Recently, news emerged that the Starbucks Reserve store at Guangzhou's Parc Central is set to close, with official confirmation that it will officially cease operations in the coming days. This store, which opened in 2017, was created by Starbucks to celebrate its 15th anniversary of entering the South China market and was once hailed as "one of Guangzhou's most design-forward stores." Unlike previously closed old stores located in declining foot traffic commercial districts, this closure is in a core commercial area of Tianhe District, surrounded by luxury brands, and the store was almost always full on a daily basis. However, high rent, low table turnover caused by the open-plan space, and phenomena such as "people only checking in for photos without consuming" may have made it difficult for the store to be profitable after deducting costs. Starbucks stated that the reason for the closure is adjustments to the business mix in the commercial district and said there are still more than 10 nearby stores for consumers to choose from. [more…]

Recently, news came from Nanjing 1912 Block: the Starbucks Reserve store, which has been in business for twenty years, is about to close, and Chayan Yuese, which only moved in last year, has already been the first to withdraw due to the expiration of its lease. The successive departure of these two adjacent stores has left many citizens and tourists feeling regretful. As Nanjing's first Starbucks Reserve store, this Republic of China-style coffee shop was once a popular check-in spot in travel guides, but now it is about to come to an end. Issues such as the expiration and recovery of property rights in the old block, the rise of emerging commercial districts, and parking difficulties have all become focuses of discussion. In any case, this coffee memory that has accompanied people for twenty years is worth savoring in detail. [more…]

Coffee shops are blooming everywhere, but there is always only one Starbucks. Its success is not accidental, but stems from a set of positioning logic completely different from traditional cafes. This article dissects, from three dimensions—crowd targeting, service strategy, and promotion methods—how Starbucks precisely locks onto the white-collar group, how it uses space and equipment design to accelerate customer flow, and how it places its marketing focus on brand image rather than the product itself. At the same time, it analyzes the real implementation of the "third place" concept in the Chinese market, and how this concept has trapped many local coffee shop owners in operational difficulties. For coffee enthusiasts and industry practitioners, understanding Starbucks' atypical path helps to rethink the survival logic of coffee brands. [more…]

Dreaming of opening your own coffee shop but not sure where to start? This article begins with a SWOT market analysis, systematically sorting out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of coffee shop entrepreneurship, and offers four types of response strategies: SO, WO, ST, and WT. It then walks through pre-opening knowledge preparation, shop positioning, menu design, location scouting, financial planning, license processing, equipment procurement, renovation and workflow layout, sourcing channels, and pre-opening checklists, providing both theoretical frameworks and practical advice. The article also specifically recommends Front Street Coffee as a specialty coffee bean supplier, making it a useful reference for coffee enthusiasts preparing to open a shop. [more…]

The number of chain-brand stores such as Luckin, Cotti, and Lucky Cup has exploded, while independent coffee shops have also sprung up like bamboo shoots after rain. Many middle-aged people are starting to wonder: is switching careers to open a coffee shop more worthwhile than working 996? Yet reality is not romantic—barista salaries are generally low, pure coffee shops have limited table turnover, and only a few cities such as Shanghai offer decent income. Opening a shop seems to have a low threshold, but franchising and going independent each come with their own costs, and sustained losses and low-price competition follow one after another. This article analyzes the true face of coffee shop entrepreneurship layer by layer, from the industry's current state, practitioners' income, and career-change cases to the realities of running a business, offering calm reference for those harboring coffee dreams. [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…]

The coffee industry suffers from a high turnover rate, and many shop owners attribute it to young people's lack of perseverance, while overlooking the deeper problems in their own management style. Through a real case study, this article analyzes common pitfalls in coffee shops regarding delegation, training, and management dependency, and explores how to retain core baristas by establishing a stable framework, improving the training system, and paying attention to employees' career expectations. The article also emphasizes the critical role of baristas as brand ambassadors in repurchase rates and brand development, and points out that the hidden costs of staff turnover are far higher than what appears on the surface. Finally, it calls on owners to lead by example, leverage people's strengths, and work with the team to drive the coffee shop's sustained growth. [more…]

