In the coffee and tea beverage industry, "employee drinks" have long been one of the key perks attracting young people to join the trade. Recently, however, multiple employees of Heytea and Luckin Coffee have alleged that their stores have canceled or scaled back this benefit, citing declining performance. An investigation found that employee perks at directly operated stores are still intact for now, but workers at franchise and joint-venture stores are frequently seeing their benefits shrink. The employee drink perk promised by the brands is actually borne by franchisees, and some franchisees, in order to cut costs, either cancel the benefit or strictly tighten the conditions for using it. This phenomenon has drawn industry attention: when the pressure of store operations is passed down to frontline employees, who should foot the bill for employee benefits? Front Street Coffee keeps a close eye on developments in the coffee industry, and this article takes you through the ins and outs of this battle over benefits. [more…]

Recently, a Luckin Coffee employee posted on social media complaining that the company's store-closing procedures are too cumbersome, requiring staff to take photos and videos to document materials, which leads to almost daily overtime without overtime pay. Multiple employees followed up confirming similar experiences, pointing out that the strict photo-taking is for food safety and shelf-life management, but the high frequency and insufficient staffing have intensified dissatisfaction. In addition, timeliness assessments also stretch employees thin. These issues have long been ignored by the company, leading to soaring employee resentment, rising turnover rates, and increasingly serious chain problems such as store understaffing and inadequate training. Luckin Coffee now has over 13,000 stores, and employees are calling on the company to face up to its management loopholes. [more…]

Recently, multiple part-time employees at Manner have reported on social media that shifts they had originally selected were canceled by stores at the last minute before work on the grounds of sufficient staffing, and some even had this happen several times in a row. At the same time, some full-time employees have also revealed that stores adjust shifts at will according to how busy they are, arranging long continuous shifts when busy and cutting hours when quiet. Some analysts believe that because part-time hourly wages are higher than full-time ones but the work is more oriented toward packing and cleaning, stores may be more inclined to reduce part-time positions in order to control labor costs. As of now, Manner has not yet responded officially, and this series of scheduling chaos is chilling many young people who are interested in joining. [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…]

During the pandemic, Starbucks employees in the United States and South Korea, facing issues such as understaffing, a mismatch between wages and workload, and a lack of safety guarantees, increasingly chose to form or join unions in an attempt to improve their situation through collective bargaining. From the birth of the first union in Buffalo, New York, to responses from employees in Chicago and South Korea, the discontent among Starbucks partners continued to simmer. Although the company remained indifferent and was even accused of failing to provide adequate pandemic support, employees continued to seek channels to make their voices heard. This article will sort out the ins and outs of the Starbucks employee union movement, as well as the wage, treatment, and working environment issues reflected behind it. [more…]

Manner Coffee has won the favor of many consumers with its high cost-performance and thoughtful service. Bringing your own cup and ordering ahead via the mini-program have become daily choices for many office workers. However, recently, complaints about slow order fulfillment at Manner stores have been increasing. The completion times shown in the mini-program are severely inconsistent with actual wait times, and waits of twenty minutes or even an hour during peak hours are common. What dissatisfies consumers even more is that some stores are staffed by only one employee, who is overwhelmed when orders surge, causing customers and delivery riders to be stranded for long periods. Some netizens left bad reviews due to slow order fulfillment, but received a reply from the store saying that "the employee involved has been seriously dealt with," sparking widespread controversy. This article will sort out the course of the incident, netizens' views, and the actual situation of Manner employees, and explore how the brand can balance efficiency and employee care amid rapid expansion. [more…]

Recently, videos of physical conflicts between Manner Coffee employees and customers have been exposed one after another, sparking widespread social concern. One of the incidents occurred on May 22 at a store in a shopping mall, where a customer, after arguing with a barista over drink pickup, entered the bar area and assaulted the employee. After police mediation, the customer paid 1,000 yuan in compensation, but there were reports that the brand required the employee to return the compensation and apologize. Behind these successive conflicts are deeper issues exposed by Manner's rapid expansion, including insufficient staffing, excessive work intensity, and a mismatch between pay and effort. This article reviews the course of the incidents and the responses from various parties, and explores the contradiction between the coffee industry's rapid expansion and employee management. [more…]

