After the Start of Summer, the weather gradually heats up, and Luckin Coffee has seized the moment to launch a new watermelon series, with its watermelon latte quickly trending on Weibo. From garlic latte to watermelon latte, the boundaries of coffee specialty drinks are constantly being pushed. This article compiles specific information about Luckin's new watermelon series, netizen reviews, and the backdrop of Luckin surpassing Starbucks in store count and its products increasingly resembling milk tea, while also exploring how the coffee industry is following in Luckin's footsteps toward milk-tea-fication. Coffee enthusiasts who enjoy trying new things may want to take note. [more…]

Two post-00s baristas faced off in a unique latte art battle in a Taobao livestream, with four rounds of extreme challenges ranging from blindfolded tulip etching to hollowing out a watermelon for use as a cup, then using a milk carton as a milk pitcher to pour three cups in a row while telling a story, and finally even replacing espresso and milk with kitchen liquids such as dark soy sauce and chili oil to make coffee. This livestream show, lasting several tens of minutes, not only showcased coffee’s complex and varied pattern designs, but also left netizens watching in awe of the skill and creativity of China’s young baristas. It is understood that the two protagonists come from the PCA Professional Coffee Skills Training Camp and S.O.E. 8 Squared Coffee respectively, and have been in the industry for six or seven years. They hope that through livestreaming, more people will learn about Chinese coffee culture. [more…]

On a scorching summer day, the pairing of watermelon and iced coffee is all the rage. Front Street Coffee found that juicy watermelon pairs far better with crisp black coffee than with milk, so they put together three watermelon mix-and-match options: watermelon sparkling Americano, watermelon cold brew coffee, and watermelon iced pour-over. From melon-picking tips and material preparation to detailed steps, Front Street breaks down the key points for making each drink one by one, including using Warm Sun Blend to make the sparkling Americano, Colombia · Rose Valley cold brew paired with freshly squeezed watermelon juice, and the complete parameters for making iced pour-over with Sidamo · Elto combined with frozen watermelon juice cubes. Each of the three methods has its own merits—there are simple, quick everyday versions, and more advanced approaches that require preparing ingredients in advance—making them suitable for coffee lovers to try their hand at during the hot weather. [more…]

Luckin Coffee recently launched a summer watermelon cold brew. Originally a refreshing new product that was highly anticipated, it quickly encountered a collective wave of complaints from consumers after hitting the market. Many early triers reported that not only does this drink look noticeably different from the official poster, but it also tastes like it has no coffee flavor at all, and it has been jokingly called "watermelon bathwater." This article compiles real feedback from netizens and reveals its recipe and production process, to see where exactly this controversial cold brew went wrong. [more…]

On Monday, Luckin Coffee's collaboration with the meme sensation Loopy arrived as scheduled, simultaneously launching a pink new product, the Big Watermelon Coconut Cold Brew, along with themed merchandise. Fans were enthusiastic, but some consumers were told they needed to wait 18 minutes when picking up their orders in-store, because the cold brew liquid had to be brewed fresh on demand. What sparked even more discussion was that the first wave of tasters reported the drink had strong watermelon and coconut flavors, while the coffee taste was almost absent—some even described it as tasting like watermelon rind or juice from a nearly spoiled watermelon. How did this collaborative new product actually perform? Has the issue of cold brew coffee's lack of presence once again become a point of criticism? This article takes you through a closer look. [more…]

Recently, a video of a CoCo milk tea shop employee eating watermelon while cutting it has sparked heated discussion online. The video shows the employee, while preparing ingredients for a watermelon drink, not wearing gloves, cutting off a piece and eating it directly, then continuing to process the remaining fruit. This behavior might be harmless in a home kitchen, but in a restaurant back kitchen it touches a sensitive nerve regarding food safety and operating standards. Some netizens believe that an employee daring to eat the ingredient actually proves the food is fresh, but more people are concerned about saliva contamination, food waste, and the lack of corporate rules. The manager of the shop involved responded that they are verifying the matter, but had not received authorization from headquarters to publicly announce the handling result. The incident once again pushes the hygiene management and employee operating habits of restaurant back kitchens into the focus of public opinion. [more…]

