Over the past year, food safety incidents in the milk tea industry have emerged one after another, with multiple well-known chain brands exposed for hygiene hazards, and consumer trust in new-style tea drinks has continued to decline. Amid a wave of skepticism, Heytea chose to proactively publish its November food safety action report, detailing the self-inspection results of stores nationwide, including the specific problems at 8 stores and their rectification, while also showcasing routine management measures such as disinfection and water/ice testing. Can this unconventional transparency set a new benchmark for the industry? This article will walk you through all the details of Heytea's report and explore its impact on consumer confidence. [more…]

Recently, a Heytea store in Xi'an Joy City was exposed by consumers for poor hygiene conditions in its preparation area, quickly sparking heated discussion online. According to the whistleblower, the store's counter, refrigerators, juicers, and other equipment were covered in milk tea stains, materials were scattered around, and there was even a strong smell of sour rags and rotten fruit. Upon verification, the store was a directly operated location rather than a franchise, which further raised public doubts about Heytea's food safety management. Heytea later issued an apology and announced that the store would be closed for rectification, while also strengthening employee training and optimizing operational standards. This incident has once again pushed the issue of hygiene control in chain tea beverage brands into the spotlight and serves as a reminder for consumers to pay attention to the transparency of beverage preparation environments. [more…]

Recently, a consumer in Beijing exposed on social media that the Tims coffee outlet in Wangjing had bagels meant for sale piled directly on the floor, with the store environment in disarray, sparking widespread attention. Multiple netizens followed up in discussion, with some questioning the brand's hygiene management and others offering rational analysis of the differences between individual stores and the overall standard. The person in charge of the Tims store subsequently responded, saying that the items had been accidentally spilled and that staff had been too shorthanded at the time to clean up promptly, and promised to strengthen staffing and optimize the procurement process. The original poster later updated that they had received a proactive apology from the brand, a refund, and feedback on corrective measures. The incident reflects the quality control and operational management challenges that chain coffee brands face amid rapid expansion. [more…]

Recently, news about a whole plastic bag being found in a Molly Tea drink sparked heated discussion on social media. On March 22, a consumer in Shanghai pulled a large transparent plastic bag out of the cup while drinking the brand’s beverage, and the bag still had a brand label attached. The incident quickly trended on Weibo, with netizens questioning the tea beverage brand’s food safety management. The consumer later received 1,000 yuan in compensation, and the store involved was unable to provide complete operation footage because its monitoring equipment did not meet requirements. On March 23, Molly Tea officially issued an apology, admitting there had been negligence in its operating procedures and ordering the store to close for rectification. [more…]

At noon on August 17, a violent conflict broke out between staff and customers at a Heytea franchise store in a Wanda Plaza in Luoyang, Henan. The two sides exchanged insults and threw items from the counter, leaving the scene in chaos. The incident quickly trended on Weibo, drawing widespread attention. After the incident, the store closed early for rectification, and the two parties involved reached a settlement. The next day, Heytea's official ordering mini-program showed the store as being in "temporary closure" mode, and the brand's customer service declined to comment on the reason for the closure. This article sorts through the course of the incident, witness accounts, and responses from all sides to present the full picture of the conflict. [more…]

As Shanghai gradually resumes production and daily life, being able to get a cup of takeout coffee right at one's doorstep has become a small blessing for many. However, MANNER Coffee's store on Wujiang Road in Shanghai was found in a surprise inspection by market regulators to have problems including substandard environmental hygiene and non-compliant food storage, and was placed under investigation on May 23, quickly sparking heated discussion online. On May 24, MANNER's official Weibo account issued an apology statement, admitting that during the supply-guarantee delivery period there were oversights such as non-standard use of raw milk and failure to promptly clean the backing paper of food-safety seals, and stating that the store involved had immediately suspended operations for rectification. But this apology was questioned by some consumers and industry experts as evading the key issues and failing to directly address core hazards such as floor grime potentially contaminating food. As the pioneer of the domestic boutique coffee shop model, MANNER is facing a dual test of quality and food safety on a coffee track now crowded with cross-industry giants. [more…]

Luckin Coffee is known for its fast order fulfillment, but recently customers have complained that employees scan codes to mark orders as ready in advance, before the drinks are actually completed. In response, Luckin's headquarters has begun strictly cracking down on such violations. Once auditors discover early order fulfillment, the store will directly have 100 baseline points deducted, causing the performance of all staff to suffer and requiring the store to close for rectification. Faced with the new policy, employees are caught in a dilemma: fulfilling orders early may lead to heavy penalties, while not doing so causes the on-time fulfillment rate to drop noticeably. In understaffed stores, baristas are forced to make a difficult choice between "performance point deductions" and "ugly data," and work pressure has surged. This article compiles feedback from employees in various regions to present the real store ecosystem under Luckin's new rules. [more…]

