Recently, a coffee shop in Kunming, Yunnan, became embroiled in an online controversy after refusing to let a pregnant woman use its restroom. The shop said the pregnant woman used the store's toilet twice without the staff's consent; when she was reminded the second time, an argument broke out between the two sides. The pregnant woman and a man accompanying her filmed a video and posted it online, and also left a negative review of the coffee shop on a third-party platform. The shop then publicly released surveillance footage to set the record straight, and the incident quickly sparked heated discussion among netizens. Some people understood the pregnant woman's inconvenience, but more believed that whether a business's restroom may be used should be decided by the shop, and that the pregnant woman going upstairs on her own posed safety risks. Behind this dispute is the dilemma coffee shops and other businesses face when passersby ask to "borrow the toilet." [more…]

Recently, news about a Luckin Coffee store manager who had an emotional dispute with a 17-year-old part-time female employee, which ultimately led the girl to take medication and commit suicide, sparked heated discussion on social media. The girl's family knelt in front of the store to protest, claiming that the store manager used his position to deceive their underage daughter and is suspected of forcing her into a relationship that led to pregnancy, causing enormous psychological pressure on the girl. After investigation, police determined that the girl purchased the medication herself to commit suicide, that the case did not constitute a criminal case, and that it would not be filed. The judicial authorities organized two mediations, but the man said he was unable to pay compensation. After the incident was exposed, the store manager involved had resigned, and Luckin officially responded that it had not received any relevant notice. The truth of the incident and the attribution of responsibility still need to be further clarified. [more…]

Coffee is often labeled as a healthy drink, but the sugar problem in ready-to-drink coffee cannot be ignored. According to the British Mirror, Costa, a brand owned by Coca-Cola, has been quietly increasing the sugar content in its pre-packaged coffee, with some products seeing a one-third rise in sugar compared to 2019. Experts point out that this move runs counter to the sugar reduction initiative promoted by the UK government. Meanwhile, countries such as Singapore have introduced measures to restrict advertising for high-sugar drinks, and Chinese consumers have also begun to pay attention to sugar and sugar substitute options in milk tea and coffee. The health risks behind a sweet drink deserve the attention of every coffee lover. [more…]

Recently, a young woman entered a coffee shop with large luggage and occupied multiple tables and chairs to rest for as long as four hours without making any purchase. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to persuade her, the staff called the police. When the police arrived, the woman refused to cooperate and was eventually forcibly removed and taken to the hospital. The incident has sparked discussion about the operating order of coffee shops and customer codes of conduct. Front Street Coffee reminds everyone that civilized consumption is a basic obligation every customer should fulfill. [more…]

Recently, a conflict between a customer and staff occurred at a Starbucks store in Shenzhen. A woman, after being denied permission to take a coffee cup from the counter, suddenly lost control of her emotions, throwing cups and materials around the store, and even hurling cups and signs at the staff. Video of the scene quickly sparked discussion after spreading on social media. Some witnesses said the woman also kicked and damaged items at the entrance and insulted others in English and Cantonese, and was eventually taken away by police who responded to the call. Netizens hold differing views on store rules for managing consumables, how customers are communicated with, and the boundaries of behavior in public places. This article summarizes the course of the incident and voices from various sides, and includes some thoughts on the daily operations of coffee shops. [more…]

The Binglang incident has made milk tea consumers especially wary of ingredients such as non-dairy creamer and base milk, while 1 Dian Dian, having long used A2 milk to make its drinks, is seen as a breath of fresh air in the industry. Recently, however, many regular customers have noticed that stores no longer accept "remove the tea base" requests in the notes. Why was this thoughtful service, originally designed to accommodate caffeine-sensitive groups such as pregnant women and children, suddenly discontinued? Behind it lie milk consumption costs, store operating standards, and contractual constraints with suppliers. At the same time, consumers who are used to ordering a tea-base-free milk drink with toppings have also lost a cost-effective option. For those who easily suffer insomnia after drinking tea at night, whether an alternative exists has become their biggest concern. [more…]

