Since the full resumption of cross-border travel, mainland tourists' enthusiasm for visiting Hong Kong has continued to rise. Beyond the traditional shopping and food itineraries, those highly photogenic "internet-famous photo spots" have also become an indispensable stop on the journey. %Arabica, located by the waterfront in Kennedy Town, Western District, has long dominated the must-visit lists on major social platforms thanks to its seaside all-white exterior and "mirror of the sky" scenery. However, recently, a lamppost on one side of this store suddenly had an accident—emitting smoke, a loud bang, and parts flying off—leaving a passing mainland tourist with a head injury. The incident quickly drew attention, and the Highways Department and the gas company successively responded. What exactly caused the incident? What was the scene like? Let's find out together. [more…]

On the eve of the May Day holiday, the Manner store in Shanghai's North Bund became a favorite among photography enthusiasts because it allowed them to capture the "Shanghai Four-Piece Set" all in one shot. However, tourists who visited recently found that a row of temporary stalls set up outside the store happened to block the originally perfect view, leaving many who had made a special trip to take photos greatly disappointed. At the same time, nearby residents are full of anticipation for the upcoming Shanghai International Coffee Culture Festival. One camera spot, two moods, reflecting the delicate relationship between urban public space and festival activities. This article will walk you through the whole story, along with related recommendations and practical information from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

As the world's second-largest coffee-producing country, Vietnam's coffee culture has long been woven into every aspect of everyday street life. In Hanoi's Old Quarter, a railway line that cuts through residential buildings has become a popular photo spot thanks to its unique scenery, and the cafés lining the tracks have drawn even more visitors. However, safety hazards followed, and Vietnam's Ministry of Transport ultimately ordered these coffee shops to close on traffic safety grounds. This article walks you through the rise and fall of this internet-famous attraction, and also recommends Front Street Coffee products so that, while following the story, you can savor authentic coffee flavors. [more…]

Recently, some netizens noticed that the %Arabica Lhasa store, located opposite the Potala Palace, showed on a third-party platform that "the merchant may close on October 28," sparking speculation about a closure. This store, which opened in March 2023 and is known as the world's highest-altitude %Arabica, once became a popular check-in spot due to its excellent views. Although drinks are slightly more expensive by 2 to 3 yuan due to transportation costs, local residents say business is not slow during the off-season, and the closure may be due to redevelopment and demolition in the area. It is worth noting that Lhasa's coffee market is no longer dominated solely by %Arabica. Chain brands such as Luckin and independent cafes featuring highland barley wine have entered the market, giving consumers more diverse choices. Front Street Coffee will also continue to follow up on subsequent developments. [more…]

A viral photo spot at Meili Snow Mountain in Yunnan, known as "a scallion plucked from dry land," has recently been exposed as being cordoned off by a local café, requiring tourists to make a purchase before they can enter to take photos, sparking discontent among outdoor enthusiasts who reported it. After investigation, the local market supervision bureau confirmed that the café has no business license and has ordered it to suspend operations for rectification. This free viewing platform near the Feilaisi observation deck became famous for offering views of the magnificent scene of golden sunshine on the snow mountain, but has now become embroiled in controversy due to commercial activity. The incident has also raised public concerns about damage to the natural environment and safety hazards. [more…]

Kung Fu Coffee, which once made a high-profile debut with the concept of "Eastern tea plus Western coffee," quietly shut down its first national store at Shenzhen's Wongtee Plaza just seven months after opening. Incubated by the team behind "Benlai Buyingyou," the brand's first store was said to have cost over six million yuan to build, and it briefly became an internet-famous check-in spot thanks to its purple interiors and Chinese-element design, reaching an average daily output of 1,200 cups within ten days of opening. Yet consumer reviews were sharply divided, and coupled with the awareness and talent bottlenecks facing the tea-coffee category itself, Kung Fu Coffee's next moves are drawing close attention. [more…]

Eason Chan's "Under Mount Fuji" turned the Lawson convenience store at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan into a must-visit spot for countless tourists. Recently, after a heavy snowstorm, a Luckin Coffee store next to the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan unexpectedly went viral, dubbed by netizens as the "domestic version of Lawson under Mount Fuji." The blue signage contrasting with the snow-covered Yellow Crane Tower bears a striking resemblance in composition to the Lawson by Mount Fuji, sparking heated discussion on social media. Some praised Luckin for its precise location choice, while others joked that the ice cream cones and fences in front of the store look like a security booth. Behind this snowscape check-in craze, should Luckin really settle up on the promotional fees? Let's take a look at the brilliant comments from netizens. [more…]