Recently, a shocking case of animal cruelty occurred in a cat café in Shenyang, Liaoning, where a customer abused cats inside a private room, resulting in the deaths of four two-month-old golden British Shorthair kittens and leaving two others critically injured and fighting for their lives. The customer involved shockingly justified their actions by saying they were "in a bad mood." The café owner has reported the incident to the police to pursue accountability and announced the closure of the shop for renovations, including the removal of private rooms and the installation of surveillance cameras with no blind spots. Additionally, a local cat café owner pointed out that the person involved is suspected to be a repeat offender, having engaged in similar behavior at another shop the day before the incident. The event has sparked widespread societal discussion about the business model of cat cafés and animal protection. [more…]

Recently, a video of a Chagee employee handling tea drinks with bare hands spread rapidly online, sparking widespread public concern about food safety issues at chain tea beverage brands. In the video, the employee, without wearing gloves, directly grabbed ice cubes and lemons and reached into a shaker cup to pound and stir the drink, prompting netizens to exclaim they were "disgusted." Although the poster explained that the footage was filmed after closing hours using damaged inventory to mimic the "Indian milk tea" meme, public opinion did not subside. Subsequently, netizens discovered that employees of several other brands, including Luckin Coffee, Yidian Dian, and Goodme, had also posted similar meme videos. Chagee officially issued an urgent investigation notice, imposing an indefinite suspension and rectification on the store involved, dismissing the employee involved, and demoting managerial personnel. This article will review the sequence of events and responses from all parties, and explore the boundary between food safety and entertainment-oriented marketing in the tea beverage industry. [more…]

Lu Jin, co-founder and CEO of Luckin Coffee, revealed at the 2025 Xiamen Entrepreneurs Day conference that the company is actively working to return to the main board of the US stock market under the guidance of the Xiamen Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government. This chain coffee brand, which listed on Nasdaq in 2019 and was forced to delist in 2020 due to financial fraud, has undergone five years of comprehensive restructuring. Today, its store count has surpassed 20,000, overtaking Starbucks China, with a market value of approximately US$10.9 billion. In July this year, Luckin opened two stores in New York, sparking market speculation about its return to the United States. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that its largest shareholder, Centurium Capital, is considering bidding for the British brand COSTA, a move seen as helping to bolster Luckin's globalization narrative. [more…]

Recently, a chain brand named "People's Coffee" has sparked widespread controversy over the use of its store logo. Media pointed out that there are discrepancies between its trademark registration and actual use, which may mislead the public and damage the public value of the word "People." Subsequently, the brand "Yaochao People's Coffee" issued a statement of apology, promising comprehensive rectification, and unifying all mainland China stores under the name "Yaochao People's Coffee." Meanwhile, the first nationwide store, the Shanghai Sihang Warehouse branch, has suspended operations, and the Beijing Qianmen branch has also changed its signage and lowered drink prices. The incident continues to escalate, triggering in-depth public discussion on business ethics and legal compliance. [more…]

The decor of a coffee shop is often an important factor in attracting young consumers, and many community-oriented stores have also adopted influencer-style designs to cater to the market. However, when the appearance of a storefront conflicts with the overall style of the neighborhood it is located in, contradictions arise. A coffee shop near the Big Wild Goose Pagoda scenic area in Xi'an was asked by the urban management department to make rectifications just over ten days after opening because the color of its facade was incompatible with the surrounding Tang-style architecture. In the end, it chose to permanently close due to failure to reach an agreement. The incident sparked heated discussion among netizens: some believed that urban management should not be uniform, while others felt that areas around scenic spots should comply with unified planning. This article will recount the course of the incident and compare it with the successful case of Starbucks in Qingguo Lane, Changzhou, to explore how coffee shops and historic districts can coexist harmoniously. [more…]

Recently, a video of multiple rats running along pipes inside a Mixue Bingcheng store in Zhengzhou went viral online, sparking consumer concerns about hygiene conditions at tea beverage shops. Store employees responded that due to the surrounding dining environment, rats are difficult to completely eliminate, but they had handled the situation according to company standards and undergo monthly spot checks. After the incident gained traction, the store in question publicly apologized, admitting to shortcomings in their work. The store has now been closed and professional agencies have been contacted for comprehensive pest control and rectification. The Zhengzhou Municipal Market Supervision Administration also stated it would intervene with inspections and handle any violations according to law. This controversy has once again brought the issue of pest and rodent control at chain restaurants to the forefront. [more…]

