China’s largest coffee chain, Luckin Coffee, has entered the United States (US) market, with its first store opening in Greenwich Village, New York City, on 30 June.
According to Luckin Coffee’s social media accounts, the new venue offers special deals and discounts, including free tote bags to the first 100 customers and 99c drinks for a limited time.
The expansion to the US comes amid rumours that Starbucks might be scaling back its operations in China due to competition from brands such as Luckin and Cotti Coffee.
Founded in Xiamen in 2017, Luckin Coffee has seen rapid growth over the past eight years. As of July 2025, it has more than 22,000 locations in China, eight in Malaysia, and six in Singapore.
In Q1 2025, the brand reported a total net revenue of more than US$1.22 billion (RMB8,865.4 million), which represents a year-on-year increase of 41.2 per cent.
According to the New York Times, in 2023 the company doubled its number of stores and increased its revenue by 87 per cent, reporting higher results in China than Starbucks.
