During the Qingming holiday, visiting graves and paying respects to ancestors is a traditional custom, but getting up early to climb the mountain is quite a struggle for many young people. This year, temporary coffee stalls and coffee carts appeared in some cemeteries, providing refreshing drinks and simple meals for those who came to pay their respects, solving the inconvenience of scarce dining options around suburban grave sites. Some young people even brought coffee as an offering to their ancestors' graves, using this trendy way to share their current life with their forebears. In the comments section, netizens enthusiastically imagined what coffee they would drink a hundred years from now, with some even asking the next generation to bring pour-over equipment or a coffee machine. This phenomenon reflects the younger generation's innovative interpretation of traditional grave-sweeping practices, and also demonstrates the deep penetration of coffee culture into contemporary life. [more…]

Phoenix Dancong is classified in many ways—by leaf shape, aroma type, historical origin, or production area—and Night-blooming Cereus is one of the ten major aroma types. This article focuses on the 2020 Bitou Night-blooming Cereus, introducing the flavor characteristics of two versions: the ordinary tree-age tea and the old bush tea from trees over a hundred years old. Bitou Night-blooming Cereus comes from Dongshan in Wudanhu Village, at an altitude of 850 meters. Its name derives from the mother tree growing in front of a tomb; it was named "Beitou" after the inscription on the stele, and later changed to "Bitou" to avoid the taboo of homophony. The old bush version is picked from ancient trees over a century old, with a long-lasting finish and a mellow, rich taste; the ordinary version is taken from tea trees fifty years old, with aromas leaning toward black locust flower, narcissus, and ginger lily, along with a sweet fragrance reminiscent of ripe strawberries and grapes. Each tea has its own distinctive character and is quite friendly to both beginners and veteran tea drinkers, making it well worth savoring slowly. [more…]

In recent years, among those booking tickets to temple scenic spots, the post-90s and post-00s generations have accounted for nearly half, and temples that enshrine the God of Wealth or have coffee shops in particular have become popular destinations for young people to check in. Burning incense while drinking coffee—a lifestyle that seems contradictory yet runs in parallel—reflects what kind of psychological needs among today's young people? Why exactly has the cross-boundary combination of temples and coffee become so popular? Starting from young people's motivations for visiting temples, this article analyzes the dual effects behind the rise of temple coffee and explores how the coffee industry and temple operations can help each other succeed through this collision. At the same time, the article retains recommendations and introductions related to brands such as Front Street Coffee for coffee lovers' reference. [more…]

The coffee chain Tims recently opened China's first temple coffee store at Xisi in Nantong, Jiangsu, sparking considerable attention and discussion. The new store not only introduced promotional slogans with a Zen flavor but also set up opening activities such as incense card giveaways, limited-edition stamps, and collaborative canvas tote bags, attracting many consumers to visit and check in. In fact, since the beginning of this year, temple coffee shops have been springing up in various places, with similar attempts at Yongfu Temple in Hangzhou, Longxing Temple in Taizhou, and Nanputuo Temple in Xiamen. Behind young people's enthusiasm for temple coffee lies both a spiritual anchor amid life's pressures and a reflection of coffee brands seeking differentiated marketing strategies in fierce competition. Front Street Coffee takes you through the ins and outs of this temple coffee trend. [more…]

In recent years, a coffee trend has quietly emerged in ancient temples across Asia. From the Starbucks outlet at Zenko-ji Temple in Japan, to the café at Yongfu Temple in Hangzhou, and to South Putuo Temple in Xiamen recruiting baristas, the combination of temples and coffee has repeatedly drawn attention. Young people are flocking to temples, sipping specialty coffees named "Cleansing Worries" and "Stopping Snow" while soaking in the serene atmosphere of ancient temples. This sense of contrast born from the collision of Eastern and Western cultures, combined with the immersive scene experience, has made temple coffee quickly go viral online. This article will walk you through the reasons behind the popularity of temple coffee, as well as the monks' true attitudes toward coffee. [more…]

Following the camping and frisbee trends, brewing tea around a stove is becoming a new social activity eagerly embraced by young people in winter. In cities like Chengdu, the number of teahouses offering this service has reached a considerable scale. Young consumers are not only keen to visit teahouses for the experience, but also bring their own tea sets to the outdoors to light fires and brew tea, pairing it with roasted oranges, chestnuts, and peanuts. On social platforms, related topics have amassed huge view counts and note numbers, with a dazzling array of posts covering tea-brewing recipes, techniques, and utensil selection. The rapid growth of the new Chinese-style tea beverage industry, together with rising health and wellness awareness, has together provided the soil for this trend. Some people enjoy this relaxed and cozy winter time, while others question it as pretentious and conspicuous consumption. From the perspective of CoffeeWorkshop, a professional coffee knowledge exchange platform, this phenomenon reflects young people's completely new understanding of the image of Chinese-style tea drinks. For more specialty coffee beans, follow Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee). [more…]

