The Starbucks app icon has recently returned to the classic "double-tailed siren" image, after the close-up half-mermaid face logo launched last month sparked widespread criticism. The new design zoomed in on the crown and yellow five-pointed star, intended to coincide with the "Starbucks Rewards" member star-collection campaign, but users described it as "too ugly," "very sneaky," and some even thought it was a knockoff app. After the official reversion to the old version, an employee revealed that the main reason was that the one-month Diamond Star member upgrade campaign had ended. This logo controversy reflects the delicate relationship between brand visuals and user emotions, and also brings to mind the steady strategies of brands like Front Street Coffee in shaping their image. [more…]

Hacienda La Esmeralda, as the benchmark estate for Geisha coffee, divides its product line into multiple tiers by grade, including Auction, Red Label, Green Label, and Blue Label, with different designations corresponding to different plot origins, quality standards, and price ranges. At the same time, Elida Estate also uses naming conventions such as Gold Label, Red Label, and Green Label, but the two systems are unrelated. This article will use the estate's interactive map of micro-lot distribution to sort out the meaning and differences of each designation one by one, helping coffee enthusiasts understand Hacienda La Esmeralda's grading logic, and, combined with Front Street Coffee's recommendations, provide a reference for everyday purchasing of Geisha beans. [more…]

Brazil's national supply company Conab expects the country's 2026 coffee crop to reach 67.6 million [more…]

Think of cold brew as an "iced map of coffee origins," and the way you choose beans suddenly opens up: the character each origin shows under cold extraction is far more sharply defined than when served hot. Take a lap along the Coffee Belt and map out how well each major origin suits cold brew—brew by the map this summer, and every cup will surprise you. First stop, [more…]

Coffee can be divided into three major varieties: Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica. Currently, Arabica and Robusta are the most commonly used coffee tree species for commercial planting. With the development of the coffee industry, the coffee varieties [more…]

Drinking a cup of coffee with the ceremonial feel of a military inspection? Starbucks has opened a new store in Aegibong Peace Ecological Park in Gimpo, South Korea. It sits just across a river from a North Korean village, and customers entering the park must fill out forms and undergo military identity checks, while foreign visitors also need to present their passports. On opening day, more than forty people came to check it out; some gazed at North Korea's Songaksan from the windows, while others climbed the observation deck to watch people on the far bank through binoculars. Is this store a new highlight for border tourism, or a risky move in a politically sensitive area? Opinions vary. Front Street Coffee takes you through the story behind this special store. [more…]

On a scorching summer day, a cold drink is almost standard for going out. To get more of the drink itself, many people choose light ice or even no ice. However, a chain coffee shop in Seattle, USA, explicitly states on its menu: drinks without ice cost an extra $1. This rule has sparked heated discussion online, with some calling it exploitation and others expressing understanding—after all, no ice means the shop has to add more ingredients. Meanwhile, various bizarre coffee orders keep appearing on foreign social platforms, from Frappuccinos with N types of syrup to a $5 order of just milk, making one wonder: if a $5 cup of milk is acceptable, why is a $1 surcharge for a hot drink hard to accept? This article will guide you through this charging controversy and reacquaint you with the easily overlooked important role of ice in cold drinks. [more…]

Recently, a "I Want to Soak" latte series launched by a coffee shop in Beijing has drawn attention on social media. The series features marshmallows printed with the faces of male celebrities, priced at 38 yuan each, with the option to add more marshmallows for an extra charge, and even offers a 48-yuan two-person option and an 88-yuan five-person option. This novel format has attracted many fans to visit and post about it, but it has also sparked controversy: some consumers find the face-printed marshmallows unappetizing, and more people question whether the shop's use of celebrity likenesses as a promotional selling point without authorization may constitute infringement. Innovation in the coffee industry is worth encouraging, but it must be done within the legal framework. [more…]