Starbucks, which had been the biggest coffee chain in China for a long time, has officially been surpassed by the Chinese startup Luckin Coffee with 10,829 locations.

Chinese startup Luckin Coffee has formally overthrown Starbucks, which had long held the title of the largest coffee chain in China. The company, which was established in 2017, caused a stir when it entered the Chinese coffee market, where Starbucks, a major worldwide corporation, was virtually unopposed. Following a period of tremendous expansion, Luckin Coffee surpassed Starbucks' total number of outlets in China with 10,829 locations at the end of the second quarter of 2023. It is currently the biggest and fastest-growing coffee chain in the nation.

Many were doubtful that the coffee giant would succeed in China, a nation whose tea has defined its history and economy, when Starbucks first entered the country's market in 1999. But a lot of people believe that Starbucks' arrival in China was the catalyst for changing the country's beverage-drinking customs. Starbucks not only led the country's first widespread adoption of Western coffee culture, but it has also long been regarded as the industry's cornerstone.

Starbucks quickly became the dominant player in China's fast-casual coffee market after expanding successfully. According to Coffee Intelligence, the business opened thousands of additional outlets in just ten years between 2011 and 2021. It began with 278 outposts and ended up with more than 5,000. However, Starbucks made it possible for local businesses like Luckin Coffee to enter the market and currently dominate it by creating a new demand for coffee in China.