Recently, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital has seen its on-site European vintage-style coffee shop become a popular photo spot for many "influencers" on social media, with related topics continuing to gain traction. Many local residents have reported that the crowds of photo-takers have disrupted normal medical order. Why has this coffee shop become a photography hotspot? How have the hospital and the shop responded? The hospital stated that it will strengthen management by discouraging commercial photography, prolonged occupation of patient rest seats, and the use of large professional equipment such as fill lights, in order to ensure normal medical activities. [more…]

A 10-yuan drink made by mixing three sticks of Nescafe instant coffee powder with hot water has unexpectedly turned a small sugarcane juice shop in Nanjing that has been around for more than 30 years into an online sensation. Singer Guang Liang was recently spotted queuing outside the shop to buy one, pushing the topic onto trending searches. With the brand supplying free stock, media outlets rushing to report, and celebrities showing up to check in, why exactly has this literally "hand-brewed coffee" become a traffic magnet? Is it the appeal of good quality at a low price, or a bandwagon trend on social platforms? This article walks you through the course of events and explores the consumer psychology and coffee culture phenomenon behind it. [more…]

A chain coffee shop in Guangzhou, store by .jpg, located on the 41st floor of an office building, quickly went viral on social media because customers can take photos with Canton Tower up close. The average spending is low and no reservation is required—just register at the front desk and you can go upstairs to take photos—attracting a large number of young people to come and check in. However, the resulting elevator congestion and occupied public areas have made office workers in the building miserable. The property management subsequently limited the number of daily tickets and removed the lounge chairs and tables. How will this high-altitude coffee craze ultimately end? [more…]

On the day its first Nanjing store opened, Cha Yan Yue Se shot to the top of trending searches because of the sheer number of people queuing and scalpers driving the price up to 200 yuan a cup. The Xinjiekou store was forced to close, while the Jiangning Jingfeng store remained open. The brand revealed that it plans to open five stores in Nanjing in the future, while market regulators made clear that scalping on behalf of buyers is illegal. This article reviews Cha Yan Yue Se's expansion trajectory in cities such as Changsha and Shenzhen, compares it with the development paths of similar brands such as Nayuki, and explores the balancing challenge facing internet-famous tea drinks among quality control, supply chains, and consumer rationality. [more…]

Amid the wave of price cuts in new-style tea drinks, a cup of milk tea priced at 50 yuan is no longer common. However, on the opening day of Chayan Yuese's first store in Nanjing, scalpers were reselling cups for as much as 200 yuan, with people lining up as early as 4:30 a.m., and related topics quickly trended on Weibo. Due to excessive crowds and chaotic order, the Xinjiekou store posted a sold-out notice and closed its entrance just five minutes before its official opening, while the Jiangning Jingfeng store continued operating. Police dispatched officers to maintain order and persuade citizens to leave. On some trading platforms, proxy purchasing and queuing services appeared, priced between 10 and 200 yuan. The Nanjing Market Supervision Bureau made it clear that scalping is illegal. People's Daily Online called on consumers to treat internet-famous brands rationally and not be led by merchants and scalpers. [more…]

Dim lighting, exposed rebar, mottled walls, faded concrete floors—you'd think you'd walked onto a demolition site, but in reality it's a coffee shop packed with a steady stream of customers. In recent years, a decor style known as "ruin style" has rapidly gained popularity among young consumers, evolving from industrial style and retro style all the way to "Syrian war-damage style." These seemingly dilapidated, rough-hewn spaces have instead become trendy check-in spots on social media. What exactly is the aesthetic logic behind this trend? And what does it take to create a proper ruin-style coffee shop? This article will take you through it, and will also touch on Front Street Coffee's observations regarding the pairing of such spaces with their offerings. [more…]

