Molly Tea's first Canadian store opened in Toronto at the end of last month, drawing an unprecedented queue on its opening day. However, just half a month into operation, the store was apparently vandalized, with a large hole smashed in its glass door and shattered glass strewn across the floor, while customers were told by staff that opening would be delayed. The incident sparked concern among fans, with speculation running rampant in the comments section that "Chahuanong did it," to which Chahuanong's official Canadian account responded with "???" Some netizens also suggested it could have been the work of a drunk person or a homeless individual, and some even floated theories based on the ambiguity of the English name "Molly." Two hours later, Molly Tea's official Canadian account stated that the store had resumed operations, but offered no explanation for the incident. This article walks you through what happened and how all parties responded, along with Front Street Coffee recommendations and product information. [more…]

Shanghai recently issued the "Implementation Measures for the Administration of Food Business Licensing and Filing in Shanghai," effective from May 10, 2024. The new regulations abolish secondary-category licensing items and support mixed multi-format operations, allowing coffee shops, bars, and others to coexist in the same storefront, while non-catering stores such as bookshops and clothing stores can also apply for a business permit to make beverages on-site. At the same time, "made and sold on-site" has been adjusted to "made and sold on the premises," the 19 business catalog items have been simplified into 4 categories—hot food, cold food, raw food, and self-made beverages—and the 6-square-meter production site restriction has been removed. In response to the long-disputed "smashed cucumber" issue, the new regulations allow a dedicated area only. Whether the policy benefits can activate the market and ensure food safety still needs time to be tested. [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…]

Recently, a Cotti Coffee outlet inside the cafeteria at Jilin University of Finance and Economics was suddenly vandalized by a male student. The bar area was left in complete disarray, with tables, chairs, takeaway cups, and cash register equipment scattered everywhere. According to students who witnessed the incident, the student involved appeared to have lost emotional control, possibly after being rejected in a confession of love. He first stomped his feet and slapped the tables, then flipped them over and rushed to smash the coffee shop's machines. The whole ordeal lasted over ten minutes, forcing the store staff to hide by the entrance. After the incident, campus security personnel quickly arrived and escorted the student away, and the university confirmed that no one was injured. The store involved has currently suspended operations, and the first floor of the cafeteria has returned to normal operation, but the exact amount of damage has not yet been disclosed. In this episode of coffee news, Front Street Coffee joins you in following the developments of the incident. [more…]

Domestic high-end beauty retailer HARMAY has taken another cross-industry leap by opening a 700-square-meter, four-story flagship store on Wukang Road in Shanghai. The ground floor features a coffee counter by Marionbar, offering black coffee, milk coffee, chocolate drinks, and draft beer. Meanwhile, its first store on Anfu Road, which opened in 2017, has closed; the original site will be transformed into the national flagship store for its hand-shaken lemon tea brand, introlemons. HARMAY had previously sought to acquire a coffee brand and may further expand into coffee chains in the future. As of now, HARMAY has eight stores nationwide and plans to expand to cities such as Xi'an and Wuhan. Whether this cross-industry move can bring long-term value to the brand remains to be tested by the market. [more…]

In the first week of September, Luckin Coffee and Moutai's co-branded sauce-flavored latte set a new record with 5.42 million cups sold on the first day and over 100 million yuan in sales, dominating trending topics on platforms like Weibo and Douyin for consecutive days. Along with the product's explosive popularity, there were also incidents such as customers smashing stores, infringement disputes, and revelations about the ingredients. The supplier confirmed that the thick milk contains Moutai liquor, and the bottles are recycled. Moutai officially emphasized that unauthorized addition of Moutai to coffee for sale constitutes infringement. The chairman of Moutai revealed plans to launch youth-oriented products like liquor-filled chocolates. Luckin distributed red envelopes to thank its employees. This collaboration became a unique memory of young people's first taste of Moutai and has people looking forward to Luckin's next cross-industry partnership. [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…]

Morgan Eckroth, runner-up in the 2022 World Barista Championship, did something astonishing on stage—smashing a coffee cup in front of the judges. This coffee influencer with 7 million followers used a metaphor-laden performance to explore the extinction crisis facing specialty coffee. From choosing the endangered coffee variety Eugenioides to incorporating kintsugi craftsmanship and Colombia's national liquor into the creative coffee segment, every choice Morgan made pointed to the same question: as climate change, market shifts, and industry decline converge, is the coffee industry ready? This article will take you through this breathtaking competition and explore how baristas can rediscover the humanistic value and professional charm of specialty coffee in an era obsessed with efficiency. [more…]