Recently, coffee brand Seesaw was exposed for owing wages to about 75 employees in the Shanghai region, involving both store and back-office staff. Former employees reported that since late last year, wage payments have been irregular, and social security and housing fund contributions have also been suspended, while founder Wu Xiaomei has "read but not replied" to employees' demands. At the same time, Seesaw's nationwide store count has shrunk dramatically, with only 49 stores remaining, and some stores have closed due to material shortages and cut-off supplies of ingredients. This article reviews the course of the incident and the employees' experiences, and retains relevant recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently piloted a new scheduling system in cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chengdu. The system can predict peak hours based on store sales data and arrange minimal staffing accordingly. While the new system improves efficiency, it has also sparked discussions about the distribution of work between full-time and part-time employees, responses to unexpected situations, and labor cost control. At the same time, as Luckin's store expansion slows and sales decline, the problem of redundant staff is gradually emerging, and this system upgrade is seen as an important measure to reduce costs and increase efficiency. As coffee lovers, it is worth learning about the impact of this change on store operations and employee experience. [more…]

Closing cleaning in the food and beverage industry has always been a major burden for late-shift employees, and coffee and tea shops are no exception. Recently, some Chagee stores have begun outsourcing closing-time cleaning to third-party professional teams, allowing many employees to get off work on time and even saving on parts replacement costs thanks to thorough equipment cleaning. However, this measure does not benefit all stores: franchise stores need to pay an additional service fee to apply for outsourced staff, and outsourcing only covers daily cleaning, while regular maintenance is still handled by store employees. What worries workers even more is that some franchise store managers have said that if outsourced closing is introduced, they may consider reducing staffing to control costs. Convenience and risk coexist—can outsourced closing truly let employees relax once and for all? [more…]

Recently, a post about a part-time employee at a Nayuki store suffering workplace injustice sparked heated discussion on social media. The poster claimed to be a student who had worked part-time at a Nayuki store in Shenzhen for over two months but was only scheduled for four shifts, and for nearly a month had no shifts at all, before being dismissed without reason. During communication, a senior employee launched personal attacks against them, while the scheduling manager brushed them off citing efficiency. After the incident came to light, netizens spontaneously flooded the store with over two thousand negative reviews and swarmed Nayuki's official account to leave supportive comments. Coincidentally, another Nayuki employee in Xiantao, Hubei, also posted claiming to have been targeted by the store manager. These two consecutive incidents pushed Nayuki into the spotlight and prompted deeper industry reflection on store management and employee rights protection at chain tea beverage brands. [more…]

Recently, two intense disputes between staff and customers occurred at Manner Coffee stores in succession, drawing widespread attention. In one incident, due to slow service, an emotional staff member threw coffee powder at a customer, while another escalated into a physical conflict over order催促. The brand responded by dismissing the employees involved, but the issues reflected behind the incidents—such as understaffing at stores and excessive pressure on employees—have become the focus of discussion among netizens and loyal customers. As coffee enthusiasts, we can't help but ponder: while pursuing efficiency, how can we ensure service quality and employee rights? Front Street Coffee has always followed industry trends, advocating rational consumption and humanistic care. [more…]

Recently, a post about a Starbucks employee accidentally spilling coffee on a customer sparked heated discussion on social media. The poster said that while picking up their order, their newly bought white coat was stained by coffee knocked over by the employee, and the employee only apologized in a low voice before continuing to work, while the store manager said compensation was not possible and only suggested trying to clean it with alcohol. As the incident continued to escalate, many Starbucks employees revealed in the comments that company training already requires drinks to be placed on the counter for customers to pick up themselves, but in unexpected situations, staff should immediately apologize and take responsibility. As of press time, the person involved had still not received a formal reply from Starbucks. [more…]

