There’s no shortage of coffee chains to get your caffeine fix, from Starbucks and Costa, to Pret and Nero, to name just a few.
But perhaps one of the biggest, is a brand you’ve never heard of.
With a staggering 20,000 stores across the globe, Luckin Coffee, which hails from China, is looking to expand.
The brand – which is already more popular than Starbucks in China, and has stores in Singapore and Malaysia – has just opened its doors in New York. And, there’s rumours its setting its sights on the UK too.
Founded in October 2017, Luckin offers signature drinks you won’t find in your standard UK coffee shop: think coconut latte, orange americano, a velvet latte and Little Butter Latte.
And, unlike your standard barista served coffee, they do things a little differently here.
Here’s everything you need to know about Luckin Coffee.
How is Luckin different to other coffee shops like Starbucks, Costa and Pret?
Luckin overtook Starbucks as the largest coffee retailer in China back in 2023.
What makes it different is its customer experience. You have to order drinks using the Luckin Coffee app, and pay on your phone, so there’s no more waiting impatiently while the person in front fumbles with their cards.
This makes it a very efficient operation, with customers on TikTok saying their whole experience took a maximum of five minutes. The app will also estimate your beverages time of arrival for you, sending a text when it’s ready.
The app also suggests personalised recommendations based on your order history, as well as dishing out exclusive deals and vouchers.
With this, youget your caffeine fix keeping human interaction to a minimum.
It’s the opposite experience to Starbucks, which is planning to phase out its mobile-order-only US locations to give a more personal experience.
Luckin Coffee is also giving you a serious first-time order discount, with £1.50 hot drinks available in the US as a promotional deal. In other stores they’re being offered for as little as 75p.
What’s on the menu?
A simple iced black coffee will set you back about £3.74, while a more elaborate iced coconut latte will cost you £4.87. They’re both pretty much what you’d expect.
The menu typically scratches the same itch as the likes of Costa and Starbucks, but it does offer some more unusual offerings.
Its bestseller of 2024 is the little butter latte, a coffee blended with butter for a ‘smoother, creamier’ experience.
The chain’s signature velvet latte is a little more confusing, claiming to have ‘velvet-flavoured thick milk’ which is meant to give your coffee a rich milky aroma.
You can of course get a basic flat white or cappuccino too, or you can hop on the matcha hype with a matcha jasmine frappe or coconut matcha latte.
What is perhaps most intriguing is its fruity americano range, including coffee with orange juice, pomelo juice, apple fizz or grape fizz. It’s all on-trend, given that summer’s unexpected refresher is the espresso lemonade.
The menu is entirely drinks-based, which also sets it apart, meaning you simply grab your drink and go, unlike Starbucks where you could pick up a sandwich or cake.
Can we expect to see Luckin’ Coffee in the UK?
While there’s no official news Luckin Coffee will come to the UK, we’ve done some snooping and it’s looking promising.
On July 22, Luckin Coffee Limited registered an office address in Basildon to run restaurants and cafes, take-away food shops, and mobile food stands.
So if you’re keen to give it a go, you might not have to fly to China or the Big Apple to have a taste.
Metro has reached out to Luckin Coffee for comment.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
