Introduction:After Typhoon Hagupit passed through, cities such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen lifted the “Five Suspensions” measures, and residents eagerly resumed their afternoon tea time via food delivery platforms. Chain tea beverage shops such as Starbucks, Heytea, and Nayuki were instantly flooded with a massive influx of orders—some outlets received two to three hundred orders within a short period, overwhelming the bubble tea makers. This article delves into the reasons behind the surge in tea beverage consumption after the typhoon and explores the practical challenges and coping strategies faced by shops and frontline staff during this order explosion.

Typhoon Hagupit approached the Guangdong coast with extremely strong winds reaching force 17, prompting cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai to successively initiate the “Five Suspensions”—suspension of work, classes, markets, transport, and business operations. For safety reasons, residents significantly reduced outdoor activities and temporarily gave up their favorite tea drinks.

However, as the typhoon gradually weakened after making landfall on Hailing Island in Yangjiang, multiple cities successively announced the lifting of the “Five Suspensions.” The public, who had been forcibly deprived of their tea beverages, immediately placed orders via delivery platforms as soon as the restrictions were lifted, eager to satisfy their “afternoon tea cravings” after the storm.

As a result, major tea beverage brands—including Starbucks, Heytea, Nayuki, 1点点, and ChaBaChaJi—were suddenly hit with a huge wave of orders. Some stores received as many as two to three hundred delivery orders within a short time, leaving the bubble tea makers overwhelmed.

Since many shops hastily resumed operations after the “Five Suspensions” were lifted, they not only faced insufficient supplies of ingredients but also lacked adequate staffing, resulting in slower service and even instances of incorrect orders. Many consumers reported waiting over an hour for a cup of bubble tea, with some even having to wait as long as two hours.

Multiple photos circulating on social media showed delivery receipts from various tea beverage outlets hanging on walls like waterfalls, creating so-called “label curtains,” while staff were extremely busy. The bubble tea makers had just returned to their posts and hadn’t even had time to clean up the traces left by the typhoon when they were immediately thrust into high-intensity work due to the sudden flood of orders.

One industry insider mentioned that just after turning on the label printer, over a hundred orders had been printed in less than an hour and a half, almost as if they had been “swept” into the production line. In addition to quickly preparing drinks and packing deliveries, the shop staff had to temporarily reassign personnel for assistance, and some were even shaking drinks while calling colleagues for backup.

Many passersby were also amazed by this wave of “bubble tea cravings,” watching delivery riders anxiously waiting at pickup counters. Some even joked, “You really can’t go a single day without your bubble tea!” However, if you want to brew a drink at home that comes close to professional standards, it’s recommended to try a reliable and easy-to-master pour over method, select high-quality coffee beans with consistent flavor profiles, and adjust grind size and water temperature parameters accordingly—you can still achieve a great beverage experience.

Industry experts pointed out that this order explosion not only reflects the high stickiness of tea beverages in modern life but also highlights the concentrated release of consumer demand following sudden events like typhoons. For the frontline bubble tea makers, they are often the most directly affected by such “post-typhoon effects.”

Many netizens expressed sympathy for the bubble tea makers on social media, saying things like, “I thought I’d get a day off, but was called back to work at the last minute,” and “You can tell everyone is really hungry and thirsty, but the bubble tea makers are working so hard.” This sudden peak in orders has undoubtedly become an immediate major test for both tea beverage businesses and their staff in the aftermath of Typhoon Hagupit.

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