If you’ve started to notice coffee shops popping up around the city with a distinctive blue logo featuring deer antlers, you better get used to it. Luckin Coffee, China’s largest coffee chain (with upwards of 30,000 locations in China alone), recently broke into the U.S. market with at least 10 locations in New York City, and has grand plans for aggressive global expansion. Here in Lower Manhattan, Luckin has already opened two locations in recent months: at 100 Maiden Ln. and 102 Fulton St.
The first thing you need to know about Luckin is there will be nobody to take your order when you enter and no cash register. Everything is ordered off of Luckin’s app or, if you don’t want to download yet another app, through their website. Behind the counter, a team of baristas quickly and efficiently churn out orders from fancy coffee machines and are available to answer your questions on the menu.
Luckin’s menu is expansive with practically any variation of hot and cold coffee and matcha drinks you could imagine — with many trending towards the sweeter side. The company prides itself on its award-winning Arabica beans and its 100% Japanese matcha. The menu also includes seasonal items, limited time items and signature items. According to their website, one of those signature items, the Iced Coconut Latte, has been sold a whopping 1.7 billion times. An assortment of pastries is also available.
While personal interaction is not high on the list of Luckin’s priorities, the shops are tastefully designed in a minimalist style and do offer limited seating so you can hang with your coworkers on a coffee break.
Should you decide to download their app, keep an eye out for the many discounts the brand frequently offers. For more information on Luckin Coffee, visit the website.
