of in-store campaigns. This time, it is not a collaboration with a popular IP, but the annual, uniquely positioned-in-the-zongzi-world Starbucks Crystal Dumpling, which is about to hit the shelves again. Mocked by netizens as "a zongzi that is not a zongzi," the Starbucks Crystal Dumpling, branded with the label of "weird flavors," has once again returned to consumers' view thanks to Starbucks' persistence. According to information circulating on social platforms, this year's Crystal Dumplings follow last year's format: one box of eight, four flavors. Compared with last year, this year's lineup emphasizes a colorful visual route, with crystal-clear outer skins wrapping brightly colored fillings, looking at first glance like rainbow candy. The most eye-catching of all is the sky-blue "Coconut Wave" in the upper right corner. The promotional copy says it uses imported coconut and tastes "as blue and free as the ocean," yet netizens have described it as so abstract that it is hard to imagine. Blue food has always challenged the appetite, and even though the ingredients list shows that food coloring is used, many people still blurt out that it "looks even less appetizing." As for flavors, Starbucks seems to have listened to outside opinions. This year's four new products are all mainly fruit-flavored. Although they are still unconventional compared with traditional zongzi, netizens believe this may be the edition with "relatively normal flavors" in history. Whether improved looks and adjusted flavors can stir up the desire to buy is something most people are still taking a wait-and-see attitude toward. After all, Starbucks Crystal Dumplings are constantly criticized for being unpalatable, yet there are always people willing to pay for this "evil legend of the zongzi world." And in this, the salesmanship of Starbucks employees cannot be underestimated. During every Crystal Dumpling sales period, staff members strongly recommend them to customers ordering at the bar, and in order to sell a box of gift packages, they can truly [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…]

The price of Indonesian coffee beans largely depends on their green bean grading system. G1 and G2 are common grade indicators, and G1 is often further subdivided based on whether it has undergone multiple rounds of hand sorting. Starting from the flavor characteristics of Mandheling and the wet-hulling process, this article systematically introduces the differences between coffee from two well-known Sumatran origins—Lake Tawar in Aceh and Lintong in Lake Toba—and focuses on analyzing PWN company's Golden Mandheling trademark registration, G1 grade, 18+ screen size specification, and triple hand-sorting standard. At the same time, Front Street Coffee shares the cupping performance and brewing parameters of Golden Mandheling to help readers understand the basis for judging the quality and price of Indonesian coffee beans. [more…]