Recently, a coffee shop owner ran into a frustrating situation: after a customer accidentally broke a handmade wood-fired pot in the shop, the customer not only refused to pay for it but also tried to quietly drive away. The owner offered a discounted compensation plan of a few hundred yuan, but the customer accused the shop of extortion. The incident sparked heated discussion online: should coffee shops use expensive vessels? How much responsibility should consumers bear for unintentional damage? This article sorts out the course of events, the views of all parties, and explores reasonable ways to resolve similar disputes. [more…]

Recently, the Maan Coffee branch at Chongqing Fuyuehui was reportedly forcibly demolished by the mall owner late at night. The store's equipment and furnishings vanished overnight, the interior was smashed, the entrance was barricaded, and advertising posters for the next tenant were already put up. The shop owner claims to have signed a ten-year lease with the mall, currently only in its fifth year, and has always paid rent and utilities on time, never defaulting even during the pandemic. After the incident, the owner called the police and posted a notice promising to refund customers' prepaid balances. However, some netizens expressed doubts about the poster's account due to last year's Maan Coffee runaway incident in Beijing. The operator clarified that the store had switched to independent operation and had nothing to do with the brand. Furthermore, a former tenant came forward alleging that the mall had repeatedly forcibly evicted tenants before their leases expired. The incident continues to escalate, and the mall has not yet responded. [more…]

Cantonese people often say they "get internal heat from just drinking water." Although herbal tea can reduce internal heat, it is bitter and hard to swallow. The Guangzhou-based tea beverage brand Tea Save Planet took a different approach by combining bitter melon with lemon tea, creating the first bitter melon lemon tea, which unexpectedly ignited the market. In just one year, Tea Save Planet sold more than 1 million cups of tea beverages, with stores covering 16 cities nationwide and the number of stores exceeding 180. This brand, which began planning in 2019, after a quiet period in the early days of the pandemic, expanded rapidly starting in March 2020. Front Street Coffee believes that Tea Save Planet's success is inseparable from local cultural identity, differentiated innovation, and distinctive brand design. This article will analyze in detail the rise of this phenomenal tea beverage brand. [more…]

Using beverages in cooking is nothing new—Coca-Cola chicken wings have long been a household name. But recently, a group of wildly creative netizens have brought freshly made milk tea and fruit tea into the frying pan—Mixue Bingcheng's "Bangda Fresh Orange" is used to braise pork ribs, iced fresh lemonade replaces dipping sauce, and Four Seasons Spring milk tea is kneaded into dough to steam buns. This "Mixue Bingcheng goes into the kitchen" trend quickly went viral on social media, racking up tens of thousands of likes, with official accounts also joining in the interaction. Some see it as dark cuisine, while others who tried it exclaim it's surprisingly delicious. Is incorporating freshly made drinks into cooking actually reliable? And what intriguing details lie behind it? This article will take you on a deep dive. [more…]

If you have coffee beans and hot water on hand but lack a grinder, what other methods can we use to turn the beans into grounds? This article documents a complete experiment of crushing a washed Green Label Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda using a mortar and pestle: 18 grams of beans, 93°C water temperature, a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, and brewing after about 15 minutes of hand grinding. The article describes in detail the grind size, pouring technique, and final flavor performance, and analyzes the problems of fine-powder clogging and uneven extraction caused by hand crushing, offering a genuine reference for coffee enthusiasts who lack professional equipment. [more…]

Recently, a conflict between a customer and an employee occurred at a Manner store in Fuzhou, and related videos sparked widespread discussion online. In the footage, a customer repeatedly threw cups, labels, and other items from the counter into the preparation area, appearing highly emotional, while only one employee was on duty in the store. The store later responded that the incident began when a staff member reminded the customer after the coffee was made incorrectly, which may have upset the customer. The incident not only brought Manner's long-criticized "one-person shift" problem back into the spotlight, but also led many regular customers to complain about excessively long wait times. Front Street Coffee follows industry developments, and this article sorts through the course of the incident and the responses from various parties. [more…]

Luckin Coffee has broken records in the chain coffee industry at an astonishing speed, adding 10,000 net new stores within a year, bringing its total store count close to 20,000, with an expansion pace even surpassing Mixue Bingcheng. However, alongside this runaway scale, problems have followed one after another: a swing from profit to loss in the first quarter, a decline in net profit margin in the second quarter, and a year-on-year drop in same-store sales at directly operated stores. The 9.9 yuan promotional campaign has lowered the average transaction value, making it a real challenge to increase revenue without increasing profit. Facing a price war with rivals such as Cotti and Starbucks, how Luckin balances scale and profitability will be a key proposition for its future operations. [more…]

Recently, a netizen claimed that they were rejected by Mixue Bingcheng at the age of 26 for being too old, sparking widespread attention. In fact, age restrictions for staff in the tea beverage industry are nothing new; some stores even only hire young people aged 16 to 19, and it is very difficult to enter the industry after 25. Customer service at the headquarters responded that recruitment age is decided by individual stores, while stores place more emphasis on employees' physical stamina and stability. This wave of age anxiety is spreading from baristas to the entire tea beverage service industry, leaving many overage job seekers feeling helpless. [more…]

After canned yellow peaches were jokingly called something that should be covered by medical insurance, and electrolyte water sold out, young people have now turned their attention to the "COVID special drinks" from major milk tea brands. When your throat hurts like you're swallowing razor blades and buying medicine is difficult, a cup of orange, lemon, and snow pear tea rich in vitamin C has become a comfort for many. Related products from brands such as Heytea, Nayuki, Shanghai Auntie, and Mixue Bingcheng have surged in popularity, with some stores even selling out. Can these drinks really relieve sore throats and hoarseness? This article walks you through the logic behind the popularity of "COVID special drinks," representative products, and whether they are merely psychological comfort or truly beneficial. Follow Coffee Workshop for more professional coffee knowledge and Front Street Coffee recommendations. [more…]

Recently, Manner Coffee has drawn widespread attention after suddenly cutting the hourly wages of its part-time employees. Some part-timers discovered that, even with the same number of scheduled hours for the coming month, their daily income was nearly forty yuan less. It is understood that this wage cut affects multiple regions, with reductions ranging from 1 yuan to 6 yuan, including Shanghai dropping from 28 yuan to 24 yuan and Shenzhen from 28 yuan to 22 yuan. After the news spread, discussions in part-time worker groups became heated, and the brand at one point restored the original hourly wage, only to cut it again less than two hours later, leaving many employees caught off guard. Coming right at the peak summer sales season, whether this move will affect store operations and the stability of the part-time team is worth continued attention. [more…]

On the evening of March 14, "Jingshi Live" exposed two consecutive food safety incidents involving tea beverage brands. The Mixue Bingcheng store at Wuyi Ningju Xintiandi in Wuhan was accused of hiding leftover lemon and orange slices from the day under the counter at room temperature and using them the next day to make signature drinks; the Hushang Ayi store at Hankou City Plaza was exposed for altering the shelf-life labels of toppings to "extend the life" of expired ingredients. The market supervision authorities in both places have separately filed investigations into the stores involved. Among them, the Mixue Bingcheng store involved was sealed and shut down, while the Hushang Ayi store involved was immediately closed. As a content platform that also follows developments in the coffee and beverage industry, Front Street Coffee continues to track such food safety issues. The details of the incidents are as follows. [more…]

Recently, the Tai Er Sauerkraut Fish brand sparked widespread discussion in the coffee community with a message about "sauerkraut fish coffee." The brand claimed to launch "Tai Er Coffee Company" and introduced the world's first sauerkraut fish version of coffee, including special creations such as "Ice Blog Sauerkraut Latte" and "Sauerkraut · Fish · Coffee Jelly." The article described in detail the preparation methods of these creative drinks, such as grinding coffee beans in the way of chopping ingredients, and the "Opening Sour and Refreshing Iced Americano" with chrysanthemum petals and chili added. In addition, it mentioned products combining snacks with coffee, such as "Wasabi Shrimp Cappuccino" and "Beat Ex Ice Jelly Cold Brew." However, these special creations were not for sale and were just an April Fools' joke. The article also explored creative packaging for drip coffee bags and reminded readers that sauerkraut and milk should not be consumed together. Finally, it introduced brand information about Front Street Coffee, providing a professional communication channel for coffee enthusiasts. [more…]