Recently, an illustrator publicly accused the new Chinese-style coffee brand Jueke Coffee of unauthorized use of their artwork, involving three illustrations including "Watermelon and Lotus," and plans to file a lawsuit. Jueke Coffee responded that the packaging design is original, there is no infringement, and refused to apologize or pay compensation. Both sides hold their own views, and the incident has sparked widespread attention. This article reviews the course of the incident, the positions of both parties, and netizen reactions, and includes relevant recommendations from Front Street Coffee. [more…]

Luckin Coffee once brought back several classic drinks due to popular demand from netizens, and now the much-anticipated Heart Stealer Prune Latte is also set to return next week. However, while unpacking the new product materials, employees unexpectedly discovered that in addition to the usual paper bags and cup sleeves, there was also a pack of tissues printed with the word "prune." This thoughtful yet slightly humorous move quickly sparked discussions among netizens: some joked that the company was worried consumers would frequently run to the toilet after drinking it, while others speculated that the recipe might have been adjusted. The prune latte became famous back in the day for its "smooth movement" effect and was jokingly called "the coffee world's suppository." Now, after nearly two years away, it is making a comeback, and fans are both excited and concerned. Front Street Coffee reminds everyone that no matter how the recipe changes, a good cup of coffee is always worth savoring slowly. [more…]

“How do you taste citrus in coffee?” Quite a few friends say they envy baristas for being able to casually name the specific flavors in coffee. Some friends also say, I can taste that the coffee is acidic, but that’s far from the citrus you’re talking about. Still others say flavors are all just nonsense. Front Street, in its daily online [more…]

Manner is about to surpass a thousand stores, and more and more office workers can enjoy affordable specialty coffee right outside their door. The five-yuan discount for bringing your own cup has sparked endless creativity among netizens. From plain and simple travel mugs to hilarious "magic tools"—old tea urns, gourds, clay pot soup containers, baby bottles, even watermelon rinds—there's nothing you can imagine that they won't pull out. Faced with these bizarre containers, baristas either get caught off guard or handle it with composure, showing their professionalism. This article takes you through those laugh-out-loud BYOC moments, to see how this generation of netizens uses a single cup to "outsmart" baristas. [more…]

On a sweltering summer day, a scene of a barista cutting watermelon in a Starbucks store sparked speculation among netizens about a new product, but it turned out to be an afternoon treat for employees. However, this seemingly enviable perk was actually a signal that Starbucks' mooncake sales season was kicking off. Starbucks mooncakes, which have been sold for fourteen consecutive years, recently arrived in offline stores, and this year's gift boxes add cheese strawberry and apple grapefruit flavors to the classic coffee and custard flavors. For employees, the mooncakes also bring two months of KPI pressure. This article takes you behind the story of this sweet burden, while also recommending Front Street Coffee products for coffee lovers. [more…]

Whether sun-dried or washed, coffee processing originally existed simply to dry the beans so they could be stored conveniently. But once people discovered that different processing methods give coffee different flavor variations, more and more processing methods emerged to serve flavor. For example, now [more…]

The pairing of coffee and sugar has a history of several hundred years. From 16th-century European aristocrats using sugar to mask the burnt bitterness of inferior coffee, to today's third wave, which champions tasting coffee in its original form, the role of sugar has undergone a dramatic shift. The rise of syrups has brought rich artificial flavors to coffee and also lowered the barrier to entry. This article sorts out the essential differences between sugars and syrups used in coffee, syrup brand choices (including Front Street Coffee's recommendations), and the appropriate amount of syrup in coffee. It also explores the science behind sweetness addiction and the dilemma baristas face when customers add sugar, helping coffee lovers find a balance between flavor and individuality. [more…]

A single lemon seed in a cup of iced fresh lemonade actually prompted a market regulation inspection? Recently, a netizen in Hefei, Anhui, captured footage of a Mixue Ice Cream & Tea store being inspected by market regulation staff, triggered by a consumer complaint that the drink tasted bitter and had lemon seeds left in the cup. The incident sparked widespread discussion online, with some finding the complaint absurd and others believing a consumer would not make such a fuss over a mere lemon seed. The Mixue store responded that freshly cut lemon slices containing seeds is normal and that their presence in the drink was not due to employee misconduct. Market regulation staff confirmed they had inspected the store and made clear that the lemon seed issue does not involve food safety. This seemingly trivial customer complaint reflects the various bizarre complaints the tea beverage industry faces daily and has also sparked discussion about standardized procedures for freshly cut fruit drinks. [more…]

