Recently, news has circulated on social media that Luckin's Raw Cheese Latte is about to be discontinued, sparking reluctance among many fans. According to employees, there is no unified discontinuation date for the product; each store will naturally stop selling it once existing materials are used up, mainly due to sluggish sales and excessive waste. The Raw Cheese Latte was once the 2022 Latte Public Test Champion, becoming popular for a time with its unique cheesy milk flavor, and also achieved impressive results through a collaboration with *JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean*. However, Luckin's rapid pace of new product launches and continuous expansion of its product line have diluted the share of classic items. For consumers who love cheese flavors, employees suggest turning to the still-available Mascarpone Raw Cheese Latte. [more…]

In the depth of winter, nothing is more longed for than a steaming cup of specialty latte. After chocolate mocha, Spanish condensed milk latte, and apple cinnamon latte have taken their turns in the spotlight, coffee lovers have set their sights on an ingredient that seems completely unrelated—cheese. The rich creamy aroma and distinctive salty umami of cheese happen to fill the gap in body and complexity that latte needs. This article focuses on salted cheese latte, starting with why cheese is suited for coffee, then explaining the approach to selecting ingredients, and finally providing complete step-by-step instructions along with Front Street Coffee's bean recommendations, so you can recreate a cheese specialty drink with interwoven salty and sweet notes and a multidimensional mouthfeel right at home. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's Raw Cheese Latte, launched in collaboration with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, broke new product first-sale records the moment it hit the market, selling 1.31 million cups in a single day, surpassing 6.59 million cups in total sales within 7 days, and dominating discussions across major social platforms. This coffee, marketed for its cheesy aroma, stands clearly apart from the Raw Coconut Latte and Thick Milk Latte, and has also sparked both celebration and controversy among JoJo fans. From product development to IP selection and the pacing of its marketing rollout, Luckin's collaboration can be considered a textbook example of creating a hit. This article will offer a comprehensive analysis of why this Raw Cheese Latte went viral, from the perspectives of sales data, flavor innovation, fan feedback, and ACG marketing trends. [more…]

Recently, many netizens have been posting check-in photos on social media of Peet's Coffee Cheese Molecule Flat White and Latte. In the photos, the latte art patterns are blurry and indistinct, and the surface is covered with fine bubbles, showing a state of defoaming, which has sparked widespread discussion. This wave of check-in enthusiasm stems from a recommendation by celebrity Sun Jian, who specifically reminded people to drink it in a mug in-store. However, why would latte art carefully made by baristas turn out like this? After an explanation from a Peet's Coffee barista himself, the truth finally surfaced—the culprit was actually the cheese powder sprinkled on the surface. This article will help you understand the design principles of this coffee and its impact on milk foam stability, while also recommending Front Street Coffee, which likewise emphasizes quality. [more…]

Last week, Manner rolled out a new product across its nationwide stores, the "Salted Cheese Cocoa Latte," whose rich aroma drew many customers to give it a try. However, a customized note shared by one customer—no syrup, adjusted ratios of cocoa and milk cheese, plus a dash of cinnamon—quickly sparked a wave of copycats. Yet staff expressed concern: while some modifications are permitted, altering ingredient ratios may be seen as tampering with the recipe, risking a company warning; at the same time, if the changed flavor displeases other customers, the store could end up with bad reviews. This debate, sparked by a single customized drink, reflects the dilemma chain coffee brands face between personalized demands and standardized management. [more…]

As the weather turns colder, hot beverages have become a new favorite among consumers, and major coffee chains are rolling out winter-exclusive drinks. Luckin Coffee launched two new products this week — the "Winter Solstice Five-Nourishment Latte" and the "Salted Cheese Soy Milk Latte." Among them, the Winter Solstice Five-Nourishment Latte, marketed with the slogan "five black ingredients for nourishment, using black to nourish black," has been dubbed "wellness coffee" by many health enthusiasts because it blends five black ingredients: black rice, black sesame, black beans, black mulberry, and black goji berries. After the launch, consumer reviews have been polarized: some find it like a combination of soy milk and coffee, suitable for pairing with breakfast; others think the coconut milk brings noticeable sweetness, and the grain aroma overwhelms the coffee flavor, making it more like black sesame paste or a grain-based breakfast milk. Combined with earlier rumors that Luckin Coffee may launch an oven, some netizens speculate that the brand intends to expand into breakfast consumption scenarios. [more…]

