A woman surnamed Zhang used the excuse of finding hair in takeaway milk tea to file ten compensation claims against multiple outlets of the same milk tea chain within just over a month, using the same photo six times, and collected more than 15,000 yuan in total. The merchants initially chose to compromise to protect the brand image, but as similar complaints appeared frequently, the brand's loss prevention department launched an investigation and called the police. Police arrested the woman on her eleventh complaint, and the court ultimately sentenced her to one year and three months in prison, suspended for one year and six months, and a fine of 5,000 yuan for extortion. The case exposes the phenomenon of some consumers abusing the tenfold compensation clause of the Food Safety Law to file malicious claims, and also sounds a warning bell for the catering industry in handling similar disputes. [more…]

Recently, a Mixue Bingcheng store in Guangzhou made trending searches after posting a handwritten warning about meal theft, stating that thieves would be tied to an overpass for eight hours, have ten buckets of milk tea poured on their heads, and have their videos exposed. The store responded that it was just a scare tactic and had never actually been carried out. The incident sparked heated discussions among netizens, with some sympathizing with the merchant's helplessness, while others pointed out that taking the law into one's own hands is suspected of being illegal. Suzhou police then spoke out, emphasizing that illegal detention is unacceptable and that one should call the police immediately. This controversy reflects the real dilemma of frequent meal theft in the milk tea industry and high loss prevention costs, and also prompts people to think about the balance between merchants defending their rights and the boundaries of the law. [more…]

A milk tea shop was sealed and ordered to close on the spot by market supervision officials in under a minute—all because the staff said "Welcome" before asking customers to scan the QR code. The incident sparked widespread attention after it was exposed. An official statement later concluded that the law enforcement officers had abused their power and deliberately made things difficult; those involved have apologized and been disciplined. In this issue of coffee news, while we follow this incident, we also remind coffee professionals to be mindful of the boundaries of law enforcement in epidemic prevention and control, and we continue to bring coffee enthusiasts professional coffee knowledge and Front Street Coffee product recommendations. [more…]

Recently, a 1 Dian Dian store at Jinshijie in Dongmen, Shenzhen was exposed after a cockroach leg was found in a milk tea, sparking widespread attention. The consumer and the store failed to reach an agreement on compensation, and a complaint has now been filed and accepted on the Shenzhen government service platform. The incident highlights weak links in food safety management in the tea beverage industry and once again reminds industry practitioners and consumers to pay joint attention to hygiene issues. As an industry observer, Front Street Coffee continues to monitor the impact of such incidents on brand trust. [more…]

In recent years, a "raw coffee" launched by a coffee shop in Nagoya, Japan, has attracted the attention of health scholars and celebrity models. This drink, made by brewing raw coffee beans together with roasted coffee beans, is said to far outperform black coffee in terms of weight loss. A four-week experiment showed that participants who drank raw coffee lost significantly more weight than those who drank black coffee, and the key behind this lies in the abundant chlorogenic acid in raw coffee beans. Chlorogenic acid can improve insulin sensitivity and regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, and has preventive and therapeutic effects on obesity and metabolic syndrome. However, chlorogenic acid is sour and astringent and unpleasant to the taste, and is degraded after roasting. Raw coffee tastes light, with nutty and roasted barley tea flavors, but it still contains caffeine and should not be drunk in excess. This article will provide an in-depth analysis of the weight-loss principles of raw coffee, the mechanism of action of chlorogenic acid, and its essential differences from black coffee. [more…]

On the list of troubles faced by today's young people, hair loss probably ranks near the top. Losing handfuls of hair at a young age, and watching their hairline recede day by day, many people have tried all kinds of anti-hair-loss methods, but the results vary from person to person. Besides genetic and disease factors, eating habits may also be quietly increasing the risk of hair loss. Recently, a study published by researchers from Tsinghua University in the nutrition journal Nutrients offered a new idea for young people troubled by hair loss—quitting sugar to prevent baldness. The study surveyed 1,028 participants across 31 provinces nationwide and found a significant association between sugar-sweetened beverage intake and the risk of hair loss in men. Men who drank more than one 500-milliliter sugar-sweetened beverage per day had a 253% higher incidence of hair loss. How exactly was this study designed? Which sugar-sweetened beverages carry the highest risk? Let's take a closer look. [more…]

