Starbucks vs Luckin: Premium Edition

Hello, and welcome to the Roundup. Every week, I read all the coffee news and write about the best bits for Fresh Cup Magazine. Then, I summarise those bits for you in this newsletter.

For several years, Thailand's government has been trying to convince its populace to consume less sugar. In 2017, it launched a public awareness campaign designed to encourage lower-sugar beverage options, and has also partnered with coffee shops to reduce the amount of sugar in their drinks. While it has so far proven successful—the country’s sugar consumption fell from 2.5 million tons to 0.8 million tons between 2019 and 2023—the campaign's reach expanded last week when nine of the biggest coffee chains in Thailand signed up to the scheme.
After building its reputation—and outmuscling Starbucks in China—on small-footprint cafes and cheap drinks, Luckin Coffee has gone in the opposite direction with the launch of its flagship store in Shenzhen. The lavish two-storey, 4,521-square-foot location features higher-end coffees and preparation methods, and has proved incredibly popular since its soft opening at the end of January. It also bears more than a passing resemblance to Starbucks' premium Reserve concept.
A new study has found that moderate coffee consumption could significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia. Specifically, it found that those who drank 2-3 cups of caffeinated coffee per day had an 18% lower risk of developing dementia than those who drank no coffee. "We are not recommending that people who don’t drink coffee start drinking”, lead study author Dr. Yu Zhang from Mass General Brigham told NBC News. “We are just seeing that for people who already drink coffee, the results are really reassuring".

For more on all these stories, plus the latest successful Quills Coffee unionisation campaign, check out the full Roundup over at Fresh Cup Magazine:

If you missed it, why not check out my latest Pourover long read. It looks at the struggles of night shift workers to find good coffee, how one former nurse in Australia is trying to keep his old colleagues caffeinated, and how the graveyard shift represents an untapped market for the coffee industry.

Fresh Cup asked me to write a short obituary for Jay and Kristen Ruskey, who pioneered coffee-growing in California and who died suddenly last week. May they rest in peace.

Paid subscribers will receive their bonus article this Friday, but until then it's goodbye from my friend Angela's cats Jun and Clemmie, who are waiting expectantly for... something: