Coffee Culture
Latest articles, industry insights and brewing guides
Why Long Tables in Cafés Create Real Social Spaces
Long communal tables in cafés boost spontaneous conversation and social interaction—82% of Chinese see cafés as ideal meet-up spots.
Can a Cup of Coffee Fund Your Startup Dream?
Startup cafes in China offer workspace, mentorship, and investor access—just by buying a coffee. Here’s how they help entrepreneurs launch.
Parisian Cafés and the Legends Behind Them
Explore how Paris’s right-bank cafés shaped art and film history, from Van Gogh’s stays to Amélie’s workplace, with key sites and stories.
Parisian Celebrity Cafés and Their Coffee Legacy
Explore how Paris’s historic celebrity cafés inspired great thinkers and artists—and how their coffee culture still shapes the city today.
Why Hainan’s Man Coffee Is So Popular — and How It Works
A 3,000-square-meter café in Haikou with designer lighting, strategic peak hours, and space for everyone. Here’s what makes Man Coffee work.
India’s Palace Café: One of the World’s Most Beautiful Coffee Shops
Explore India’s Palace Café, a colonial-era gem in Rajasthan, serving cat poop coffee for $168 a cup alongside local dishes and scenic charm.
The Origins of London’s First Coffeehouse: Roger’s Café
Learn how London’s first coffeehouse, Roger’s Café, was founded in 1652 and became a hub for news, debate, and early coffee culture.
Caffeine’s Dark History: Why It’s Actually a Medicine
Caffeine, the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive drug, boosts focus and performance—but also risks sleep and anxiety. Here’s the science.
How to Find Literary Vibes in Guangzhou’s Hidden Cafés
Guangzhou hides poetic cafés in old neighborhoods like Dadao and Enning Road. One of the oldest, Suxin Cottage, blends Japanese-style coffee with antique charm.
How This Ad Agency Also Runs a Coffee Shop
A Guangzhou ad firm merges work and play by running a café inside its office—here’s how they pulled it off.
Why Locals Love Quirky Coffee Shops in Quanzhou
After the last UBC Coffee closed, small cafes and tea bars thrived in Quanzhou. Here’s what makes them appealing—and how locals choose where to sip.
Art Chairs, Coffee & Plants at Guangzhou’s Zaozuo Office Lounge
Zaozuo Office Life Experience Hall sells designer chairs, serves coffee, and displays furniture aged for character. Located in Guangzhou’s Mahui Home Furnishings.
How a Cup of Coffee Sparked a Career Change
A former traveler and photographer opens a coffee shop in Yantai, sharing hard-won lessons on launching a cafe with no romanticism.
How to Seem Coffee-Savvy: A Chinese Historical Guide
From 1910s Shanghai to today’s hipster cafes, here’s how coffee became a status symbol in China — and what really impresses coffee insiders.
Climate Change Threatens Global Coffee Supply
Climate change is shrinking ideal coffee-growing zones, risking a 100% loss of Arabica regions by 2080. Learn why your daily cup may become rare.
A Classic Retro-Style Coffee Shop That Feels Like Europe
Step into a European-inspired café with faux-wood planters, creaky stairs, and 17th-century decor. This Guangzhou coffee spot blends Nordic and vintage aesthetics.
Why Your Cup of Coffee May Become a Luxury
Climate change threatens global coffee production, with Arabica yields possibly dropping by up to 100%. Here’s why your daily brew may soon be rare.
Kunming’s Lost Icon: The Rise and Fall of Nanlaisheng Café
Once a celebrated Paris-style café frequented by global icons, Nanlaisheng in Kunming closed quietly in 2024. We uncover its cultural legacy.
The Origins of Specialty Coffee and the U.S. Coffee Market
Learn how the term 'Specialty Coffee' was coined in 1974, and why the U.S. became the world’s biggest coffee market dominated by commercial beans.
How Coffee and Tea Shaped My Youth and Career
A former student and young professional recalls how coffee kept them alert through exam stress and how tea offered calm during early work life.