Recently, a customer's complaint about Cha Yan Yue Se on social media sparked widespread discussion. The customer, because a pregnant friend was feeling unwell, went to a Cha Yan Yue Se store in a Changsha mall to ask for a cup of warm water, but was told that the store had no cups available and could not provide it. She then went upstairs to CHAGEE, where the staff immediately gave her a large cup of hot water. In this comparison, the poster's feelings about the service of the two brands were completely different. After the post was published, netizens' opinions split into two sides: some believed CHAGEE's service was more humane, while some local Hunan consumers defended Cha Yan Yue Se, pointing out that Cha Yan Yue Se stores keep free drinking water and customer cups available year-round for passersby to take on a self-service basis, and this time it may simply have been that the cups happened to run out. Cha Yan Yue Se employees also came forward to explain that the store has strict rules on the use of paper cups, and using takeaway cups to hold free hot water requires paying out of pocket. In this controversy, who is actually right and who is wrong? Has the additional service of tea beverage shops been taken for granted? Let us look at the full picture of the incident together. [more…]

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…]

Whether coffee can be consumed during pregnancy has long been a subject of debate. A team from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland published a Mendelian randomization study in the International Journal of Epidemiology, using genetic data to explore the causal relationship between coffee consumption during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, and low infant birth weight. The results suggest that, provided the body's condition allows it, moderate coffee consumption during pregnancy does not necessarily lead to adverse outcomes, but caffeine may still affect fetal development. This article will review the key findings of the study and offer practical advice on coffee consumption and caffeine intake during pregnancy, helping coffee lovers make safer choices. [more…]

Recently, news about a former employee of Chagee whose ID number was publicly displayed by a store quickly went viral online, sparking widespread attention. According to multiple netizens, a woman in Zhoukou, Henan, discovered after leaving the brand that her name and ID number had been posted on an in-store notice, along with a statement about dismissal and blacklisting. The store first claimed the notice was only to deal with a supervisory inspection, then changed its statement and said the identity information was forged. At present, the store manager involved has been suspended, and the brand has intervened in the investigation. The incident has also triggered public discussion about the legal boundaries of how companies handle employees' personal information. Does publicly displaying an ID number constitute infringement? This article will sort out the sequence of events. [more…]

Recently, several incidents involving middle-aged and elderly people playing phone videos out loud in coffee shops and sparking disputes have drawn attention. From Suzhou, Jiangsu to Hangzhou, Zhejiang, similar scenes have played out repeatedly: elderly individuals turn the video volume up to the maximum, disturbing nearby customers who are working, studying, or chatting; when staff and other patrons step forward to remind them, they are subjected to prolonged verbal abuse and even come close to physical altercations. This phenomenon reflects the conflict between middle-aged and elderly short-video users and the public's need for quiet, and it also puts coffee shops in a dilemma when trying to maintain order. Front Street Coffee reminds us that savoring coffee requires a quiet and comfortable environment; playing audio out loud in a civilized manner not only affects others but also ruins the atmosphere a café should have. [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…]

Recently, a video of a conflict that took place in a chain milk tea shop in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, spread widely on social media and sparked heated discussion among netizens. The video shows that a female customer, after a staff member accused her child of stealing milk tea, lost control of her emotions and committed violent acts against the staff member, including kicking, pulling her hair, and dragging her, and even got into a biting conflict with a security guard who came to stop her, while also holding a knife while waiting for the police. Behind the incident, was it really a child taking someone else's drink without permission, or was there another hidden story? Media outlets including The Paper and Dawan News followed up with reports one after another, and the shop involved and the local police station have intervened. This article will sort out the entire process of the incident, the responses from all parties, and the focal points of public discussion, to reconstruct this milk tea shop dispute that has attracted social attention. [more…]

A scald accident caused by a cup of hot coffee has once again ended in a massive payout. In 2021, a woman in her seventies in Atlanta, USA, suffered second- and third-degree burns when the lid came off as she collected her coffee at a Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru, and was eventually awarded $3 million. This case is strikingly similar to the McDonald's coffee scald case that caused a sensation in the 1990s, and it has also brought the issues of hot beverage temperature, cup lid safety, and employee training back into the public eye. As coffee lovers, we care about flavor, but we should not overlook the safety details behind every cup of hot coffee. Front Street Coffee has always advocated that professional production lies not only in taste, but also in responsibility to customers. [more…]