Recently, a news story about a milk tea shop employee who replaced the store's payment collection channel with a personal payment QR code and pocketed the revenue has attracted widespread attention. The shop owner exposed in-store surveillance footage on social media, showing the employee presenting a personal payment code to customers while working alone and inducing consumers to scan it by claiming the "payment device was malfunctioning." The owner said the account discrepancies had persisted for a long time, but the employee did not stop. The store has now collected all surveillance evidence and is preparing to call the police. This incident not only exposed loopholes in the store's daily management but also once again sparked discussions in the food and beverage industry about payment security and employee integrity. [more…]

Recently, a rumor circulated online about a fierce conflict between a Mixue Bingcheng employee and the company's HR, involving multiple allegations such as being refused a late clock-in makeup, insulting HR staff, smashing up a store, canceling the cashier system, and even misappropriating public funds, which quickly sparked heated discussion among netizens. However, after verification by media outlets such as Red Star News and Southern Metropolis Daily, the rumor was confirmed to be false; the original blogger has deleted the related content, and the so-called involved store cannot be found on maps. This article sorts out the course of the incident and the responses from all parties, reconstructing the ins and outs of this online false alarm. [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 post about Mixue Bingcheng employees wearing cigarette-shaped decorations sparked heated discussion on social media. The poster pointed out that store employees had cigarette-shaped hair clips attached to the brims of their baseball caps, arguing that this makes smoking seem entertaining and normalizes it, and expressing concern about the negative impact on brand image and consumer perception. Some netizens speculated that this was just young staff members playing around, while other Mixue employees emphasized that the stores strictly prohibit smoking. However, most voices still held that employees wearing uniforms represent the company's image, and cigarette decorations easily raise hygiene concerns, especially potentially setting a bad example for underage customers. After the incident gained traction, a person believed to be the store manager and official customer service responded one after another, acknowledging the inappropriate behavior and stating that it had been rectified. Front Street Coffee continues to follow developments in the coffee and beverage industry, bringing you the latest report. [more…]

On his first day back as Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz announced a pause on the stock buyback program, redirecting funds toward employee benefits and store operations. Behind this decision is a wave of unionization among U.S. Starbucks partners, driven by intense workloads and stagnant benefits. So far, 10 stores have voted to form unions, and more than 170 stores have applied to join. Schultz admitted that the company had let employees down in addressing store operations issues, and plans to invest $1 billion in wages, training, and benefits. This article examines the context of this transformation initiative and its impact on Starbucks' future operations. [more…]

Working in a coffee shop—earning money while enjoying unlimited coffee—is one of the reasons many young people choose to become baristas. Luckin Coffee also once attracted numerous enthusiasts to join with its relaxed employee drink benefits: once they met the required working hours, they could enjoy drinks and even freely mix their own concoctions. Recently, however, this benefit has been gradually tightened: employees who do not make drinks according to the recipe receive surveillance warnings, and stores prohibit free mixing in order to control waste, leaving frontline staff grumbling. At the same time, a series of price increases and cost-cutting measures Luckin has implemented since last year's financial report was released have also sparked controversy among both consumers and employees. This article will sort out the ins and outs of the changes to Luckin's employee drink benefits, as well as the backlash against the cost-cutting and efficiency-boosting strategy behind them. [more…]

Recently, a former employee of a HEYTEA franchise store publicly shared on social media their experience of unfair employment treatment, quickly sparking heated discussion among netizens. The employee posted clock-in records and chat screenshots, pointing out that they had worked overtime for a long time without ever receiving overtime pay, but were instead deducted 700 yuan for being late, and the promised base salary did not match reality. More notably, the franchise store's autonomy in salary management made it difficult to protect employee rights, bringing the disparity in treatment between directly operated stores and franchise stores to the surface. This article summarizes the course of events and various viewpoints for reference by coffee industry practitioners. [more…]