Selling Coffee in Herbal Tea Shops?! The Hottest Marketing Trend in the Coffee Industry 2023 - Impactful Sensation

The Weather Challenge in Guangdong

While most places enjoy March's warm spring weather, March in Guangdong swings through daily temperature shifts of 13°C, with the seasons changing as quickly as a revolving lantern.

Guangdong residents typically endure alternating hot and cold spells in March, bringing the familiar complaints of "damp-heat," "internal heat," "heatiness," mouth ulcers, and breakouts. Family members often warn:

"Don't drink so much coffee - it will cause internal heat and dampness!"

The Creative Solution: Coffee in Herbal Tea Shops

Still, today no fear of "internal heat" or "dampness" stands between people and their coffee. And in Guangdong's business culture, practicality and psychological comfort rule everything. For example:

If the elders worry that coffee causes "internal heat," why not sell coffee inside an herbal tea shop? Then the conversation becomes:

"Mom, I'm going out to buy something to drink."
-"Off to the coffee shop again?"
"Off to the herbal tea shop!"

A flawless exchange. And if you really are worried about "internal heat," just wait half an hour after your coffee, then ask the owner for a cup of heat-clearing herbal tea.

Or take a leaf from herbal tea shop promotions: buy 5 coffees, get 1 free herbal tea to cool you down. One shop, and both of a Guangdong coffee lover's greatest needs are met - mental refreshment and internal-heat relief.

Of course, the owner admits this coffee-in-herbal-tea-shop arrangement is only temporary, borrowing space from their parents' shop, with plans to open an independent cafe soon.

The Business Case for Coffee in Herbal Tea Shops

But seriously - as a writer, I'd argue you could skip the rent of a standalone coffee shop altogether by simply setting up a coffee bar inside an herbal tea shop, and it would draw even more attention.

In recent years, many cafes have gone viral by moving into former traditional Chinese medicine shops or styling themselves after them.

The nostalgic atmosphere and down-to-earth charm of an herbal tea shop can attract plenty of young customers on its own.

On one hand, the coffee corner gains an intriguing attraction point, letting consumers of different regions and ages encounter coffee for the first time. On the other hand, it gives the younger generation a window into traditional Chinese culture and herbal medicine. Through the pairing of these two very different cultures, both coffee and herbal tea win deeper understanding and appreciation.

The Future of Coffee and Herbal Tea Integration

Whether coffee or herbal tea, every industry needs these striking combinations to spark the interest of new generations of consumers. With pairings like this, there is no need for "medicine-infused coffee" to win the hearts of the health-conscious.

That said, I don't recommend that shop owners start adding Chinese medicinal herbs to their coffee. These seemingly simple combinations actually test the maker's understanding of both the herbs and the beans: you need to know the herbs themselves, consider whether their flavors might overpower the coffee, and judge whether the blend would taste acceptable to the general public.

Last year, many imitators of the "medicine-infused coffee" trend took messy approaches that made people increasingly wary of medicinal coffee. All medicine carries some toxicity - used improperly, the side effects are not something everyone can handle.

If you really do open a coffee counter in an herbal tea shop, just focus on making coffee the general public can enjoy - the herbal tea is right there beside it anyway.

Does Coffee Really Cause "Internal Heat"?

Finally, let's dig into the question behind this story: does drinking a lot of coffee really cause "internal heat"? Or excessive "dampness"?

Common symptoms of "internal heat" include, but are not limited to: sore throat, mouth sores, bleeding gums, and nosebleeds.

Common symptoms of excessive "dampness" include: fatigue and lethargy, dizziness and headache, dry mouth, poor appetite, eczema, and diarrhea.

As we all know, coffee is a diuretic. After a cup, you usually need the restroom soon after. Some people feel "internal heat" or "dampness" after drinking coffee, quite possibly because they didn't drink enough water afterward. When the body runs low on water, it sends dehydration signals, and the symptoms that follow look a lot like "internal heat" or "excess dampness." So there is a real reason people feel this way after coffee - but the coffee isn't the culprit.

So after your next cup, don't rush for herbal tea! A couple of extra glasses of water will relieve these symptoms just fine.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Whether you drink your coffee next to an herbal tea pot or anywhere else, starting with an easy-drinking bean makes all the difference. The FrontStreet natural Sidamo Huakui is a classic entry-level choice: traditional natural processing brings berry, floral, jackfruit, sweet melon, and honey notes, with the ripe tropical-fruit sweetness Sidamo is known for.

If you prefer something cleaner and brighter, the FrontStreet washed Konga (Guodingding) Cooperative coffee from Yirgacheffe's Worka area offers jasmine florals with fresh lemon and citrus acidity - no heavy bitterness at all, so even cautious first-timers can enjoy it comfortably.