Recently, an incident in which a milk tea shop employee replaced the store's payment QR code with a personal one and misappropriated tens of thousands of yuan from the company trended on Weibo, sparking widespread discussion. According to a notice from the Haidian Public Security Bureau in Beijing, the employee had been collecting payments via a personal QR code since May of this year and concealed the act by cutting off the network and disabling surveillance. The estimated amount misappropriated reached over 40,000 yuan, and the person has now been criminally detained in accordance with the law. This case not only exposes loopholes in financial management at retail stores, but also once again reminds operators to strengthen internal oversight. As a platform for coffee enthusiasts, Front Street Coffee has always followed business developments and compliance issues in the beverage industry. This article reconstructs the course of events and analyzes the relevant legal points. [more…]

After the widespread adoption of mobile payments, ordering by scanning a QR code has become standard in bubble tea shops and restaurants. But have you ever noticed that many ordering mini-programs require you to authorize your mobile phone number or even more personal information before use? In October of this year, the Market Supervision Administration of Putuo District, Shanghai, investigated and dealt with a case involving a catering company illegally collecting consumer information, which sparked widespread attention. The restaurant guided customers to order by scanning a QR code on the table, but forcibly required authorization of their mobile phone numbers, and did not inform them of the purpose of use. Moreover, the backend allowed arbitrary access to and download of member data such as names, genders, mobile phone numbers, and card balances. Ultimately, the company was warned and fined 50,000 yuan. With the official implementation of the Personal Information Protection Law, penalties for such acts will be significantly increased, and consumers' privacy rights deserve more attention. [more…]

The new tea beverage sector continues to heat up, and the phenomenon of brand trademarks being maliciously infringed upon is becoming increasingly frequent. Well-known brands such as Heytea, The Alley, and Sexy Tea have all encountered counterfeit troubles, and this time it is Mixue Bingcheng, with stores all over the world, that is affected. A milk tea brand called Mixueyue was sued by Mixue Bingcheng for trademark infringement because its text and trademark were highly similar to the Mixue Bingcheng series of trademarks. The final judgment ordered Mixueyue to pay 512,184 yuan in compensation, and its appeal request was rejected. Mixue Bingcheng has more than 22,000 stores worldwide, and its A-share listing application has also been accepted, while Mixueyue Company has now been deregistered. Behind this lawsuit is the strategy of leading tea beverage brands building a legal moat through defensive trademarks. This article takes you through the whole case, the backgrounds of both parties, and the operating logic of defensive trademarks. [more…]

Recently, many users on social platforms have been sharing milk tea orders that include non-drink items such as tissues. This is not a brand promotion, but rather the result of consumers being forced to add extra items to meet the minimum order threshold for delivery. Many chain tea and coffee shops set their delivery minimum at 20 to 30 yuan, while a single cup of drink often costs only around ten yuan, leaving customers who just want one cup unable to place an order directly. They can only add tissues, snacks, or upgrade to a larger size to reach the required amount. Some orders also require a minimum actual payment to qualify for free delivery, further adding to the consumer's burden. Store operators say the minimum order fee and delivery rules are set uniformly by brand headquarters and the platform, and franchisees have no authority to adjust them. This discussion surrounding delivery thresholds reflects the real conflict between the demand for single-person, single-cup consumption and platform operating rules. [more…]

Oatly, the oat milk pioneer, recently released its full-year and fourth-quarter financial results for 2022, reporting a net loss of nearly $400 million for the year, further widening from 2021. Although sales volume in the Asian market grew 32% year-on-year, revenue in Asia fell by $800,000 in the fourth quarter due to the impact of the pandemic. China, as the core of Oatly's Asian business, accounts for as much as 93%, and fluctuations in its performance have a significant impact on the overall Asian market. Oatly quickly opened up the market with its positioning as a "new coffee companion" through partnerships with chain brands such as Starbucks, but now the plant-based milk concept has cooled, emerging brands are proliferating, consumers' acceptance of oat milk is still lower than that of dairy milk, and coupled with its relatively high price, Oatly faces the risk of being replaced. To this end, Oatly is trying to find new growth points by expanding into new products such as tea drinks and ice cream, as well as through financing. [more…]

As coffee has entered people's view and gradually become a part of life, the ways of enjoying coffee are no longer limited to the joy brought by pour-over. There are many ways to make coffee; besides the simple pour-over, there are also espresso, cold brew, siphon, and other methods~ Perhaps you often [more…]

Tieguanyin is a representative variety of oolong tea, falling between green tea and black tea, combining floral aroma with a mellow taste. Beyond its unique flavor, it also offers numerous benefits for the body. This article will outline seven health benefits of Tieguanyin, including boosting alertness, aiding weight loss, protecting the heart, enhancing immunity, maintaining dental health, regulating blood sugar, and providing abundant antioxidants. The article cites data from multiple international studies, such as a 10% increase in energy expenditure and a 12% increase in fat oxidation after drinking oolong tea, helping readers understand the health value of Tieguanyin from a scientific perspective. [more…]