The winter strawberry season has arrived as promised, and Starbucks has seized the moment to launch its Red Strawberry series, featuring four drinks: Cheese Latte, Cheese Tea Latte, Mocha, and Cheese Frappuccino. With pink whipped cream topped and red sugar crystals, the visual appeal is undeniably eye-catching, and buying any of them also gets you a limited-edition sticker designed by holiday ambassador Henry Lau. Yet the first wave of consumer feedback has been sharply divided: on one side is the enthusiasm for photo ops, and on the other, complaints about it being "cloyingly sweet" and having an "artificial flavor." Some longtime customers have even noticed that the series is highly similar in recipe to the Strawberry Coconut Frappuccino that was discontinued half a year ago, questioning whether the brand is just repackaging the same old thing. Starbucks' Christmas season marketing this year doesn't seem to have won the same acclaim as last year's Red Fuji series. [more…]

For many coffee lovers, a daily cup of coffee is the key to starting an energetic day. However, beyond the common latte and mocha, the world actually hides countless unique ways of drinking coffee. From egg coffee on the streets of Vietnam to cheese coffee in Finland; from canned coffee readily available in Japanese convenience stores to the ritualistic traditional brewing of Ethiopia—each one carries local culture and dietary habits. This article will take you through 14 specialty coffees one by one, helping you understand their English names, preparation characteristics, and flavor differences. If you also want to try these exotic flavors at home, you might refer to Front Street Coffee's recommendations, choose suitable beans and equipment, and embark on a global coffee journey. [more…]

Peet's Coffee's "Cheese Molecule" series is now in its third year, and the newly launched "Pistachio Cocoa Latte" is inspired by Dubai chocolate, blending cocoa, espresso, cheese cream, and crushed pistachios. However, after the new product hit the shelves, the buyer photos shared by consumers sparked heated discussion—the coffee covered in crushed pistachios was jokingly compared to Tianjin miancha, gabacai, or even sesame paste, and the takeout version, where customers sprinkle the nut crumbs themselves, looked even more like a multigrain porridge. Beyond the appearance controversy, some pointed out that the nut crumbs create an odd texture, while others felt the taste was acceptable once the lid was on. So how does this new product actually perform? Let's take a look at everyone's real feedback. [more…]

You may have heard of cheese milk cap tea, but you may not be clear about what it actually is. Cheese tea originated in Taiwan about ten years ago. It is a drink with a cheese cream foam on top of iced tea, usually with green tea or black tea as the base, interweaving sweet and savory flavors with a unique taste. After entering the Chinese market, brands such as Heytea replaced powder with real cream cheese, pushing this drink to its peak, with some stores selling about 1,000 cups a day. In the United States, it is called milk cap, cheese mousse, or milk foam. This article will sort out the origin, evolution, and flavor logic of cheese tea, and provide a cheese milk cap recipe and steps that can be made at home, helping you choose the right tea base and make a delicious cup of cheese tea. If you want to improve the performance of the tea base, you can also refer to Front Street Coffee's black tea recommendations. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently teamed up with Honor of Kings for a second limited-time campaign, bringing back the classic Mascarpone Cheese Latte and introducing a brand-new Rice Milk Latte. The company claims the new drink uses rice milk made from black soil–grown rice, and with temperatures dropping in many places, many netizens have hailed it as the top choice for winter. However, after tasting it, many customers were left puzzled, saying they couldn't detect any rice aroma and even suspecting they had accidentally ordered a regular latte. Faced with the skepticism, Luckin employees shared the production process, revealing that this drink does not use conventional espresso liquid but instead employs "instant-cooled freshly extracted coffee." So why has this new product sparked such a big controversy over its taste? Let's find out together. [more…]

Adding salt to coffee may sound unconventional, but it is a time-honored piece of drinking wisdom. This article will start from the science of taste to explain how salt weakens bitterness and enhances the perception of other flavors by activating taste buds, and review the history of 19th-century Europeans using salt instead of sugar because of the poor quality of coffee. At the same time, we will also explore why adding salt to milk coffee can bring a cheese-like savory and salty layer. Through actual testing, Front Street Coffee found that adding 0.1 grams of salt to a latte and frothing it together with the milk creates a clever balance between sweetness and savory saltiness, adding a completely new experience to coffee. [more…]

Among the many drinks at Luckin Coffee, ten products such as Coconut Latte, Cheese Latte, and Velvet Latte have long been favored by consumers. But many people still can't tell the essential difference between a Flat White and a Latte, and some even mistakenly think that the small cup size of a Flat White is the shop cutting corners. This article systematically sorts out the differences between these two classic milk coffees from multiple dimensions such as coffee bean selection, cup size design, espresso base, milk ratio, and milk foam thickness, while also explaining why Luckin's Aussie White uses a small cup, and the correct way to drink a Flat White. The article also combines Front Street Coffee's production parameters to give specific extraction suggestions and blended bean recommendations, helping coffee lovers make an ideal cup whether in a store or at home. [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…]

