Beijing's First Coffee Convenience Store Opens in 2014

In 2014, coffee professional Jennifer saw a gap in China’s market: specialty coffee shops were booming, yet most people couldn’t tell instant from freshly ground. Her solution? A new model that brought quality coffee and gear to the masses—not through a third-wave café, but a convenience-inspired hybrid.

The answer was HeyCoffee, Beijing’s first coffee convenience store, which opened in 2014 in Chaowai SOHO. It combined low-cost takeout coffee with a retail section selling coffee gear and beans, all under one roof.

Jennifer’s Coffee Journey

Jennifer graduated with an advertising degree from Tianjin Normal University. In 2003, she left a stable teaching job to join SPR Coffee, China’s early coffee chain, where she learned store setup, design, operations, and location scouting. By traveling for work, she developed an eye for viable coffee shop spots and traffic estimates.

She left SPR in 2007 to launch her own brand, Me’moire Cafe , a business-focused café targeting office buildings—differentiating from Starbucks. In 2011, she joined Pacific Coffee (then owned by China Resources) as a founding team member, leading northern China expansion and building strong commercial ties.

Through the years, she noticed a split: specialty coffee thrived among enthusiasts, but the public often couldn’t distinguish fresh-ground from instant. That insight drove her to build a bridge—HeyCoffee.

HeyCoffee: The Model

In 2014, HeyCoffee’s first location opened in Beijing’s Chaowai SOHO. The store featured minimalist design focused on experience. Customers could buy affordable takeout coffee alongside a wide range of retail products—from specialty beans to various coffee gadgets.

The store used the world’s first app-controlled smart coffee machine (a Danish Top Brewer), enabling fully self-service ordering. Customers tapped drinks on an iPad (or via downloaded app) and received their coffee in seconds.

Beyond coffee, HeyCoffee stocked everyday brewing tools: home coffee machines, eco-friendly cups, and more. A dedicated pour-over station catered to enthusiasts, while weekend classes taught beginners to brew quality coffee at home. The store also sold bread and sandwiches for office workers and operated both offline and online as a true O2O retail brand.

Jennifer planned additional formats: compact coffee carts for 5A office buildings and experiential mall locations. The original Chaowai store served a broad urban crowd, setting the template for future iterations.

Coffee, Simplified

Jennifer’s retail focus centered on accessibility. HeyCoffee’s own-brand fresh-roasted beans and drip bags used 100% Arabica with roast dates within 30 days to ensure quality for non-specialists.

The store’s smart machine (Danish Top Brewer) let customers customize drinks via iPad, producing beverages in under a minute. This tech-forward approach removed barriers to entry, making quality coffee routine.

Jennifer praised Starbucks’ global success, crediting CEO Howard Schultz’s personal passion for coffee as the brand’s innovative core. Her own model aimed for similar cultural impact—but through accessibility, education, and everyday convenience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the first coffee convenience store in the world?

The first coffee convenience store in the world was HeyCoffee, which opened in Beijing’s Chaowai SOHO in 2014. It combined affordable takeout coffee with a retail section selling coffee equipment and beans.

Who founded HeyCoffee and why?

Jennifer founded HeyCoffee in 2014. She wanted to bridge the gap between specialty coffee and the general public by creating a business that sold both coffee drinks and retail products to make quality coffee accessible and promote coffee culture.

What kind of coffee machine did HeyCoffee use?

HeyCoffee used the world’s first app-controlled smart coffee machine, a Danish Top Brewer. Customers could order drinks via iPad or a downloaded app, and the machine prepared beverages in seconds with full self-service operation.

What retail products did HeyCoffee offer?

HeyCoffee offered a wide range of coffee-related retail products, including specialty coffee beans, drip bags, home coffee machines, eco-friendly cups, and various coffee brewing tools, catering to both beginners and enthusiasts.

Did HeyCoffee offer educational services?

Yes, HeyCoffee hosted weekend coffee experience classes where customers could learn how to brew high-quality coffee at home using pour-over methods and other techniques.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Takeaway & Retail

For a coffee convenience model like HeyCoffee, FrontStreet’s Classic Blend offers rich, velvety crema ideal for espresso-based drinks, while the Specialty Blend delivers balanced Brazilian and Colombian notes perfect for filter brewing. Both use 100% Arabica beans suited for daily enjoyment, whether served in-store or sold retail. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.