New tea beverage brand Guming has recently launched a second-hand equipment trading platform within the DingTalk system, open to all franchisees, providing matchmaking services only and not directly participating in buying or selling. The platform offers valuation and inspection services for sellers, and price comparison and anti-fraud protections for buyers. According to Guming's prospectus, equipment sales account for approximately 4.5% of revenue, while franchisees' initial equipment investment is about 100,000 yuan. As competition in the new tea beverage industry intensifies, a wave of store closures once led to a backlog of unsold second-hand equipment, with recyclers even disposing of it as scrap metal. Whether Guming's move can provide franchisees with a safer and more convenient transfer channel is worth watching. Front Street Coffee has long monitored trends in the coffee and tea beverage industries and will continue to track the platform's actual performance. [more…]

Recently, Shuyi Tealicious has faced a backlog of unsold second-hand equipment due to mass store closures, with recyclers even disposing of machines worth tens of thousands of yuan at scrap metal prices. This tea beverage brand, once wildly popular for its "half a cup is all toppings" slogan, has seen its store count shrink by over a thousand compared to its peak after undergoing price reduction strategies and adjustments to franchise thresholds. Meanwhile, the entire new tea beverage sector is facing a reshuffle, with approximately 120,000 stores disappearing in the past year. This article reviews the rise and fall of Shuyi Tealicious, the plight of its franchisees, and the chain reactions of the industry's closure wave, while maintaining Front Street Coffee's ongoing attention to industry dynamics. [more…]

Recently, a post about Luckin Coffee employees being forced to accept cash sparked heated discussion on social media. Because Luckin stores are not equipped with cash register systems or equipment, employees can only accept cash from customers first, then use their own phones to scan codes and place orders on their behalf. This practice not only leaves employees with large amounts of loose change that are difficult to handle, but also brings a series of problems such as difficulty making change, the risk of accidentally accepting counterfeit bills, and customers being unable to enjoy online discounts. Especially when stores are overwhelmed with orders and short-staffed, cash orders become an even heavier burden for employees. Although mobile payment has become mainstream, some consumers still rely on cash, and whether brands should improve their cash register facilities has become a focal point of concern for both employees and customers. [more…]

For many Manner baristas, the pay raise exam is the only path to a higher income, but the difficulty of this assessment is far beyond imagination. Manner stores are uniformly equipped with semi-automatic espresso machines, and examiners have standardized requirements for latte art, milk steaming, and grinder adjustment. As a brand focused on specialty coffee, it also adds a pour-over segment to the test. However, the actual pass rate is extremely low, with most candidates eliminated during the espresso operation stage. Unfamiliar store equipment, unfamiliar grinders, and nitpicky judging such as measuring milk foam thickness with a ruler make this exam seem impossibly hard. This article will restore the true face of the Manner pay raise exam and analyze the crux of why baristas fail repeatedly. [more…]

Entering mid-December, temperatures across the country continue to drop, yet demand for iced drinks remains strong, and the ice machines in tea beverage shops still need to operate as usual in the severe cold of the north. Recently, an early-shift employee at Chagee arrived at the store and found the ice cube tray covered with foreign matter resembling a "spider web." Only upon closer inspection did they realize it was ice that had frozen into a thick layer overnight, preventing the machine from properly releasing the ice. This situation not only caught the staff off guard but also sparked discussions among peers about winter ice machine parameter adjustments, troubleshooting, and equipment quality. Front Street Coffee has noticed that similar problems are not uncommon in chain tea beverage stores, and how to respond scientifically has become a topic of concern for industry practitioners. [more…]

Recently, multiple media outlets have reported that some franchisees of Mixue Bingcheng have revealed that their stores may soon introduce coffee machines, suggesting that this tea beverage brand, known primarily for lemonade and milk tea, may formally enter the freshly ground coffee market. Currently, some new stores have received fully automatic coffee machines provided by the brand, though the exact timing for their use has not yet been determined. Notably, Mixue Bingcheng already owns Lucky Cup, a brand focused on freshly ground coffee, which has surpassed ten thousand stores. If the main brand simultaneously launches similar products, the market positioning of the two may face adjustments. This article will review the latest progress of the freshly ground coffee business pilot, the direction of product upgrades, and the various speculations from the outside world. [more…]