Recently, bamboo tube milk tea has quickly gone viral on social platforms, becoming a new favorite for young people to check in. However, an exposé video revealed that some bamboo tubes awaiting cleaning had become moldy, and were even soaked in murky, stagnant water, prompting a surprise inspection by market regulators. Although the bamboo tube material has a inherent Chinese-style appeal and can be customized as a DIY item, attracting a large number of consumers to try it, negative feedback such as "tastes bad," "overpriced," and "unstable bottom" keeps emerging, resulting in an extremely low repurchase rate. Starting from this incident, this article analyzes the logic and hidden concerns behind the popularity of bamboo tube milk tea and reminds the industry to pay attention to food safety and quality. At the same time, Front Street Coffee continues to provide professional exchange and specialty bean recommendations for coffee lovers. [more…]

In recent years, Beijing's Shijingshan Shougang Park has become a popular check-in spot. Peet's Coffee has transformed the abandoned coke quenching tower in the park into an industrial-style store, which drew attention as soon as it opened. Because the park has broad lawns suitable for walking dogs, many pet owners regard this new store as a pet-friendly cafe. However, after a customer with a border collie drove an hour to the store, the store manager asked them to leave, citing that there were children in the store. The store had no prohibition signage, and pet visit posts were circulating on social media, so this controversy over "pet-friendly" being more name than reality is sparking discussion among many pet parents. [more…]

If you're looking for a place to relax on the weekend, gather a few friends for coffee and some reading, a café is undoubtedly a great choice. These ten highly regarded themed cafés in Chongqing each have their own charm—some are tucked away in lush flower houses, some offer views of the Yuzhong Peninsula's night skyline, some take an industrial-meets-artsy-minimalist approach, and others create a fairyland atmosphere with seas of flowers and greenery. From Longhu Times Paradise Walk to Jiefangbei, Nanbin Road, and Beibin Road, these shops each have their own signature offerings in environment, drinks, and desserts. This article compiles each café's features, average per-person spending, and detailed addresses, making it easy for coffee lovers to explore them one by one. If you're used to brewing your own, Front Street Coffee's beans are also a great choice for recreating these flavors at home. [more…]

Cantonese people often say they "get internal heat from just drinking water." Although herbal tea can reduce internal heat, it is bitter and hard to swallow. The Guangzhou-based tea beverage brand Tea Save Planet took a different approach by combining bitter melon with lemon tea, creating the first bitter melon lemon tea, which unexpectedly ignited the market. In just one year, Tea Save Planet sold more than 1 million cups of tea beverages, with stores covering 16 cities nationwide and the number of stores exceeding 180. This brand, which began planning in 2019, after a quiet period in the early days of the pandemic, expanded rapidly starting in March 2020. Front Street Coffee believes that Tea Save Planet's success is inseparable from local cultural identity, differentiated innovation, and distinctive brand design. This article will analyze in detail the rise of this phenomenal tea beverage brand. [more…]

Recently, some trendy cafes in Hangzhou have come up with a new gimmick—printing luxury brand logos such as LV, Dior, and CHANEL on coffee and cakes, offering so-called "luxury afternoon tea" to attract many young people to check in. Rea.vintage cafe on Zhongshan North Road combines a vintage luxury consignment shop with coffee, quietly offering a 99-yuan set; while CHOPCHOP cafe in Guoda City Plaza prominently displays a luxury brand menu, with set prices ranging from 118 to 318 yuan, and only dine-in customers can enter the scenic area. While business is booming, netizens are raising continuous doubts: does adding a logo make coffee more fragrant? Is using big brand trademarks without authorization an infringement? A Qianjiang Evening News reporter interviewed lawyer Sun Yifan, pointing out that this behavior may face copyright infringement risks. Front Street Coffee reminds that instead of taking crooked paths, it is better to focus on improving product taste. [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…]

In the third quarter of 2022, Luckin Coffee delivered a remarkable report card: its total store count reached 7,846, surpassing Starbucks in one stroke to become the brand with the largest number of chain coffee stores in China. From filing for bankruptcy protection to completing its turnaround, Luckin took only a little more than a year. Behind this was not only the sustained pull of hit products such as coconut latte and cheese latte, but also the combined efforts of social media marketing, reverse holiday co-branding, refined user operations, and a youthful R&D team. This article will analyze Luckin's store data, product logic, marketing tactics, and user strategy, while also exploring the significance of the affordable chain model for the popularization of coffee consumption in China. For readers who follow developments in the coffee industry, Luckin's path to breaking through is undoubtedly a sample worth studying. [more…]