Who is Drinking 35 Yuan County Coffee? Netizens: That Expert from a Few Days Ago!

Who Is Drinking 35 Yuan County Coffee?

Last night, the hashtag "Who is drinking 35 yuan county coffee" once again trended on Weibo.

Some netizens couldn't work out what the discussion was even about, and dissected every keyword in the topic — "35 yuan," "county," and "coffee" — one by one.

Many others chimed in: "Definitely not me," "That's my entire daily food budget," and "In the county town, the only cheap thing is my salary."

One reply got the biggest laugh: "Who else could it be? That expert from a few days ago, obviously — he drinks two cups a day."

Coffee Market Expansion in Lower-Tier Cities

Clicking into the topic, the top post was an article from DT Finance titled "35 Yuan County Coffee, I Can Hardly Afford It."

The article cites Meituan's publicly released "2022 China Fresh Coffee Category Development Report": compared with the previous year, coffee delivery orders in fourth- and fifth-tier cities grew by 257% and 253% respectively in 2021 — far outpacing first- and second-tier cities.

Well-known coffee chains from the big cities have been "sinking down" into fourth- and fifth-tier cities to grab the county market. The most recognizable names: the budget-friendly Luckin Coffee, the mid-to-high-end Starbucks, and the newer contender Luckier Coffee. According to DT Finance, from 2019 to 2022 the number of Luckin and Starbucks stores in fourth- and fifth-tier cities grew substantially.

Independent Coffee Shops in County Towns

Beyond the chains, the backbone of county coffee is the independent café run by locals. These shops resemble big-city specialty cafés — mostly beautifully decorated, all about "pour-over," "freshly ground," and visual presentation, and by no means cheap.

Anyone who went home for Chinese New Year has probably noticed a Luckin or Starbucks at the busiest intersection of their hometown county — or a community coffee shop opened right near their building. Coffee lovers rejoiced: no more worrying about going without coffee back home.

Price Divergence and Consumer Demand

Coffee prices have diverged dramatically: discounted cups sell for just a few yuan, while others cost tens or even hundreds of yuan. But at every price point, lower-tier cities and counties have consumers — each matching a different need. As one netizen put it: "There are rich people everywhere, and poor people too."

Those buying high-priced coffee in fourth- and fifth-tier cities aren't chasing a "lifesaver drink" to stay awake — they want "a place to chat," the social space and comfortable atmosphere of a café.

Cultural Factors and Future Potential

What draws county residents into coffee shops also includes the emerging "check-in culture," amplified by social media influencers. Cafés with an inherently stylish vibe have become the natural first choice for young people. Meanwhile, some innovative coffee entrepreneurs have brought trendy elements from first- and second-tier cities back to the counties, winning local followings.

So the "sinking market" for coffee is still worth watching — its consumption potential remains largely untapped. County coffee specifically, though, will need more patience and time to cultivate.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

If a 35-yuan cafe cup feels steep, brewing at home is the smart alternative. For an easy entry into specialty coffee, FrontStreet Coffee recommends the washed Ethiopia Guodingding from Yirgacheffe's Guodingding cooperative, with its jasmine florals, lemon acidity, and berry sweetness, or the sun-dried Sidamo Huakui with berry, floral, jackfruit, melon, and honey notes. Brazil fans will enjoy the Cerrado Red Bourbon — cream, peanut, and cocoa flavors that taste far more expensive than it costs.

For something richer, the FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling — wet-hulled, triple hand-sorted, and meeting the G1 grading standard — offers a smooth, clean, caramel-toned cup at a fraction of a cafe's price, and the entry-level Panama Boquete washed Geisha lets you experience classic orange-blossom honey sweetness without the Esmeralda price tag.