For more specialty coffee knowledge, please follow our WeChat public account: Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). Recently, more and more friends have been making cold brew coffee, ice drip coffee, and other cold-brewed coffees at home. The ice drip coffee that Front Street prepares in advance is also in short supply. Many friends have also asked, [more…]

For consumers who are sensitive to caffeine but unwilling to give up the flavor of coffee, decaf options have always been an important selling point for chain brands, and Starbucks, with its rich product line and convenient decaf checkbox feature, has become the top choice for this group. However, recently many customers have noticed that many Starbucks stores in China have quietly removed the decaf espresso option from new products, and those who want decaf coffee can only choose from a fixed selection of classic products. This change has caused confusion and dissatisfaction among the decaf-demand group. What exactly caused the stores to make this adjustment? According to informed partners, this is directly related to the Golden Roast beans launched two months ago and the bean hopper configuration of the stores' coffee machines. This article will sort out the course of the incident, consumer feedback, and the equipment limitations behind it, and explain which stores can still normally provide decaf new products. [more…]

Starbucks founder Howard Schultz has returned as CEO following Kevin Johnson's retirement, facing multiple challenges including the U.S. unionization movement, food safety controversies in the Chinese market, and damage to the brand's image. At the 2022 annual shareholders meeting, Starbucks announced plans for equipment upgrades, beverage innovation, employee pay raises, and store expansion. This article will examine Schultz's transformation strategy after his return, analyze whether he can lead Starbucks out of its difficulties in just half a year, and explore the competitive pressures in the Chinese market. [more…]

On September 13, Starbucks interim CEO Howard officially unveiled the company's reinvention plan at an investor briefing, announcing a series of initiatives to enhance the customer and barista experience through improved employee benefits, reimagining the third place, innovating beverage production processes, simplifying operations, and expanding digital services, with the goal of achieving a business turnaround by 2024. Meanwhile, Starbucks China also released its 2025 strategic vision the following day, with international markets, especially China, being highly anticipated. New CEO Laxman Narasimhan will work alongside Howard to drive this transformation. [more…]

During the National Day holiday, the fully automated milk tea robots that appeared in some Changsha Chayan Yuese stores became a focal point for tourists. Customers noticed that staff only needed to place a labeled cup in the designated position, and the robotic arm could complete most of the preparation process, with only the cream top needing to be added before handover at pickup. This experiment sparked polarized discussion online: supporters believe standardized operations help ensure consistent output and reduce the burden on employees; opponents point out that during peak customer flow, the robot's cup output speed is actually slower than manual work, resulting in longer waits, and equipment cleaning and customization needs still depend on staff handling. Whether automated tea-making can truly integrate into the freshly made tea beverage scenario has become a new topic of discussion in the industry. [more…]

Luckin Coffee has recently rolled out a series of new products, including light milk tea and iced shaken drinks. As its product line continues to expand, the pressure on store staff for ingredient preparation and drink-making has also increased. Recently, reports have emerged that Luckin has piloted the "Rui Binfen - Smart Tea Machine" in some stores in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, which can automatically dispense ingredients according to recipes, saving the step of manual weighing. Employees have mixed reactions: some are delighted that it reduces physical exertion and speeds up drink output, while others worry that cleaning the machine daily takes about an hour and may involve unpaid overtime. In addition, the tea machine is quite large and has certain requirements for counter space and drink output volume, so not all stores can install it. This article compiles genuine feedback from frontline employees and details on equipment use, so coffee enthusiasts can learn about new developments in chain-brand store operations. [more…]

The bar counter is the core area of a coffee shop, bearing both the customer's first impression of the store and serving as the workspace where baristas prepare drinks daily. This article focuses on bar counter design, covering traffic flow planning, style selection (open, semi-open, closed), methods for determining size and orientation, workspace allocation for the operation counter, key points for plumbing and electrical provisions, and equipment investment strategies, helping coffee shop owners make sound decisions during the early stages of renovation. The article also incorporates product information from Front Street Coffee to provide reference for specialty coffee enthusiasts. [more…]

