The Starbucks app icon has recently returned to the classic "double-tailed siren" image, after the close-up half-mermaid face logo launched last month sparked widespread criticism. The new design zoomed in on the crown and yellow five-pointed star, intended to coincide with the "Starbucks Rewards" member star-collection campaign, but users described it as "too ugly," "very sneaky," and some even thought it was a knockoff app. After the official reversion to the old version, an employee revealed that the main reason was that the one-month Diamond Star member upgrade campaign had ended. This logo controversy reflects the delicate relationship between brand visuals and user emotions, and also brings to mind the steady strategies of brands like Front Street Coffee in shaping their image. [more…]

Starbucks recently filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against a cannabis company called Starbuds Flowers, accusing it of intentionally imitating its classic mermaid trademark and misleading consumers by exploiting the Starbucks brand's reputation. In the complaint, Starbucks compared the similarities between the two logos point by point, noting that Starbuds not only used the similar design on its mobile sales trucks and official website, but also printed it on cigarettes and cannabis products. Starbucks is asking the court to prohibit the other party from continuing to use the logo, destroy the related products, and disgorge the profits obtained from the infringement. In fact, Starbucks had already sent a cease-and-desist letter as early as last August and subsequently sent multiple takedown notices, but received no response. As of July 2, Starbuds' sales trucks and website were still in operation. [more…]

After Starbucks exited the Russian market, its assets were acquired by a local company and rebranded. On August 17, 2022, rapper Timur Yunusov revealed the new name "STARS COFFEE" and its logo on Instagram, and the official website went live simultaneously. The new brand replaced the mermaid logo with a girl wearing traditional Russian headwear, and officially opened in Moscow on August 18, with all 120 stores planned to resume operations by the end of September. The new stores no longer write cup names by hand, switching to thermal printing, and food has also become pre-made and heated. Marketing experts pointed out that the new owners are striving to maintain continuity between the old and new brands, but the effectiveness of the rebranding still needs to be tested by the market. Russian netizens have been discussing it extensively. [more…]

In Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, a café that uses authentic Starbucks cups, napkins, and coffee remains open as usual despite facing legal action. This unauthorized store bears the Starbucks mermaid logo on everything from its signage to in-store details, enough to pass as the real thing. The owner, Amin Makhsusi, tried to apply for official permission but was rejected, and ultimately decided to open on his own, claiming connections to local powerful figures. Starbucks is trying to stop this infringement through a lawsuit, but the case was suspended due to alleged threats. This incident reflects Iraq's severe trademark piracy problem, where offenders often act with impunity because they are protected by powerful groups. [more…]

When the red songstress meets the green mermaid, a wave of online revelry sparked by a coincidence in signage placement unfolds. Chagee and Starbucks—one sells tea, the other coffee—were playfully paired as a red-and-green couple by netizens at an alley entrance in Cicheng Ancient Town, Ningbo. From jokes about "Chinese women's restroom vs. foreign women's restroom," to Chagee setting sales targets against Starbucks on International Tea Day, and to the insomnia meme triggered by the caffeine content response for "Wanli Mulan," these two major brands keep colliding both offline in the same frame and online in trending topics. Front Street Coffee walks you through the fun and the real rivalry behind this "public restroom commercial war." [more…]

Starbucks has recently officially launched the Pink Drink in the mainland China market, along with three new items: Pink Berry Lemonade Refresher, Dragon Drink, and Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher, priced between 34 and 40 yuan. To tie in with its summer beverage promotion, Starbucks baristas have put on limited-edition rose-red aprons, a bold and eye-catching choice that netizens have jokingly dubbed the "dopamine apron." At the same time, the brand has changed the mermaid logo on its takeaway cold cups to the silver-white version used in North America, making the look more in keeping with the pink tones of the Pink Drink. This article will explain the ranking significance behind the pink apron and answer the consumer question of whether the Pink Drink contains caffeine, while also retaining relevant recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Recently, a post about Starbucks for-here cups sparked heated discussion on social media, with many netizens expressing surprise that they had never seen anyone use a mug in stores. In fact, over a decade ago, Starbucks staff would proactively ask customers whether they were dining in and offer them for-here cups, but today this practice has quietly disappeared. What is the reason behind this? Employees reveal that frequent theft of for-here cups causing losses, as well as some customers' concerns about tableware hygiene, are the two main reasons stores no longer proactively offer for-here cups. At the same time, this white mug printed with the mermaid logo is highly sought after for its attractive appearance, and even unofficial channels have appeared selling it on second-hand platforms. This article will explore in depth the current situation of Starbucks for-here cups and the story behind them, and includes a professional recommendation from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

As Starbucks continues to expand into third- and fourth-tier cities, some stores imitating Starbucks have begun appearing on the streets. These "high-imitation Starbucks" not only resemble the original in decor style, but also use Starbucks' green mermaid logo, and their menus and prices copy the original as well, yet their signage reads "STARPER COFFEE." Some netizens speculated that this was a Starbucks coffee service authorized by Nestlé, but Nestlé has officially denied this and stated that it has referred the matter to its legal department. So where exactly do these stores come from? And what restrictions apply to Nestlé-authorized Starbucks coffee service? This article sorts out the ins and outs of the incident for you and retains the related recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

A quaint shop on Gushan Road by West Lake recently put up a Starbucks sign, though the location was originally the COSTA Xiling store. After COSTA moved out in August this year, Starbucks quickly took over this prime spot, incorporating Chinese elements into the store design, drawing tourists and locals to check in. Meanwhile, COSTA has been closing stores across many parts of the country, with only 393 stores remaining, far more closures than openings. What netizens once joked about—"Starbucks replacing COSTA"—has ironically come true, which is quite lamentable. Front Street Coffee reminds us that behind the brand turnover is a microcosm of rising rents in the West Lake commercial area and intensifying competition in the coffee market. [more…]

After the change of ownership of Starbucks' assets in Russia, the naming of the new brand has drawn attention. On August 12, the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) received applications for Sturbucks (not a typo) and three other trademarks, with the final name yet to be determined. Previously, rapper Timur Yunusov, along with Anton Pinsky, owner of the catering company Pinskiy&co, and the Syndicate company under Senator Arsen Kanokov, jointly acquired and managed Starbucks' assets in Russia. The new brand is planned to open in mid-August and will be open to the media on August 16. They had considered using a Lego bear as the logo and incorporating the singer's signature, but later switched to thermal printing due to the workload. This article reviews the sequence of events, trademark options, and netizen reactions. [more…]

At the end of 2021, a counterfeit Starbucks appeared in Caracas, Venezuela, with a logo highly similar to the real one, sparking widespread discussion. Now, a similar logo has appeared on the campus of Glenville State University in West Virginia, USA. Is this the spread of counterfeit behavior, or is there another story behind it? This article will help you clarify the essential difference between "We Proudly Serve Starbucks" and counterfeit Starbucks, and review the whole story of the counterfeit store in Venezuela. At the same time, we continue to follow coffee industry trends, and at the end of the article, we have included contact information for Front Street Coffee; coffee enthusiasts are welcome to join the discussion. [more…]

After Starbucks announced to suspend its business in Russia and withdraw from the Russian market last year, the founder of the local famous catering company Pinskiy & Co, Anton Pinsky, and the Russian rap singer Timati collaborated to acquire Starbuc [more…]

The fate of Starbucks in Russia has finally been settled. From suspending operations in March of this year to announcing its exit from the market in May, 130 stores were once at a standstill. At the end of July, Russian rapper Timati announced via social media that the local catering company Pinskiy&Co had successfully completed the acquisition of Starbucks' assets in Russia. The new brand name and logo have not yet been determined, but the first store is scheduled to open in August, and the number of stores will exceed 200 by September. What are the details behind this acquisition? How will the new brand make a fresh start? This article takes you through the entire course of events. [more…]