Recently, a woman discovered curly hair attached to a lychee at the bottom of her cup after drinking milk tea, sparking concern. The store involved responded that the lychee tea uses a lidded rather than sealed packaging, the source of the hair is currently unclear, and it is willing to pay ten times compensation and accept investigation, but the individual refused compensation and demanded the store be shut down for rectification. Meanwhile, hygiene problems in the tea beverage industry occur frequently: a Nayuki Tea store was exposed for cockroaches crawling everywhere and rotting fruit, and cockroaches appeared on the counter at Yihetang. Food hygiene and safety concern consumer health, and whether a well-known brand or an ordinary store, production processes should be strictly controlled and safety systems implemented. [more…]

Recently, a video of a Mixue Bingcheng employee washing his feet in a sink inside the store spread rapidly online, drawing widespread attention. In the video, a man in a black work uniform is rinsing his feet in a sink behind the counter, with milk tea buckets and operating tools placed nearby, a scene that is shocking. Mixue Bingcheng later responded that the employee had scalded his foot at work and used cold water as an emergency treatment, and that the store involved had been ordered to close for disinfection and carry out rectification training. However, some netizens questioned the official explanation, saying the man's movements were calm and did not look like someone who had been scalded. The incident continued to escalate, and food safety and hygiene issues once again became the focus of public opinion. [more…]

On March 16, Heytea trended on Weibo for using WanDianZhang facial recognition cameras. Previously, CCTV's 315 Gala exposed over 20 well-known brands, including Heytea, Kohler, and BMW, for illegally collecting facial information through WanDianZhang cameras without consumers' knowledge. Heytea responded that the cameras are only for security and will never illegally collect facial data. WanDianZhang stated that the platform's facial data volume has reached hundreds of millions and is drafting an announcement to explain its business scope and rectification measures. This incident has once again sparked public concern over the abuse of facial recognition technology and personal privacy security. [more…]

Recently, a consumer posted a video on social media claiming to have found a foreign object resembling a cockroach in a Luckin Coffee beverage, sparking widespread attention. The consumer said they drank it several hours after picking it up, and upon discovering the foreign object immediately filmed a video and contacted the store and headquarters to complain, demanding an investigation into the store's hygiene conditions and its suspension for rectification. Luckin responded that it was handling the matter but did not provide surveillance evidence, and the two sides each stick to their own account regarding the origin of the foreign object and who is responsible. The consumer has now filed a complaint with 12315, and the incident is still escalating. [more…]

Besides ensuring food safety, what other unexpected risks might be lurking in coffee shops? Recently, a man in Changsha hit his head on a low-hanging crystal chandelier as he stood up in a MAAN COFFEE, bleeding on the spot and requiring medical treatment, which sparked a compensation dispute. The shop first promised to go through insurance but then reneged, offering only 1,000 yuan in compensation. After negotiation, the amount was finally raised to 2,000 yuan, along with a promise to make rectifications. A lawyer pointed out that the store bears liability for installing the chandelier in a non-compliant manner, while the consumer also bears partial responsibility for failing to exercise due safety precautions. This article recounts the incident and analyzes the relevant legal liabilities. [more…]

Recently, a notice in Yanjiao, Sanhe, Hebei regarding the color rectification of merchant signs has drawn attention. The local urban management department verbally notified merchants that red, blue, and black storefront signs must be changed to other colors, and the costs of removal and replacement must be borne by the merchants themselves. Signboards of brand stores such as Mixue Bingcheng were forced to change to green or gray-black, and the incident quickly topped Weibo's trending searches. The Sanhe City Urban Management Bureau responded that this move was one step ahead in accordance with urban planning, but the relevant documents had not yet been issued. The similar phenomenon of "unified store signs" is not an isolated case, and this time targeting only common basic commercial color schemes not only lacks sufficient justification but also weakens brand recognition, sparking widespread controversy. [more…]

A customer noticed that a packing employee was wearing nail art while picking up an order at Cotti Coffee, considered this a food safety hazard, and subsequently complained to the brand. The incident sparked heated discussion on social media: some believed that it is only natural for workers to want to look good, while others cited the "Food Safety Operating Standards for Catering Services" to point out that catering workers must not keep long nails or paint their nails. Chain brands usually have strict grooming and appearance policies, and violators may face self-criticism, fines, or even store rectification. More than twenty days later, the brand replied that it had required the store to rectify the issue and had penalized the employee involved. Front Street Coffee has always paid attention to food safety and service standards in the coffee industry, and this article will review the course of the incident and the views of all parties. [more…]