Recently, ChaPanda once again became the focus of public opinion due to food safety issues. On the evening of October 9, the brand's official Weibo posted two statements in succession, responding to the incidents of "using expired raw materials" and "a Ningbo customer complaining about finding a spider in a drink." Regarding the spider incident, ChaPanda said the source of the spider in the video was unknown and difficult to verify, and explained that the 600 yuan compensation was a response made by store employees to settle the matter, but this response did not calm netizens' doubts. A week earlier, ChaPanda had just apologized after a blogger's undercover investigation exposed the use of expired materials with replaced labels. In fact, since the beginning of this year, ChaPanda has been found multiple times in surprise inspections by market regulatory authorities in various places to have issues such as incomplete health certificates and expired raw materials. Although the brand emphasized that it had investigated and rectified stores nationwide, the frequent food safety hazards still make consumers worried. [more…]

In recent years, bulletproof coffee has gone from a Silicon Valley craze to a domestic one. Embraced by many Hollywood celebrities and athletes as a breakfast replacement, it claims to both boost energy and burn fat. Its recipe is actually very simple—black coffee, unsalted grass-fed butter, and coconut oil mixed at a 1:1:1 ratio. Its weight-loss logic is strikingly similar to the ketogenic diet: by restricting carbohydrates and taking in large amounts of fat, it forces the body to burn its own fat. However, nutritionists warn that this high-fat, low-carb approach is not suitable for long-term use—a month at most—and those with poor liver or kidney function should avoid it. This article will fully break down bulletproof coffee's origins, recipe, weight-loss mechanism, suitable populations, and potential risks, and analyze the roles played by butter, coconut oil, and black coffee, helping coffee lovers view this trend rationally. [more…]

The recent fierce subsidy war among food delivery platforms has given consumers a large number of free tea drink vouchers, causing chain tea shops to be flooded with orders. However, at stores like Mixue Bingcheng, a phenomenon has emerged where customers place self-pickup orders but never come to collect them, resulting in large quantities of freshly made drinks being discarded. This article sorts out the multiple reasons behind this waste: chaotic pickup scenes, order notes being overlooked, excessively long waiting times, and more. It also introduces the countermeasures stores have taken to reduce losses, while retaining relevant recommendation information for the Front Street brand. [more…]

We all know that a moka pot can brew delicious coffee, but we don't know whether it counts as espresso, and if it doesn't, what's the difference between the two. Today Front Street Coffee will compare the similarities and differences between the two for everyone. The moka pot can make such delicious espresso, so let's take a look at the moka [more…]

The moka pot is a staple piece of equipment in many coffee lovers' homes. Can it actually make espresso? And how does it differ from a professional coffee machine? In this article, from Front Street's perspective, we take a deep dive into the moka pot's structure, the difference between single-valve and double-valve models, and the principles of extraction, while comparing it with espresso. We also share practical brewing methods for boosting the crema and recommend Front Street's specialty blend coffee beans, helping you gain a more well-rounded understanding of the moka pot's pros and cons and master the skills for making a cup of coffee that comes close to the espresso flavor profile. [more…]

Americanos appear frequently in Korean dramas, and have long since become more than just a pick-me-up—they are now a common choice in social settings. Made by adding water to espresso, with no milk or sugar and low in calories, they are hugely popular among young people. So how do you make an iced Americano? Can it really help with weight loss? Is an iced Americano the bitterest black coffee? This article will explore the origins of the Americano, how to make it, coffee bean selection, and Front Street Coffee's recommended products, giving you a comprehensive understanding of this seemingly simple yet richly nuanced black coffee. [more…]

Recently there have been quite a few rumors about coffee. First, a study published in Nutrients by Northwestern University in the United States claimed that drinking coffee is linked to a lower risk of COVID-19, and then there were claims that smelling coffee aroma can restore one's sense of smell. Are these claims actually reliable? This article sorts through the complete data and conclusions of that study, and shares the personal experience of trying coffee aromatherapy to recover the sense of smell. The core point is very clear: coffee is not a miracle cure for preventing or treating COVID-19. What truly plays the key role is the human immune system, and a balanced diet, adequate nutrition, and scientific protective measures are fundamental. At the same time, it reminds everyone that a temporary loss of smell and taste is no cause for excessive anxiety, as the body needs time to repair itself. [more…]