COSTA Coffee, once as famous as Starbucks, is now quietly shrinking in the Chinese market. A store in Nanjing has announced it will close permanently at the end of August, and two stores in Nanchang Wushang Mall also shut down in early August, meaning COSTA has completely exited the Jiangxi market. From its ambitious plan in 2018 to have 2,500 stores to now having only 343 in operation across 36 cities, COSTA's downward slide is lamentable. A chaotic mini-program, weak marketing, and products lacking highlights are all eroding the patience of loyal users bit by bit. For many consumers whose coffee awakening came from COSTA, the gradual disappearance of this veteran brand, which has been in China for nearly 20 years, inevitably stirs emotion. [more…]

Recently, a batch of coffee shops named "STARPER COFFEE" has quietly appeared in several small counties across the country. Their storefront designs, brand logos, and even menus are highly similar to those of Starbucks, drawing widespread attention from consumers. These shops claim to be co-branded service stations of Nestlé and Starbucks, but Nestlé has explicitly denied having any contractual relationship with the party that registered the "STARPER" trademark and pointed out that its actions are suspected of trademark infringement. Nestlé also issued a solemn statement emphasizing that the "Starbucks Coffee Service" project has never opened franchising or agency. Meanwhile, the supply chain company involved has applied for multiple similar trademarks, all of which are currently in substantive examination. This article will sort out the whole incident and restore the ins and outs of this brand confusion controversy. [more…]

After Starbucks exited the Russian market, its trademark protection in Russia may face termination. The owner of Stars Coffee, which acquired Starbucks' Russian assets, has filed a claim with a court seeking to terminate the protection of Starbucks' trademarks. This move aims to reduce trademark infringement risks and pave the way for store expansion. This article will provide a detailed introduction to the background, progress, and possible impact of this event. [more…]

Starbucks is undergoing a profound strategic adjustment. According to foreign media reports such as CNN, this coffee chain giant has closed about 400 stores across the United States, mainly concentrated in core areas of major metropolises such as New York and Los Angeles. New CEO Niccol has made it clear that the company will no longer pursue high-density coverage of urban stores. At the same time, Luckin Coffee is actively expanding in New York, having already opened 9 stores and continuing to scout locations, including some small-format grab-and-go stores that Starbucks has vacated. Starbucks responded that intensifying competition, the spread of remote work, population loss in major cities, and rising operating costs are the main reasons for the adjustment; in the future, it will increase its focus on suburban markets and plans to renovate 1,000 stores within a year to enhance the spatial experience. [more…]

After Starbucks withdrew from the Russian market, Stars Coffee, which took over its assets, is accelerating its expansion. On one hand, the brand has reopened in St. Petersburg and plans to restore 100 stores by the end of September; on the other hand, co-founders Timur Yunusov and Anton Pinsky revealed that they have received about 50 overseas partnership inquiries, with the first overseas branch to open in Armenia, and plan to open more than 20 locations across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. These regions see opportunities for Stars Coffee due to the absence of Starbucks. This article reviews Stars Coffee's expansion dynamics and the historical turning point of Starbucks' franchising in Russia. [more…]

Starbucks Reserve and regular stores have clear differences in branding, brewing methods, and experience. Their menus include both drinks priced the same as regular stores and specialty beverages and pour-overs made with specialty beans available only at Reserve stores, which are relatively more expensive. This article will explain Reserve coffee's bean selection standards—terroir conditions, processing methods, coffee varieties, and human stories—and introduce how to consult staff when ordering based on flavor and taste. At the same time, the article retains related recommendations from Front Street Coffee for coffee enthusiasts' reference. [more…]

Recently, Starbucks was reported to have filed multiple trademark registration applications with the Russian Federal Intellectual Property Office, covering core brand identifiers such as "Starbucks Coffee" and "Frappuccino," as well as related categories including instant coffee, beverage preparation, and membership management. This move quickly sparked speculation about whether the company plans to return to the Russian market. After exiting Russia in 2022, Starbucks' assets in the country were acquired by a local company and rebranded as "Stars Coffee," and a trademark legal dispute between that brand and Starbucks still persists. Over the past two years, Russia's coffee market has undergone significant changes, with intensified competition, shifting consumer habits, and continued uncertainty in the political and economic environment. Even if Starbucks returns, it may not be smooth sailing. So far, there has been no official response. [more…]