Introduction:Luckin Coffee has introduced oven equipment in some of its Shanghai outlets to provide customers with heated light meals such as sandwiches, earning praise from consumers but sparking strong reactions from frontline staff. How exactly does this new service work? What practical challenges does nationwide expansion face? This article takes an in-depth look at staff concerns, qualification barriers, and the details of actual operations.
In recent years, chain coffee brands have actively expanded their baked goods offerings, and Luckin Coffee is no exception. In addition to coffee beverages, it also provides a variety of light food options such as daifuku and sandwiches. However, many customers have reported that after purchasing these baked products, they often receive them at room temperature or even cold, especially during winter or early in the morning, which affects the eating experience. Some consumers have tried heating them at convenience stores but hoped that the brand itself could offer a more convenient solution.
Recently, a netizen shared their dining experience at Luckin’s Jiangwanli outlet in Shanghai, pointing out that the store’s operation area is equipped with an oven, and staff heat items such as sandwiches according to order needs. According to the sharer, the bread becomes crispy on the outside and soft on the inside after heating, significantly improving the texture. This move has received support from many netizens, who have called on Luckin to consider rolling out this service nationwide.
However, this new measure has sparked heated discussion among employees. Some frontline staff have expressed strong opposition on social media platforms, expressing concerns that installing ovens will increase cleaning and maintenance burdens—for example, having to clean the ovens after closing—and may also affect the original meal service efficiency. Some staff even stated bluntly that if customers in the future have specific requirements for the degree of heating, such as “don’t bake it too dry” or “maintain a certain temperature,” it will further increase work pressure and may even lead to resistance.
Some calm analyses point out that currently, Luckin only offers heated meals in some flagship or special store formats, which typically already have the relevant equipment and operational procedures. For the majority of outlets nationwide, to fully roll out this service, the first challenge to address is food processing qualifications. Even if the equipment is in place, outlets without the proper permits cannot legally provide heated services.
Industry insiders added that if Luckin wishes to expand its light meal heating services, in addition to adding hardware such as ovens, it will also need to adjust the store positioning and apply for necessary licenses to ensure compliance with local health and food safety regulations. Otherwise, even with high consumer demand, actual promotion will still face significant restrictions.
In summary, while Luckin’s trial of using ovens in some outlets has received positive feedback from consumers, the concerns of frontline staff and qualification barriers remain key issues to resolve before nationwide expansion. Whether more outlets will be able to offer warm, freshly baked light meals in the future still depends on further planning and adjustments by the brand.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
