Hong Kong
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A Chinese coffee chain has apologized and changed its name after state media promoted it as misusing a word respected by China’s Communist government.
People’s Cafe is decorated mostly in bright red, often with stars painted on its storefronts, reminiscent of the Chinese Communist Party’s aesthetic. It also uses a typeface inspired by the calligraphy of China’s first communist leader, Mao Zedong.
The company apologized on Saturday, days after state media named it as participating in a “contraption economy.”
As in many officially communist states, the term “people” (“people” in Mandarin) is used liberally and seriously by the Chinese government.
The country’s official name is the People’s Republic of China, and many prestigious institutions also use this title, including the military, the People’s Liberation Army. The currency is the Renminbi. And even Communist Party spokesmen who criticized the cafe.
The term “has a unique public character and deep political meaning, and embodies certain social sentiments and public interests,” People’s Daily wrote in an editorial on Thursday, adding that the term “must not be blasphemed or misused.”
“Marketing can be creative, but it must not go beyond the profit line,” the magazine writes.
Photos circulating on Chinese social media show cafe patrons being served drinks with the word “China” written on them. The slogan “Telling China’s story through coffee” adorned the walls and facades of some branches.
On Saturday, Yaoqiao People’s Cafe, which has about 30 stores nationwide, apologized on social media, according to state media.
“We sincerely apologize to all consumers who have been harmed,” it said, adding that after “deep remorse,” it had “taken proactive steps” to rectify the situation.
The chain announced it would restore “Yaoqiao” to the names of all stores in mainland China to reflect its legally registered name, but overseas branches and stores in the semi-autonomous cities of Hong Kong and Macau will remain People’s Café.
The chain also faced rebuke on social media. “Not a very wise move,” one user wrote on the X-like platform Weibo.
Another wrote: “Isn’t that against the law? Shouldn’t they shut down and regroup?”
The chain’s rapid expansion in recent years, alongside major local coffee makers such as Luckin Coffee, underscores the growing demand for coffee in this country of 1.4 billion people, traditionally dominated by tea.
And the market is becoming increasingly competitive, with cheaper options from local manufacturers squeezing foreign chains like Starbucks, once a symbol of status and Western influence in wealthy China.
Last week, the Seattle-based coffee giant announced it would sell control of its more than 8,000 stores in China to a local investment firm.
