Chinese new tea beverage brand Chagee originally planned a high-profile opening of its first store in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, but on the eve of the launch, a map in its app suspected of showing the "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea sparked a strong backlash from Vietnamese netizens. Tens of thousands flooded its official Facebook page to express anger, the brand's app was removed from both major app platforms, and a tough response from what appeared to be an official account on TikTok poured fuel on the fire. As of now, Chagee has yet to make a formal response. This boycott storm triggered by a map has not only cast a shadow over the brand's overseas expansion but also sounded a warning bell for other Chinese brands planning to enter the Vietnamese market. Front Street Coffee continues to follow international developments in the coffee and tea beverage industry. [more…]

Recently, Chagee sparked boycotts among netizens in Vietnam and Malaysia successively due to a background image in its app that included the nine-dash line map. Vietnam not only removed the app from its platforms but also dismantled the signboard of the first store in Ho Chi Minh City; after Malaysian netizens discovered the same issue, they too joined the chorus of criticism. Although the brand has deleted the controversial image, the public outcry has not yet subsided. It is worth noting that, unlike brands such as Starbucks, which faced boycotts over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict leading to the closure of numerous stores, Chagee's offline stores in Kuala Lumpur have maintained steady takeout orders. This article will review the sequence of events and their actual impact on the brand's operations. [more…]

The unusual pricing incident involving Luckin Coffee's delivery platform packages has drawn widespread attention. After consumers placed orders at extremely low prices, their orders were unilaterally cancelled, giving rise to legal disputes. Citing the views of a legal blogger, the People's Court Daily pointed out that when a merchant's pricing error results from staff mistakes, the merchant may claim a major misunderstanding to rescind the contract, but this must be resolved through litigation or negotiation. Ordinary consumers who unintentionally buy low-priced drinks have not broken the law, but those who knowingly exploit a system loophole and maliciously place large numbers of orders may run afoul of the law. This article will analyze the course of events, the legal basis, and Luckin's compensation measures in detail, while reminding coffee lovers that when enjoying discounts they must hold fast to the bottom line of good faith and avoid crossing the red line of the law. [more…]

As the Start of Autumn solar term arrives, the milk tea industry welcomes its annual sales peak, and coffee brands are also swept into this consumer frenzy. Luckin Coffee, due to the addition of its light milk tea product line, has seen order volumes rise significantly compared to the same period in previous years, with some stores forced to adopt flow-limiting measures such as suspending water and ice due to staff shortages. However, under intense work pressure, a Luckin Coffee store in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, experienced a physical altercation between employees. According to the New Express, two employees are suspected to have escalated a verbal dispute into a physical fight, but other colleagues intervened in time, and the incident resulted in no injuries. At present, the store manager has confirmed the matter and reported it to the public relations department. This "first internal strife of autumn" reflects the enormous pressure faced by food and beverage workers during the peak season. [more…]

Ethiopia is widely recognized as the birthplace of coffee, and thanks to its high altitudes and favorable climate, it produces Arabica coffee beans of exceptional quality. Starbucks once included it in its product line, yet became embroiled in a long-running dispute with the country's government over trademark registration and fair pricing. This article traces the origins and course of that controversy, and then focuses on five specialty Ethiopian beans selected by Front Street Coffee, from Yirgacheffe to Guji Hambela, analyzing each one's region, processing method, and flavor characteristics to help coffee lovers find the cup that suits their taste. [more…]

Starbucks' fruit cold drink series recently faced a class action lawsuit in New York, where a Queens consumer alleged that the product names imply the inclusion of specific fruits, while they are actually mainly composed of water, concentrated grape juice, and sugar. The lawsuit argues that the product naming constitutes an "implied promise" about the ingredients, violating New York regulations that prohibit fraud and false advertising. The products involved include the Mango Dragonfruit, Pineapple Passionfruit, Strawberry Acai series, among others, with the disputed amount exceeding $5 million. Starbucks headquarters stated it has not yet received the lawsuit and declined to comment for now. The incident has sparked widespread discussion about the authenticity of beverage labeling and consumer expectations. Front Street Coffee continues to monitor trends in the coffee and beverage industry, providing professional information for enthusiasts. [more…]

Recently, the agency agreement dispute between Blizzard and NetEase has become a hot topic. After Blizzard proposed conditions including a six-month renewal, NetEase responded with a tough stance and launched a 13-yuan "Blizzard Green Tea" at its campus café, which was quickly embraced by employees. Subsequently, new items such as "Blizzard Has No Heart" were introduced, and creative dish names with plenty of innuendo appeared on the menu. Behind this business game, coffee unexpectedly became a vehicle for expressing attitudes. This article takes you through the whole incident and lets you savor the distinctive flavor of this cup of "Blizzard Green Tea." [more…]