Starbucks' first Reserve flagship store in South China—the two-story standalone store at Shenzhen MixC World—will officially close permanently after business hours on October 12. This iconic store, which had been open for nearly eight years, was once the largest standalone Starbucks in Shenzhen, and it now comes to an end due to the expiration of its contract and adjustments in the business district's tenant mix. After the news spread, many regular customers felt deep regret. At the same time, Starbucks has also been closing stores at multiple locations in Shenzhen, sparking speculation about adjustments to its market layout. This article will review the store's history, customer reactions, the reasons for its closure, and Starbucks' response, along with related recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Recently, the news that Mixue Ice Cream & Tea opened a store at the summit of Mount Tai has sparked widespread attention. In the video, the Snow King looks smug after reaching the top, then shares photos of the Mount Tai store's renovation. What sparked the most discussion among netizens is that this store, located at the peak of Mount Tai, charges only one yuan more than those at the foot of the mountain. As coffee enthusiasts, we might as well use this phenomenon to discuss the strategies of coffee and tea beverage brands setting up locations in scenic areas. At the same time, Front Street Coffee continues to follow industry trends and bring readers professional insights. [more…]

Opening a café in a commercial district is nothing unusual, but placing a store inside an old apartment building in the heart of the city is a rare approach. Recently, %Arabica announced that its first Vietnam branch has officially opened in Ho Chi Minh City's famous Coffee Apartment, located on the fourth floor of the building. Built in the mid-20th century, this old building once served successively as a government office, a US military station, and private residences. After renovation in 2015, it brought together numerous uniquely styled cafés and became a local artistic check-in spot. %Arabica's move both continues founder Kenneth Shoji's philosophy of "See the World Through Coffee" and marks a further acceleration of its global expansion. The brand currently has 123 stores worldwide and plans to enter multiple markets including South Korea, Singapore, and the Philippines. [more…]

Suzhou, a gentle ancient city in the Jiangnan region, hides quite a few specialty coffee shops worth a dedicated visit. This article compiles a summary of shop visits from a veteran coffee enthusiast, covering more than seventy four- to five-star coffee shops across Gusu District, the Industrial Park, the High-Tech District, Wuzhong District, and beyond—from artsy little cafes to cat-themed coffee houses, from Korean-style chains to standalone buildings with Republican-era charm, each with its own distinctive setting, offerings, and story. Whether you're a coffee purist chasing pour-over quality or an artsy soul who favors ambiance, this list can help you find that perfect cup in Suzhou. [more…]

Heytea's sub-brand Xixiaocha recently closed its last store located in Guangzhou City Investment Building. From the opening of its first store in April 2020 to its complete withdrawal now, only two and a half years have passed. Xixiaocha once deeply cultivated six cities in the Pearl River Delta and opened 22 stores, focusing on affordable drinks priced from 8 to 16 yuan. Before closing, most stores were still profitable. At the same time, Heytea's main brand has continuously lowered prices since the beginning of this year, announcing that it will no longer launch products priced above 29 yuan, and all new products will be priced no higher than 20 yuan. The product positioning and price ranges of the two brands are increasingly overlapping. The last update on Xixiaocha's official WeChat public account remained on July 20, 2022, and its mini-program can no longer be searched. Heytea has not yet responded. This article reviews the rise and fall of Xixiaocha and analyzes its connection with the strategic adjustments of the main brand. [more…]

Coffee beans are not more aromatic the closer they are to the roast date. Freshly roasted beans contain more carbon dioxide, which can cause uneven water penetration in the puck when pulling espresso; the crema may look thick and rich, but the sip feels loose and disconnected. After resting for a period, the gas is slowly released, and notes of nuts, cocoa, or caramel only then become coherent. When selecting commercial beans, take the roast date into account [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…]