Coffee has become an indispensable daily beverage for many office workers, with some even drinking several cups a day to stay alert. However, a recent news story has drawn widespread attention: a 30-year-old woman in Changsha, Hunan Province, who drank up to 5 cups of coffee a day, was diagnosed with osteoporosis and suffered a collarbone fracture from a minor fall. This raises the question of whether caffeine really causes calcium loss and osteoporosis. This article will review the incident, expert opinions, and online discussions, and, drawing on scientific research, explore the relationship between coffee and bone health to help coffee lovers take a more rational view of their daily drinking habits. [more…]

Recently, an elderly woman in Nanjing became an overnight sensation on social media with her "hand-brewed coffee" priced at just ten yuan per cup, drawing many netizens to visit her shop specifically. Her storefront is small, but her method is remarkably simple—she takes out three sticks of Nescafé instant coffee, cuts them open and pours them into a plastic cup, adds hot water, seals and shakes it, and a cup of coffee is handed to the customer. After the video went viral, the elderly woman's business exploded, selling over two hundred cups a day, and even Nescafé's official livestream channel jumped on the trend by launching a "Nanjing Auntie's Same Style" product. The elderly woman candidly admitted that she has always sold Nescafé and would not cut corners just because more customers are coming. Meanwhile, similar low-priced drinks in the alleys of Guangdong have also gained popularity among students. These drinks with simple ingredients may not taste as good as specialty coffee, but they carry many people's fondest early memories of coffee. [more…]

Does drinking coffee make your skin darker? How long can coffee beans be stored after opening? Can pregnant women drink coffee? These questions seem simple, yet they often leave people uncertain. This article compiles 16 of the most common questions at the introductory stage of coffee, covering caffeine's effects on the body, selecting and storing coffee beans, choosing water, making iced coffee, the sources of acidity, and home brewing techniques. Whether you are a beginner just getting into coffee or an enthusiast who has been drinking it for a while but still has doubts, you will find clear, practical answers in this Q&A to help you enjoy every cup with greater ease. [more…]

Recently, a woman in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, was dissuaded by staff inside a Starbucks for bringing in a burger purchased next door, and the two sides got into a dispute. The incident quickly went viral online. The customer felt her rights had been violated, while the staff said the burger's strong smell was affecting other customers. Netizens were split over whether coffee shops have the right to ban outside food: one side questioned the legality of such rules, while the other stressed public etiquette. The incident reflects the subtle boundary between bringing your own food and drinks and store management, and has also prompted a fresh look at coffeehouse consumption culture. [more…]

Coffee is an indispensable daily beverage for many people, but there are also many considerations when drinking it. This article outlines ten important precautions for drinking coffee, including that consuming coffee and tea together can hinder iron absorption, that tannic acid affects calcium utilization, the risks of caffeine consumption for pregnant women, that people trying to lose weight should not drink too much, that children should avoid caffeine intake, and that caffeine may aggravate anxiety, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and other problems. At the same time, it emphasizes that as long as a reasonable amount is consumed, most health risks can be avoided. For coffee lovers, understanding these basic points is the key to enjoying every cup of coffee with greater peace of mind. [more…]

When drinking coffee at Starbucks, if a delivery rider who hasn't made a purchase is sitting nearby, would you mind? Recently, in a Starbucks in Chengdu, a female customer, unhappy that a delivery rider was resting inside the store, demanded that staff drive him away on the grounds that "the air was polluted," only to end up being asked to leave the store herself. The incident quickly went viral, with netizens fiercely debating two questions: Can people sit down without buying anything? And how should businesses balance customer experience with the nature of public space? Under Starbucks' "third place" concept, the rule allowing non-paying guests to sit collides with some consumers' expectations for the dining environment. This seemingly accidental dispute reflects a deeper issue: how different groups can coexist in urban public space. [more…]