When "the king of braised snacks" Juewei Food quietly started selling milk tea in some stores, an unexpected cross-industry experiment unfolded. For young people, milk tea is a daily necessity, but duck necks are not a daily must-have. Against the backdrop of weak consumption in braised snacks, is Juewei's move a bold innovation to seek new growth points, or a risky adventure with an uncertain future? From promotional banners offering 3 cups for 11.9 yuan to red bean pudding and coconut popping green milk tea at 7 yuan per cup on its mini-program, Juewei is trying to use tea beverages to attract young customers. However, declining revenue, a sharp drop in stock price, a net decrease of nearly 1,000 stores, and consumer complaints about price and quality all make this cross-industry move full of uncertainty. This article will analyze the business logic and challenges behind Juewei's milk tea sales from multiple perspectives, including store visits, market data, and expert opinions. [more…]

After the opening of Blue Bottle Coffee's first Shanghai store, phenomena such as queuing for hours, purchase limits driving up prices, and scalper prices soaring above 150 yuan drew widespread attention. This brand, hailed as the "Apple of the coffee world," attracted large numbers of young people to brave the cold wind and check in, relying on its minimalist design and accumulated reputation. Starting from psychological mechanisms such as herd behavior and the labeling effect, this article analyzes the motivations behind the check-in craze at internet-famous coffee shops, while also exploring the costs in time, energy, and money, as well as derivative issues such as high scalper prices and purchase limits. At the end, it calls for rational store visits and rational consumption, and retains professional coffee information channels such as Front Street Coffee for enthusiasts to exchange and refer to. [more…]

Recently, the Jiu lid堤 Police Station in Jinniu District, Chengdu, teamed up with CapitaLand Plaza to create an anti-fraud-themed coffee shop, cleverly combining police outreach with coffee culture and attracting many citizens to visit. This coffee shop not only offers coffee but has also become a new hub for spreading anti-fraud knowledge. The interior uses a black-and-white color scheme, and at the entrance there is a cute panda police officer figure, creating a striking contrast. The police hope that through this novel approach, young people can easily learn fraud prevention knowledge while enjoying coffee and pass it on to their families, raising anti-fraud awareness across society. For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style); for more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee), WeChat ID: qjcoffeex. [more…]

There are countless pour-over coffee brewing methods, but the core variables that truly determine flavor are simply grind size, water temperature, and the coffee-to-water ratio. Yet these seemingly simple parameters and circular pouring make it hard for many people to consistently reproduce a good cup of coffee. Machines are naturally superior to humans in consistency—does this mean baristas will eventually lose their jobs? Front Street has a bold prediction: mechanized production roles may be replaced, but baristas who truly understand brewing logic will move behind the scenes, responsible for formulating and adjusting plans. This article starts from standard brewing methods and explores the relationship between technique, understanding, and the future of baristas. [more…]

Yesterday, %Arabica officially announced the opening of its first store in Tibet, the highest-altitude store in the world, located directly across the road from the Potala Palace. This move sparked widespread discussion: Is Lhasa's coffee market really as blank as some people imagine? Are opening costs actually lower? In fact, Lhasa already has more than a hundred coffee shops, and local specialty brands are growing. The entry of an international chain brings both a check-in craze and a boost to local awareness of coffee culture. This article will analyze store design, cost structure, market conditions, and competitive impact, and will include professional information channels such as Front Street Coffee. [more…]

In recent years, uniquely styled cafés have become popular destinations for young people seeking out new spots, with themed venues like retro and Showa-style establishments popping up one after another. However, some netizens have noticed that at a café featuring a medieval retro theme, price tags are stuck on items everywhere, reminding customers not to touch the antique ornaments and warning that any damage must be compensated at full price. While this approach of displaying a large private collection in the store creates a rich artistic atmosphere, it also makes customers feel constrained, robbing the café of the relaxed ease it should have. How to strike a balance between showcasing treasured collectibles and ensuring a comfortable customer experience has become a question worth pondering. [more…]

Trendy cafés are popping up all over Southeast Asia, but a "soldier café" operating inside a military camp in Thailand has drawn particular attention. Run by the Thai Army's 4th Battalion, the café uses uniformed soldiers as models and staff, and promotional photos featuring a lotus pond and pedal boats quickly went viral on social media. The café is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and its customers are mainly soldiers from the nearby camp, though civilians also come to check it out. However, as its popularity has grown, so have questions: some Thai netizens worry that the shop was built with taxpayers' money, and others ask—is a soldier's primary duty to serve in the military or to be a barista? Behind the warm image of soldiers and civilians enjoying themselves together, controversy continues to simmer. [more…]