Recently, Mstand's first store location at Wushang Mall in Wuhan was replaced by Yulian Teahouse, and its Guanggu Dayang store has also withdrawn, drawing attention. Not only in Wuhan, but some stores in Hangzhou, Nanjing, and other places have also suspended operations. Netizens hotly discussed its high prices and products lacking memorability, and the adjustment to its membership system made longtime users feel betrayed. In recent years, the brand has focused more on peripheral products, with insufficient coffee innovation, and sales at some stores have declined, ultimately leading to withdrawal from commercial districts due to rent and operational pressure. Is Mstand's store closure phenomenon inevitable? This article sorts through store changes and consumer feedback to explore the challenges the brand faces. [more…]

Beijing's Qianmen Street, an old thoroughfare carrying centuries of commercial heritage and memories of the imperial city, has now welcomed a new face—Heytea's teahouse has officially opened here. The opening promotion is quite generous: buy-one-get-one-free on a series of products for the first three days, with multiple rounds of benefits to follow. Interestingly, Starbucks opened its Reserve store at 1-1 Qianmen Street back in 2018. One champions a mix of modern minimalism and Chinese nostalgia, while the other holds fast to an antique Beijing flavor. As the two beverage giants meet head-on at the foot of the imperial city walls, what kind of sparks will fly? Can the collision between new-style tea drinks and coffee culture inject a different kind of vitality into this historic old street? [more…]

Many new shop owners only look at the price per kilogram when calculating bean costs, but they never factor in the cost of a supply cut-off. On a certain Sunday afternoon, the beans in the grinder ran out, the warehouse was empty, and what would they use to serve drinks during the next morning rush? Choosing commercial beans is half about flavor and half about supply. Flavor can be selected through tasting, but supply, however, [more…]

If you search for "espresso blends" on Taobao and sort by sales, you'll find that the beans on the list are surprisingly consistent in style—dark roasted, bold, and suitable for lattes. This shows that most people buying espresso beans aren't after a unique fruity acidity, but rather a stable, delicious milk coffee every morning. But the soul of espresso lies in the crema, and the key to crema is freshness. Many bestselling products, due to inventory turnover issues, may arrive already half a month or even a month past their roast date, with little crema left. This article uses "suitable for milk coffee" as its baseline standard and adds "freshness" as a hardcore metric, re-compiling the Top 10 espresso blends more worth buying in 2026, covering brands like Front Street Coffee, Captain George, Sinloy, Manner, Luckin, Peet's, and Blue Bottle, to help you find the one that suits you best. [more…]

ChaPanda's new store at Konkuk University Station in Seoul, South Korea, recently officially opened its doors to customers. This is the brand's second store in the greater Seoul area, following its first store in Gangnam District earlier this year. At the same time, ChaPanda's stock price has performed impressively recently, with cumulative gains of nearly 70% over the past six trading days. From choosing South Korea as its first overseas destination, to launching Korea-exclusive products, to local consumers accounting for more than 80%, ChaPanda is validating its store model in the East Asian market through a differentiated strategy. This article will review ChaPanda's expansion path in South Korea, its product strategy, and the latest developments in the capital market. [more…]

Having been active on television screens for over twenty years, the health supplement brand Naobaijin has officially extended its reach into the coffee sector. Its first coffee shop opened on November 7 in Songjiang District, Shanghai, under the youthful sub-brand "Naobaijin+Café." The store not only continues the brand's signature blue visual identity and classic IP image, but also offers coffee, tea drinks, smoothies, and other beverage categories at affordable prices. In recent years, giants across various industries have ventured into the coffee business, from China Post to Li-Ning, Huawei, and NIO—coffee has become a popular choice for cross-industry expansion. Is Naobaijin's entry a path to rejuvenate its brand, or can it carve out a share in the fiercely competitive coffee market? This article will outline the features of Naobaijin's coffee shop and the industry trends in cross-industry coffee ventures. [more…]