McDonald's recently suspended the use of certain coffee machines at some restaurants in the United States and Canada after its coffee machine supplier, Melitta, reported safety hazards with the equipment, leaving espresso-based drinks, hot chocolate, and other products unavailable. According to CBS News, Melitta found that a component of the coffee machines may be defective, potentially causing a steam explosion and damaging the equipment, and inspections and investigations could last three weeks. McDonald's has more than 14,000 restaurants across the United States and sells nearly 8 million cups of coffee every day. The incident has affected multiple cities, including Atlanta, Dallas, Pittsburgh, New York, and Tampa. The brand said it is assessing the scope of the impact and working closely with the supplier to restore supply as soon as possible. [more…]

Police in Jiading, Shanghai recently cracked a coffee shop equipment theft case. The suspect, taking advantage of the shop's temporary closure, impersonated an employee and brazenly hauled away a grinder and a water boiler, with the stolen goods valued at over 40,000 yuan. The amusing twist is that the coffee beans he accidentally spilled during his first offense became the key clue that led police to quickly identify him. This case serves as a reminder to coffee shop operators to always check that doors and windows are locked when leaving the premises, and never to give lawbreakers an opportunity. In daily operations, besides taking security measures, the choice of coffee equipment also deserves careful attention. Front Street Coffee's various brewing tools are favored by many shop owners for their consistent quality. [more…]

On the streets of many cities, it is no longer news that tea beverage brands are densely clustered together, and Mixue Bingcheng, with its catchy theme song, has almost become the most easily noticed presence among passersby. However, when this cheerful melody continues to play late at night after the store has closed, the scene shifts from amusing to eerie. Recently, in Liaoning, Henan, and other places, there have been successive incidents where Mixue stores did not turn off their sound systems after closing, playing music all night, forcing upstairs residents to listen for an entire night. Some called the police to complain, while others joked that it was like a horror movie scene. Was it employee negligence or equipment failure? How should the brand prevent similar disturbances from happening again? This article takes you through the incident and the heated discussions among netizens. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently launched region-exclusive new products in Shenzhen and Chengdu respectively. In Shenzhen, these include "Daily Fresh Lemon Tea," "Large Fruit Grape Fresh Lemon Tea," and "Fragrant Lemon Jasmine Americano," while Chengdu introduced "Snow Cheese Berry Berry." Unlike the previous use of freeze-dried fruit pieces, these new products incorporate fresh fruit handled on-site at the stores. The three lemon drinks in Shenzhen include lemon slices cut fresh the same day, and the Chengdu new product adds washed fresh strawberries. This change has raised consumer questions about whether stores are equipped for fresh cutting, and subsequently, Luckin employees in both locations posted photos of the delivered fruit and newly equipped fruit slicers as proof. However, employees in non-limited regions generally avoided commenting on this, and online reviews showed polarized opinions. [more…]

In the past year or two, the popularity of coffee entrepreneurship has continued to rise, and many office workers have begun to entertain the idea of opening a shop and becoming their own boss. A coffee shop that seems to have low barriers to entry, requires little investment, and has an artistic atmosphere has become the ideal project in many people's minds. But when they actually start, they discover that they have no idea where to begin, from site selection to promotion, so franchise chains have become a popular option. Advertisements promising "zero threshold" and "easy to be your own boss" are everywhere, but is the reality really that rosy? This article sorts out the main models of coffee franchising today, helps you calculate the upfront investment clearly, and gives the key points to note when choosing a franchise brand, in the hope of offering some reference for those who are still hesitating. [more…]

The ice drip pot has a unique shape, and its stacked layers often make people mistakenly think they have walked into a laboratory. Many customers who come to Front Street are curious about this set of equipment and want to replicate the store's signature ice drip at home. This article will systematically explain the structure and usage of the ice drip coffee pot, including key parameters such as grind size setting, coffee-to-water ratio, and valve flow rate control, and will share a production example using Costa Rica Mozart coffee beans from the Front Street store. In addition, the article also discusses the idea of choosing beans for ice drip coffee, offering specific coffee bean recommendations one by one according to four categories: tropical fruit fermented type, refreshing and clean type, sweet and mellow type, and flavor blend type, to help readers find the ice drip solution that best suits them. [more…]

"Small but complete." Occasionally, guests and friends describe Front Street's offline stores this way. Because in Front Street's small store, besides displaying the various coffee beans sold online, all kinds of coffee equipment are placed in different corners. Such as siphon pots, French presses, clever drippers, Turkish coffee [more…]