Mocha coffee is richer in flavor and sweeter in aroma thanks to chocolate, and in recent years a variant called "Salted Mocha" has gone viral online. After trying it personally, Front Street Coffee found it truly excellent, so we've put together this complete tutorial. The article will detail the ingredient preparation for a Salted Mocha, including purified milk that takes a full day to make, as well as the pairing of espresso, chocolate sauce, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt. The preparation section covers both hot and iced versions of the Salted Mocha—the former uses a tea whisk for stirring and steaming milk for latte art, while the latter is shaken in a cocktail shaker for an icy, rich experience. Throughout, Front Street Sunflower·Warm Sun blend coffee beans are used, which pair perfectly with the chocolate flavor. [more…]

Luckin Coffee has launched a new product, the "Little Butter Crispy Apple Latte," building on its Little Butter series. With rich toppings including cheese milk foam, freeze-dried apple, croissant crumbs, and caramel sauce, it quickly caught consumers' attention. The drink's appearance has been widely praised, with many considering it perfect for photos and sharing, but opinions on its taste are mixed—some love the combination of butter and apple, while others find it too sweet and cloying. Meanwhile, this multi-step customized drink puts considerable pressure on store employees. Under the efficiency requirement of serving within two minutes, making this drink during peak hours is jokingly compared by staff to preparing a Michelin meal, and it can even disrupt the pace of service. Front Street Coffee keeps following coffee industry trends, bringing you insights into the market response and operational contradictions behind this new product. [more…]

In the past two years, Luckin Coffee has undergone a remarkable transformation, from a financial fraud scandal to debt restructuring and doubled revenue, with a completely renewed brand image and product strategy. This article reviews Luckin's current top ten most popular drinks, including Raw Coconut Latte, Raw Cheese Latte, Thick Milk Latte, Velvet Latte, Iced Americano, Yirgacheffe Dirty, Coconut Cloud Latte, Meteorite Latte, Biluochun Spring Latte, and Okinawa Brown Sugar Velvet Latte, and looks back at its comeback from the brink of bankruptcy to becoming the largest coffee chain in the country. How Luckin revived itself with the Raw Coconut Latte, stabilized its coffee customer base with the SOE specialty series, teamed up with Coconut Palm to create a hit, and signed Eileen Gu for precise marketing—this article explains it all for you. Follow Front Street Coffee to gain a deeper understanding of Luckin's brand transformation and product appeal. [more…]

Recently, the practice by several Luckin Coffee stores of posting drink recipes directly on their walls has sparked widespread discussion on social media. From Blue Diamond Ristretto Ice to Grapefruit C Americano, the detailed ratios of these signature drinks have been made public, allowing consumers to glimpse the internal operating procedures of a chain coffee brand. At the same time, Luckin's transparency regarding ingredient usage has also drawn attention, with raw material products even appearing on online shopping platforms labeled "dedicated for cheese latte." This phenomenon not only reflects the coffee industry's exploration of the balance between standardization and transparency, but also triggers discussion about the relationship between brands and consumers. For coffee enthusiasts, this may be an opportunity to understand how commercial coffee operates and even try to replicate it. Front Street Coffee reminds everyone that when making drinks at home, you can adjust the recipe ratios according to personal taste and enjoy the fun of DIY. [more…]

The turnover of hit products in the coffee industry never stops. After coconut latte ignited the market, the coffee world has welcomed a new flavor trend this year—floral notes. Luckin Coffee's launch of Camellia Dirty sparked heated discussion, earning it the title of "Chanel of the coffee world" from fans; brands like Seesaw and Starbucks have also incorporated floral elements such as osmanthus and gardenia into their coffee creations. Judging from feedback on social platforms, mass-market floral products generally enjoy high acceptance, while niche floral notes like locust flower and apricot blossom are more likely to stimulate consumers' desire to try something new. Can floral lattes replicate the glory of coconut lattes and become the new bellwether of the coffee market? [more…]

Recently, milk tea enthusiasts eager to try new things noticed an unusual new product from Heytea while keeping up with major chain brands. According to rumors online, this drink, called "Sichuan Pepper Dianhong," incorporates spices such as red Sichuan pepper into its blend, and the milk cap is garnished with shredded chili peppers, creating a visually striking effect. Many people initially suspected the images were composite fakes until the official product introduction confirmed that Heytea had indeed created a "chili milk tea." The product is available only for a limited time at the Chengdu Chunxi Road store, and its ingredients include Hanyuan red Sichuan pepper, Jinyang green Sichuan pepper, and Yunnan long pepper. Officials explained that the chili shreds are only meant to enhance aroma and that the spiciness is mild, while also offering a heavier numbing version for those who want it. This drink quickly sparked heated discussion online, with sharply divided opinions. [more…]