Introduction:Recently, China Post claimed that the "Post Office Coffee" at Xiamen Guomao Building is the "first post office coffee in China," but multiple stores with the same name had already been operating in Zhongshan, Guangdong, Shanghai, and other places prior to this. So which one is truly the first? China Post and its regional branches have given conflicting statements, further raising questions about whether a franchise model even exists. This article outlines the timeline of events, various claims, and the core of the controversy, while also providing insights into the current market situation and operational details to help readers clarify the truth.

Recently, on its official social media platforms, China Post made a high-profile announcement that the "Post Office Coffee" at Xiamen Guomao Building had officially opened, specifically labeling it as the "first in the country." This news quickly garnered media attention, but also left many consumers and industry insiders puzzled—because before this, similar storefronts under the name "Post Office Coffee" had already appeared in Zhongshan, Guangdong, Shanghai, and other areas of Xiamen, Fujian.

According to public information, as early as February 2021, the Beijing headquarters of China Post had contacted the head of Zhongyu Kaye to discuss cooperation on the Post Office Coffee project. On September 1 of the same year, the Shanghai Zhongyu Kaye Management Consulting Co., Ltd., responsible for operations, completed its registration. Soon after, the Beijing headquarters authorized the company to launch the first batch of "Post Office Coffee IP Stores." It was officially claimed that this was the first independently operated coffee brand under China Post, and relevant press releases were also endorsed by China Post’s official social media accounts.

However, after the opening of the Xiamen Guomao Building store and its promotion as the "first in the country," doubts began to emerge online. Netizens pointed out that before the launch of this store, similar-themed "Post Office Coffee" outlets had already appeared in areas such as Xiamen Shapowei, Shanghai Wukang Road, and Zhongshan Huabo District in Guangdong—and some of these stores had been in operation for a while. The use of the same "Post Office Coffee" name by these outlets has sparked controversy over the claim of being the "first."

In response to external skepticism, China Post’s official social media account simply replied: "Xiamen is the first." But this response did not quell concerns—in fact, it led more people to start investigating: Which stores are officially authorized? Does a franchise model exist? And especially, are those previously operating stores also legitimate?

The situation escalated further on the evening of the 18th. The official social media of Xiamen Post released a statement, saying that it is currently in a trial operation phase and that "there is no such thing as any franchise center." Almost at the same time, the公众号 "Zhongshan Jiyou" (certified as the "Zhongshan Branch of China Post") also issued a statement, emphasizing that "Post Coffee" is the only coffee-themed post office authorized for operation by them, revealing that the store had actually opened as early as December of the previous year.

The Zhongshan "Post Coffee" also specially filmed a video addressing public concerns, including questions such as "Is this really China Post?" and "Can I join the franchise?" Although the video did not directly detail the franchise terms, it responded positively to these questions and mentioned that "the specific franchise plan is still being urgently discussed in meetings." Notably, due to platform restrictions, the term "franchise" was replaced with "加萌" (a homophone pun), though the intent remains clear.

When responding to netizen questions, the Zhongshan store even bluntly stated: "We opened last December, think about it." This remark made the dispute over who is the "first" even more confusing. A staff member from the Zhongshan Postal Branch explained that what China Post officially refers to as the "first" means "the first café opened within a postal service hall," and the misunderstanding may stem from imprecise wording.

Based on information from all parties, China Post’s official social media and Weibo both labeled the Xiamen Guomao Building store as the "first Post Office Coffee in China," but in reality, other regions already had "Post Office Coffee" stores in operation before this, and some were authorized by local postal branches. This controversy highlights the information gap between national branding and local execution, and also puts the existence of a franchise model in the spotlight.

For consumers, distinguishing the "authentic" Post Office Coffee can be done not only by checking official statements but also by paying attention to opening times and announcements from local postal branches. As for franchise opportunities, no complete plan has been officially announced yet, and the market remains in a wait-and-see phase.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.