Recently, a Nayuki store in Linping District, Hangzhou, was exposed after a consumer allegedly found a thumbnail-sized blue-black stone in a drink, and when the consumer sought compensation, the store manager instead accused them of extortion and fraud. After the customer called the police and reviewed the mall’s surveillance footage, the video fully recorded the entire process of picking up the order, drinking it, and spitting out the stone, but the store did not provide surveillance of the production process. Nayuki’s official customer service refused media interviews, and the phone service at the store involved was suspended. The incident has drawn attention to food safety and the protection of consumer rights by catering brands. [more…]

Luckin Coffee has recently teamed up again with the popular IP Line Dog to launch a limited-edition drink, "Good Persimmon Comes in Pairs Fruit Tea," featuring seasonal fire gourd persimmons paired with jasmine tea as its selling point. As soon as the new product launched, it attracted a large number of fans to snap it up. However, feedback from the first wave of consumers has been mixed, with many complaining that it tastes astringent and hard to swallow, and some even discouraging their friends from buying it. Why exactly has this co-branded fruit tea triggered such polarized reviews? Is it because the persimmon skin was not removed cleanly, or because of batch differences? This article compiles views from all sides to help you understand the real performance of this much-discussed new product. [more…]

In today's era of social media dominance, coffee shops have become popular spots for photo check-ins. However, the accompanying inappropriate behavior of customers has also become a headache for shop owners. Recently, the owner of a well-known coffee shop in Thailand shared a series of frustrating encounters on social media—some customers splashed coffee after a dispute over photos and fled, leaving a mess behind; others damaged the shop's facilities and quietly left. These incidents not only caused financial losses for the shop but also affected the dining experience of other customers. This article will take you through the real dilemmas faced by coffee shop operators and netizens' views on such behavior. [more…]

Recently, Miracle Coffee, the coffee brand founded by JJ Lin, opened a flagship store at Shanghai Lakeside Plaza, drawing long queues of fans. This marks the brand's return to Shanghai after two years, following its 2019 pop-up store. The store has imposed purchase limits, but order processing speed is limited, and consumers still have to wait several hours. In recent years, Miracle Coffee has accelerated the rollout of permanent stores in multiple Chinese cities and is rumored to be entering more cities. Front Street Coffee will continue to follow developments in the specialty coffee market and bring coffee lovers more brand news. [more…]

Recently, a Mixue Bingcheng store in Shenyang made trending news after a dispute broke out between a staff member and a customer. According to a report by Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, a woman ordered three drinks in advance but was delayed by more than ten minutes after going to the wrong store. When she arrived, she was unable to get the drinks that had already been made, and then got into an argument with a male employee, who even made harsh remarks such as "Eat it if you want, if not, get out." After the incident video was exposed, it sparked widespread discussion among netizens. Some criticized the employee's poor service attitude, while others pointed out that freshly made iced drinks have their own reasonable preparation requirements, but more people believed that the responsibility of both sides needed to be judged based on the full sequence of events. At present, the employee involved has been fired by the store and has compensated the customer. [more…]

The free trade agreement signed between China and Ecuador will officially take effect on May 1, 2024. Approximately 90% of tariff lines on both sides will gradually have tariffs eliminated, with 60% achieving zero tariffs on the day the agreement takes effect. When Ecuadorian agricultural products such as bananas, coffee, cocoa, and shrimp enter the Chinese market, import tariffs will gradually be reduced from 5%–20% to zero, injecting new momentum into the country's export trade. At the same time, Ecuador is facing drought-related power rationing and a diplomatic crisis domestically, and export industries such as coffee have been affected to a certain extent. This article will review the core contents of the agreement, Ecuador's current economic situation, and the relevant background of China's implementation of zero tariffs on many African countries. [more…]

Heytea recently switched to new transparent plastic cups for cold drinks, adding a silver-gray decorative coating to the top of the cup and changing its brand logo to silver-gray as well. This design change has sparked discussions from multiple sides: some customers mistakenly thought the milk cap had gone moldy, milk cap lovers worried they could no longer judge the amount of milk cap by appearance, and some netizens felt the silver coating easily reminded people of something inedible or spoiled. Meanwhile, Heytea employees also reported that the fill lines and milk cap lines on the new cups were hard to recognize because they were obscured by the coating, making it more difficult to judge product standards when manually adding milk cap. Although the new cups look more layered and premium in photos, the misunderstandings and inconvenience in actual use have come along with them. This article is compiled from Coffee Workshop, and Front Street Coffee presents the full picture of the incident for you. [more…]

Having accompanied viewers through ten seasons, *Friends* not only left behind countless classic lines and scenes but also made "Central Perk" a holy site in the hearts of fans. Now, this fictional coffee shop is about to become reality—the first permanent Central Perk location in the United States is planned to open by the end of this year at 205 Newbury Street in Boston. From the replica orange sofa and matching mugs to coffee beans named after characters' lines, and even a specialty coffee subscription model, this shop sells nostalgia while also taking coffee seriously. This article will walk you through the considerations behind the store's location, the details of the scene recreation, and those cleverly named coffee products. [more…]

Luckin Coffee's collaboration with Line Friends' dog character officially returned this Monday, bringing back last year's beloved Little White Pear Latte, and fans eagerly placed orders to snap up the co-branded merchandise. However, many consumers discovered upon receiving the actual products that the limited-edition metal badges had issues such as scratches, bubbles, black spots, and even missing logos, while the blind-bag stickers were also complained about being insufficient in quantity. Faced with co-branded merchandise that they had waited a year for yet varied in quality, merch enthusiasts expressed their disappointment one after another, calling on Luckin to strengthen quality control. [more…]

Recently, Southern Metropolis Daily reported that a banner reading "Be cautious about franchising, I've lost everything" appeared in front of an Auntea Jenny franchise store in Ningbo, Zhejiang, quickly sparking public attention. The franchisee claimed that they were heavily fined by the company for purchasing materials from outside sources, and subsequently three stores were unilaterally closed; the brand responded that the closures were mainly due to poor management and had no direct connection to the brand. Both sides stick to their own accounts, and behind the incident lie deep-seated contradictions in the franchise model regarding material pricing, penalty mechanisms, and store subsidies. This article sorts out the sequence of events, presents both sides' statements and industry observations, for the reference of coffee and tea beverage practitioners. [more…]

Recently, the yogurt brand Blueglass launched the "Superboy Boyfriend Power Comeback" series, adding traditional Chinese medicine ingredients such as Cistanche, Polygonatum, ginseng, deer whip, and oyster peptides. The intention might have been to promote a health concept, but it was questioned for borderline marketing due to the poster labeling it "18+" and suggestive copy. Similarly, Coconut Palm brand coconut juice was fined 400,000 yuan for vulgar advertising slogans, yet it generated over 5 billion yuan in sales. In an era where traffic is king, eye-catching marketing emerges endlessly, but not all of it yields good results. After Blueglass was exposed, the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation has launched an investigation, and the relevant copy was revised and republished. However, the negative label brought by borderline marketing may not be easily erased from consumers' minds. [more…]

The trademark and unfair competition dispute between Chayan Yuese and Chayan Guanse has finally reached a阶段性 result. The Tianxin District People's Court of Changsha ruled in the first instance that Chayan Guanse lost the case and must stop the relevant infringing publicity and compensate Chayan Yuese 1.7 million yuan in total for economic losses and reasonable legal costs. This years-long tug-of-war over rights protection, from Chayan Guanse taking the initiative to sue Chayan Yuese, to Chayan Yuese resolutely filing a counterclaim and ultimately winning, has been full of twists and turns. Founded in 2013, Chayan Yuese is a well-known local milk tea brand in Changsha, featuring a Chinese style and adhering to a direct-operation model for a long time. It was only in 2020 that it expanded beyond Changsha to Wuhan, Shenzhen, and other places. After winning the case, the brand announced that it would issue discount coupons to members in celebration. This article sorts out the ins and outs of the case, the brand's development history, and the background related to its Logo design, providing a comprehensive interpretation for coffee and tea beverage enthusiasts. [more…]

On Christmas Eve, the festive atmosphere in coffee shops is not only reflected in the drinks and decorations—the takeaway cups have also become a canvas for baristas to unleash their creativity. From the initial casual sketches of Christmas trees and Santa hats to the later non-stop fancy doodles, hand-drawn Christmas cups have gradually spread throughout the independent coffee scene. Some draw on cups while making coffee, while others have turned doodling into an assembly-line operation to meet customer expectations. This low-cost, heartfelt holiday merchandise not only gives customers a unique keepsake but also allows baristas to find the joy of handmade craft amid their busy schedules. This article will take you through how this hand-drawn trend evolved from a fleeting whim into a Christmas season staple. [more…]