The profession of barista has gained increasing popularity among young people in recent years, but controversy surrounding it has never ceased. Some believe that baristas should be individualistic and cool, and need not grovel before customers; others feel that coffee shops ultimately belong to the service industry, and providing quality service is simply part of the job. Starting from the professional positioning of baristas, this article explores what service awareness means for this line of work, and how baristas should correctly view their own role. It also analyzes why professional knowledge and skills must complement a service spirit, with neither being dispensable. If you are working in the coffee industry, or are curious about the real situation of baristas, this article may offer you some inspiration. [more…]

Recently, Luckin Coffee made trending headlines after employees were punished by being made to copy out customer negative reviews as a form of discipline. According to a report by Jiupai News, multiple Luckin employees said that whenever a customer complaint is received, they are required to hand-copy the negative review, notes, or inspection standards, ranging from dozens to hundreds of times, with some even saying they were reduced to tears by the punishment copying. Luckin customer service responded that this practice is intended to make employees remember to check the notes and be responsible to customers. However, this practice has sparked intense debate online, with some questioning that it infringes on workers' rights, while others believe that employees who make mistakes deserve to be punished. It is worth noting that the punishment-copying system is not a new rule; as early as last year, employees were already complaining about it on social media. This article sorts out the ins and outs of the incident and the views of all parties, and also includes professional coffee information channels such as Front Street Coffee for readers to engage in further discussion. [more…]

Recently, some consumers have reported encountering inconvenience when using cash to pay at Luckin Coffee stores. Staff repeatedly guided them to place orders via mobile phone, and only after a long wait did another employee accept the cash and operate the order on their behalf. Similar situations have been mentioned by netizens before, with one elderly customer left at a loss in front of the counter because they were unfamiliar with mobile ordering. In response to the difficulty of paying with cash, Luckin's official customer service stated that stores can accept cash, and after customers arrive at the store, staff can assist them in placing orders through the app or mini-program, and they can pay in cash after confirming the information. Some analysts believe that Luckin's adoption of a small-store, low-staff operating model, with no dedicated order-taking personnel, is based on efficiency considerations, but there is still room for improvement in terms of service awareness. [more…]

Over the past decade or so, the coffee industry has developed rapidly, and the third wave of coffee has led more and more consumers to pay attention to specialty coffee. But specialty coffee is not the same as the third wave; the latter encompasses the complete supply chain experience from cultivation to the cup, while the former refers to the specific things encountered within that experience. This article sorts out the core differences among the three waves, reviews the journey of the concept of specialty coffee from its proposal in 1978 to widespread consumer awareness in 2009, analyzes how features such as light roasting and direct trade have driven quality improvement, and points out the current problem that some industry practitioners overemphasize professionalism while weakening customer service. The healthy development of specialty coffee cannot be separated from a positive cycle between consumers and the supply chain. [more…]

Recently, the Jiu lid堤 Police Station in Jinniu District, Chengdu, teamed up with CapitaLand Plaza to create an anti-fraud-themed coffee shop, cleverly combining police outreach with coffee culture and attracting many citizens to visit. This coffee shop not only offers coffee but has also become a new hub for spreading anti-fraud knowledge. The interior uses a black-and-white color scheme, and at the entrance there is a cute panda police officer figure, creating a striking contrast. The police hope that through this novel approach, young people can easily learn fraud prevention knowledge while enjoying coffee and pass it on to their families, raising anti-fraud awareness across society. For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style); for more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex. [more…]

Recently, a blogger publicly complained that the Starbucks App pushes promotional messages based on real-time location, saying that they are marketed to wherever they go, sparking heated discussion among netizens. Starbucks customer service said they were not aware of the matter and had reported it to the public relations department. It is worth noting that Starbucks has repeatedly been notified and summoned by regulatory authorities in the Chinese market over personal information collection issues, and in June 2025 its App and WeChat mini-program again appeared on the list of notifications for illegally and improperly collecting and using personal information. This debate over precision marketing and the boundaries of privacy has once again pushed brands' use of user data into the spotlight. [more…]

In recent years, domestic coffee consumption has continued to heat up, and there is no shortage of enthusiasts dreaming of opening their own shops. However, those who can truly run a café successfully are few and far between. Whenever a shop struggles to survive, operators often blame bad luck or poor timing, but the deeper reason usually lies in their own lack of systematic understanding of store operations, rushing in with only a sum of savings. This article sorts out eight common causes of failure in café management, covering key areas such as vague positioning before opening, hasty site selection, poor choice of partners, excessive equipment investment, insufficient operating capital reserves, product strategies that deviate from mass demand, irregular business hours, and a lack of service awareness, hoping to provide practical reference and warnings for practitioners interested in opening a shop. [more…]

Following the camping and frisbee trends, brewing tea around a stove is becoming a new social activity eagerly embraced by young people in winter. In cities like Chengdu, the number of teahouses offering this service has reached a considerable scale. Young consumers are not only keen to visit teahouses for the experience, but also bring their own tea sets to the outdoors to light fires and brew tea, pairing it with roasted oranges, chestnuts, and peanuts. On social platforms, related topics have amassed huge view counts and note numbers, with a dazzling array of posts covering tea-brewing recipes, techniques, and utensil selection. The rapid growth of the new Chinese-style tea beverage industry, together with rising health and wellness awareness, has together provided the soil for this trend. Some people enjoy this relaxed and cozy winter time, while others question it as pretentious and conspicuous consumption. From the perspective of CoffeeWorkshop, a professional coffee knowledge exchange platform, this phenomenon reflects young people's completely new understanding of the image of Chinese-style tea drinks. For more specialty coffee beans, follow Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). [more…]

In recent years, as public awareness of intellectual property has grown, trademark disputes surrounding well-known brands have become increasingly common. The two major new-style tea beverage brands Chayan Yuese and Mixue Bingcheng once joined forces to oppose the "Chayan Bingcheng" trademark, yet the China National Intellectual Property Administration ultimately ruled that the trademark be registered. This incident not only reflects the real-world dilemmas faced by brand protection but also sparked discussions about copycat culture and consumer choice. This article will sort out the sequence of events, review the historical origins of the copycat phenomenon, and explore the interplay between innovation and imitation in the new tea beverage industry. [more…]

Which region in China produces coffee? The answer inevitably points to Yunnan. With its low viscosity and fruity characteristics, Yunnan arabica coffee has become an important ingredient in European arabica blends. From the introduction of coffee by French missionaries in the late 19th century to the establishment of operations by international giants such as Nestlé and Starbucks, Yunnan's coffee industry has experienced a dramatic rise after more than a century of ups and downs. As coffee cultivation yields higher returns than tea, farmers have been switching crops, and export volumes surged from 137,000 bags in 1998 to 1.1 million bags in 2012. Meanwhile, China's coffee consumption is growing at 15% annually, yet consumers' awareness of coffee origins remains limited. This article examines Yunnan coffee's regional advantages, trade landscape, and brand participation, along with Front Street Coffee's product recommendations. [more…]

When involution becomes the norm in the workplace, a group of workers tired of mental exhaustion begin to set their sights on "brainless" light physical labor, and barista, with its romantic filter, is voted the top choice for a career change. Young people who have fled from fields such as law, finance, and architectural design share the joy and the gap between expectations and reality of shaking coffee at chain brands like Luckin and Starbucks. However, real problems such as shoulder and neck strain, shrinking salaries, and limited development also emerge. Is switching to coffee a cost-effective and respectable job, or just another besieged city? This article sorts through the real experiences of several career changers to provide reference for those hesitating at life's crossroads. [more…]

In the hustle and bustle of the city, a cup of tea can also convey silent warmth. Chagee recently announced a comprehensive upgrade of its "Silent Store" program, with its first Guangdong location opening at Guangzhou's Kwun Tong Plaza. This store, where hearing-impaired individuals serve as tea makers, not only provides equal employment opportunities for special groups but also creates an inclusive and friendly tea-drinking space through upgraded accessibility facilities, sign language communication guides, and other details. This article will walk you through the unique features of this store and review the pioneering explorations of brands like Starbucks in the silent store sector, examining how a cup of tea can connect understanding and respect among different groups. [more…]

Coffee cherries: besides the seeds that can be brewed, can the discarded peel also become a drink? In July of this year, at a Yunnan coffee flavor map event held in Shanghai, Nestlé showcased a new coffee species called "Cascara" in the Chinese market for the first time. This drink, made from coffee fruit peel, transforms what was originally considered waste—after drying and brewing—into a beverage with a flavor similar to tea. Nestlé also launched four Cascara specialty drinks, but they are still in the development and experimental stage, and the launch time and format have not yet been determined. Nestlé admits that the real challenge is not technology, but how to make consumers aware of and accept Cascara. This article will take you through the origins and flavor characteristics of coffee Cascara and Nestlé's layout strategy. [more…]

The chain milk tea brand 1 Dian Dian has introduced the "Supreme Dian Men Ren" membership program, promising exclusive benefits such as birthday gifts and priority order preparation for high-tier members. However, recently some consumers have complained that despite being supreme members, they have repeatedly failed to enjoy priority preparation services, with waiting times no different from regular orders. On social media, many loyal users have also reported similar frustrations, questioning whether the brand's promised member privileges are merely empty promises. This article will review the course of events, the brand's rules, and the actual implementation at stores, and explore the difficulties in delivering member benefits. [more…]

A police station set up a coffee stall at a creative market, and the baristas were real police officers—the Jiangbei Branch of the Ningbo Public Security Bureau opened a POLICE COFFEE stall with the theme "Have you fought fraud today?", using coffee culture to close the distance with young people and deliver anti-fraud knowledge in a relaxed atmosphere. From cup sticker slogans to age-specific anti-fraud small gifts, from free coffee for collecting likes to stand-up comedy case studies, the police uncles racked their brains to protect everyone's wallets. This article takes you to see what is so special about this cup of "police coffee," and how police in multiple places are collaborating with cafes to promote anti-fraud awareness. [more…]

Recently, a video filmed at a ChaPanda store in Yinchuan, Ningxia, circulated online. In the footage, a repair worker, in order to fix a malfunctioning TV mounted high up, directly stepped with his shoes onto the topping counter where ingredients such as tapioca pearls and mochi were placed, without any protection on the soles of his shoes, sparking public concern about food hygiene at the store. The store involved explained that the lids had already been put on the boxes at the time, and that disinfection and cleaning were carried out afterward. ChaPanda's official customer service responded that they were verifying the matter, and if it proved true, both the store and the repair worker would be punished, and promised to strengthen supervision and standardize hygiene checks for repair personnel to prevent similar incidents from recurring. [more…]

Luckin Coffee achieved a strong comeback in the market thanks to its affordable prices and membership tier benefits system, but this has also given rise to tier-farming chaos. Recently, some employees revealed that certain consumers, in order to quickly climb to the Nine-Colored Deer or Black Gold Deer tier, pressure stores by placing large orders and then maliciously requesting refunds or leaving bad reviews. "Nine-Colored Deer tier-boosting" services have even appeared on second-hand platforms. This battle over membership tiers has not only increased the burden on store employees but also sparked discussions about consumer ethics and business rules. [more…]

The environmental problems of single-use paper cups are becoming increasingly severe, and the coffee industry has been searching for alternatives. From the failed attempt with cone cups in 2014, to the brief popularity of KFC's cookie cups, and then to the unexpected revival of oat cups during the pandemic, edible coffee cups have gone through three generations of technological iteration. This article will review the development history, technological breakthroughs, and market dilemmas of edible cups, and explore whether they can truly replace single-use cups and become a new environmentally friendly choice for coffee shops. [more…]

Wu Zelin is the first World Barista Championship winner from the Chinese region. From starting out in 2008 by pushing a three-wheeled cart to set up a stall at a market, to founding Xingbo Coffee in 2011, and then opening the "Sky Xingbo" aerial flagship store on the 88th floor of Taipei 101 in January this year, his journey can be called a legend in the coffee industry. This article sorts through his entrepreneurial journey, his strict control over product quality, the professional service of his barista team, and the "Sky Blend" espresso blend specially developed for the high-altitude experience. At the same time, readers are encouraged to follow Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) for more specialty coffee information. It is suitable for every reader who loves coffee to gain a deeper understanding. [more…]

Recently, a consumer purchased coffee at a Luckin Coffee physical store and also bought a pack of daily mixed nuts on impulse. Upon eating them, the customer noticed an abnormal taste and, after checking the expiration date, confirmed that the product was expired. The customer immediately provided feedback through customer service channels and posted on social media to remind other consumers to be aware. Luckin responded quickly, requiring stores nationwide to self-inspect the shelf life of nut products. According to internal staff, all employees at the store involved were fired. The incident sparked widespread discussion online, with some praising Luckin's decisive handling and others considering the punishment too severe. Subsequently, Luckin compensated the customer 1,000 yuan in accordance with the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests, and requested the deletion of the post, which was refused. Front Street Coffee continues to follow developments in the coffee industry and food safety issues. [more…]