The cross-boundary combination of coffee and Chinese meals has long ceased to be novel—from youtiao and shaobing to pork intestine noodles and roujiamo, even the notoriously "stinky" luosifen has now joined this fusion experiment. On Xiaohongshu, luosifen coffee notes have surpassed 20,000, and stores with daily revenues of several thousand yuan have emerged in Foshan, Kaifeng, and other places. Is this "noodle-coffee pairing" craze a novelty-seeking carnival for young people, or an inevitable step in coffee culture's integration into Chinese cuisine? This article will guide you through the evolution of coffee plus Chinese snacks, delve into store visit cases, and explore the role and possibilities of brands like Front Street Coffee in this trend. [more…]

In the architectural complex of Beijing's Xishiku Church, there is a gray three-story annex built in 1901, once a residence for senior clergy and now transformed into a rather old yet youthful café—1901Cafe. It preserves the architectural charm of a blend of Chinese and Western styles while incorporating the comfortable atmosphere of a modern café. This article takes you into this historic building, exploring its past and present, touring the layout of the second and third floors, and reviewing menu items such as cheese, rose tea, and poutine fries. If you also enjoy having a cup of coffee in old times, you might want to add this place to your next stop. [more…]

Nowadays, the coffee track is becoming increasingly crowded. In order to stand out among numerous stores, many cafes have begun to focus on spatial design. Some focus on value for money, some compete on service, and others rely on unique decor to attract young people to check in. One coffee shop has built a small rockery and an oval pool inside the store, with ceramic candlesticks holding lit candles floating in the pool. Amid the drifting mist, the candlesticks gently move with the waves, colliding with each other and making crisp sounds. The shop may have wanted to create a dreamy, cloud-like feeling, but after netizens saw the photos, opinions were mixed: some thought it was classy, while others mocked it as looking like a funeral hall, a bathhouse, or even a hot spring. From the source of inspiration to the actual impression, what kind of experience does this shop's design ultimately bring? [more…]

A 10-yuan drink made by mixing three sticks of Nescafe instant coffee powder with hot water has unexpectedly turned a small sugarcane juice shop in Nanjing that has been around for more than 30 years into an online sensation. Singer Guang Liang was recently spotted queuing outside the shop to buy one, pushing the topic onto trending searches. With the brand supplying free stock, media outlets rushing to report, and celebrities showing up to check in, why exactly has this literally "hand-brewed coffee" become a traffic magnet? Is it the appeal of good quality at a low price, or a bandwagon trend on social platforms? This article walks you through the course of events and explores the consumer psychology and coffee culture phenomenon behind it. [more…]

Indonesian coffee is often known for its herbal, spicy notes and full body with low acidity, but Sulawesi has developed a completely different style. Here in the high-mountain Toraja region, coffee is grown by an ethnic minority renowned for their coffee cultivation expertise. Annual output is scarce, at only about 300 kilograms per hectare, and the semi-washed process brings out bright acidity, caramel sweetness, and a subtle floral aroma. Compared with Sumatra Mandheling, Toraja is more layered and much more restrained in its herbal and spicy notes, and is regarded as a specialty bean even more precious than Golden Mandheling. This article will walk you through Sulawesi's terroir, the Toraja people, and three major estates, and share Front Street Coffee's roasting and brewing recommendations. [more…]

Coffee is no longer just a drink that wakes up a tired body in the morning; it is gradually evolving into a common social language among young people. From the "coffee in the morning, alcohol at night" lifestyle, to a casual "Wanna grab a coffee?" in the office that kicks off some downtime, to the warmth of neighbors exchanging coffee supplies during the pandemic, the functions coffee carries have long gone beyond simply staying awake. Starbucks has been in China for over two decades, spurring cafes to spring up everywhere. Discussions about coffee remain intensely popular on platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douban, and brand fan groups have emerged along with them. Cafe locations have also expanded from commercial districts and office buildings to residential neighborhoods, making their community character increasingly distinct. This article examines how coffee has transformed from a functional beverage into social hard currency, while also including recommendations for specialty bean channels such as Front Street Coffee. [more…]

A chain coffee shop in Guangzhou, store by .jpg, located on the 41st floor of an office building, quickly went viral on social media because customers can take photos with Canton Tower up close. The average spending is low and no reservation is required—just register at the front desk and you can go upstairs to take photos—attracting a large number of young people to come and check in. However, the resulting elevator congestion and occupied public areas have made office workers in the building miserable. The property management subsequently limited the number of daily tickets and removed the lounge chairs and tables. How will this high-altitude coffee craze ultimately end? [more…]