Introduction:After two cross-industry ventures that didn’t go as planned, Lu Zhengyao, the founder of Luckin Coffee, has refocused on the coffee industry by launching a brand-new fresh food brand, “COTTI COFFEE.” The brand’s first store officially debuted at Fuzhou IFC, featuring all-day operations that not only offer coffee but also include a variety of choices such as baked goods, light meals, and beverages. This article delves into COTTI COFFEE’s brand positioning, team background, and its potential to become a new force in China’s coffee market.

After leaving Luckin, Lu Zhengyao had attempted to venture into two F&B projects—Quxiaomian and Shejian Yingxiong—but the results fell short of expectations. Now, he has chosen to return to the coffee sector he knows best, launching the new brand “COTTI COFFEE” and opening its first outlet at Fuzhou IFC, marking his renewed push into the market.

This new brand is positioned as an all-day dining experience, selling not just coffee but also baked snacks, light meal sets, and alcoholic beverages, aiming to meet consumers’ diverse needs from morning to night. It is understood that the morning menu focuses on coffee paired with Italian biscuits, while lunch and afternoon offer full meals and snacks respectively, with alcoholic drink options available in the evening to achieve full-scene coverage.

The operating entity of COTTI COFFEE is COTTI COFFEE (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., which was registered and established on May 19, 2022, with a registered capital of USD 100 million, and is headquartered in Tianjin.The core team members of the company mostly come from well-known new economy enterprises such as Luckin Coffee, Shenzhou Car Rental, and Shenzhou Special Car, demonstrating their strong industry background and operational experience.

The brand name “COTTI COFFEE” draws inspiration from a type of Italian specialty biscuit, which is commonly enjoyed with coffee. As such, COTTI is not only the brand name but also symbolizes an extension of coffee culture, reflecting the all-encompassing coffee lifestyle that COTTI COFFEE strives for.

It is worth mentioning,On October 19, 2022, COTTI COFFEE (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. completed a change in its legal representative, transitioning from Wang Baiyin, a classmate of Lu Zhengyao, to Qian Zhiya—Lu Zhengyao’s “protégé” and former CEO of Luckin Coffee.This move signifies the brand’s entry into a new phase of development and has attracted significant attention from the market.

Lu Zhengyao was the founder of UCAR and the founder and former chairman of Luckin Coffee. However, in 2020, Luckin was embroiled in a financial fraud scandal involving RMB 2.2 billion, leading to his removal from the position of chairman in June and July of the same year.

This is not the first time Lu Zhengyao has turned to non-coffee sectors after a failed venture. Previously, he launched the noodle restaurant brand “Quxiaomian” and the ready-meal project “Shejian Yingxiong,” neither of which achieved the expected results. “Quxiaomian” slowed its expansion plans after just three months of operation, while “Shejian Yingxiong,” despite initially attracting contracts from 6,000 distributors, eventually shut down due to profitability issues.

Now, Lu Zhengyao has led his team back to the coffee industry with the launch of COTTI COFFEE. The brand not only carries his personal hopes for a comeback but also, thanks to the successful experience during the Luckin era, has sparked market buzz even before its official launch.

Just five months after the brand’s establishment, COTTI COFFEE’s first store officially opened at Fuzhou IFC, marking the brand’s first step forward.At the same time, COTTI COFFEE also announced its sponsorship as the official Chinese partner of the Argentina national football team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, further boosting the brand’s visibility and international image.

Compared to his previous two cross-industry attempts, COTTI COFFEE is currently receiving more market anticipation. Whether it will become the key to Lu Zhengyao’s comeback and successfully establish itself in China’s highly competitive coffee market remains a development worth watching closely.

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