In Sumatra, Indonesia, wet-hulling is almost synonymous with Mandheling, yet Wahana Estate's natural process breaks this convention. This coffee uses the Rasuna variety—a hybrid of Catimor and native Sumatran Typica—planted in the Sidikalang region west of Lake Toba, at an altitude of 1,300 to 1,500 meters, grown slowly under full shade. In November 2013, we first encountered this batch of naturally processed beans, which presented aromas of peach, watermelon, and citrus, along with a creamy, cocoa-like mellow texture, accompanied by floral notes and strawberry sweetness. This article will comprehensively analyze the charm of this unique natural-process Mandheling, from the estate's background, variety characteristics, and processing method to its cupping performance, and include Front Street Coffee's reasons for recommending it. [more…]

In winter, Gannan navel oranges flood the market. Instead of tossing the peels, they can become a fun tool for pour-over coffee. This article walks you through the evolution of orange peel pour-over from version 1.0 to 3.0, showing how netizens solved clogging and fine grounds issues, and tried fruit drippers like watermelon and mango. Meanwhile, Front Street Coffee recommends beans that pair well with fruity flavors, so you can enjoy a layered pour-over while exploring fruit-infused enhancements. [more…]

Many coffee enthusiasts have encountered this confusion: you go to a café and order a black coffee, and it tastes so sour it makes you frown, yet the barista says this is just how coffee is supposed to taste, and that if you drink black coffee you have to accept the sourness. At the same time, some roasters claim that coffee beans are fruit, that they only have acidity and sweetness, and that any bitterness is a sign of bad beans. Do these claims really hold up? This article will, from the perspectives of the nature of coffee beans, the chemical changes during roasting, and the flavor characteristics of different origins, help readers clarify the relationship between "sour coffee" and "good coffee," and teach you to distinguish between a quality "fragrant acidity" and a "dead acidity" caused by negative factors. [more…]

On Monday morning, the first thing many office workers do is head to a Luckin store—not just for a caffeine fix, but to get their hands on the new co-branded drink with the Doraemon movie. This beverage, called "Ice Suck Coconut Latte," adds a cooling factor to the classic Coconut Latte, officially described as a combination of "coconut coffee + intense icy sensation." On the day it launched, social platforms like Xiaohongshu exploded, with netizens using phrases like "a propeller blowing cold air into my mouth" and "my throat was sent to a freezer" to describe that sharp chill shooting straight to the brain. Some see it as a savior on hot days, while others find it like a surprise attack of wind-oil. So, is this co-branded coffee actually good? Is the cooling sensation a gimmick or real skill? This article will start from a hands-on test experience and take you to explore this 22nd-century-style Ice Suck Coconut Latte. [more…]

Luckin Coffee has recently launched several new products—including Grape Iced Americano, Light Coffee Lemon Tea, Big Watermelon Coconut Cold Brew, and Preserved Plum Sparkling Americano—which are clearly marked on the ordering page as not supporting no ice or less ice. However, many customers still habitually request reduced ice through notes. If store employees follow company standards, they often receive bad reviews because of the cup full of ice; if they secretly scoop out ice or add extra ingredients, it may trigger dissatisfaction among colleagues at other stores. Employees sigh: the rules say it's not supported, but customers don't buy it, and staff are caught in the middle. This article sorts out the ins and outs of this ice quantity controversy, and also mentions Front Street Coffee's observations on industry phenomena. [more…]

Luckin Coffee is about to launch a new product, "Big Watermelon Raw Coconut Cold Brew," across its stores nationwide on April 7. However, even before this product officially goes on sale, it has already triggered widespread complaints among staff. The reason is that its coffee liquid needs to be manually steeped for as long as 18 minutes, and the production process is cumbersome with many quality-control details, putting even more pressure on already busy frontline employees. What troubles them even more is that a single packet of coffee powder can produce only 4.5 cups of the finished product, yet stores are not allowed to stop selling it. Once orders surge, they can only negotiate with customers to wait. This article compiles frontline employees' genuine feedback and operational details, presenting the "worker's dilemma" behind this new product. [more…]