On the morning of 30 August, a huge queue formed outside The Glorious Plaza in Xi’an. The line of people were there for the opening of the first Peet’s Coffee branch in the city, and the whole of Northwest China located on the ground floor of the mall.
Of course, it was not just for the coffee or even the “first branch” that people queued. They were in fact, queueing for the opening discount as well as regional exclusive merch, from magnets to enamel mugs and tote bags. Fans were eager to get their hands on the limited-edition and hyper-localised merch that combines elements of the American coffee culture of the chain, and the local Xi’an, or Shaanxi culture such as the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang.
Peet’s also recently opened a new location at the HKRI Taikoo Hui mall in Shanghai. The Shanghai location, on the other hand, is decorated with a vintage and nostalgic look. The green tiles and walnut panels are reminiscent of the Sumitomo Mitsui bank on Main Street U.S.A. in Tokyo Disneyland. However, this time, the old-timey art deco-inspired design with a gramophone is marketed to hark back to the 1990s in Shanghai, specifically in Blossoms Shanghai. The Wong Kar-wai-directed hit TV series was also commented to resemble 1930s Shanghai more than the 1990s with its nostalgic colonial-period design.
Established in 1966 in Berkeley, CA, Peet’s Coffee is one of the earliest boutique coffee shops in the US and the world. It’s been steadily expanding in China with localised innovations such as creative seasonal and regional exclusives that combine local and Chinese culture. With Oolong tea coffee, Sichuan-style sandwiches and even a hot dry noodle-inspired Mont Blanc latte. Peet’s entered Mainland China in 2017 and now has 156 branches with 40 in Beijing and 31 in Shanghai. The chain’s latest financial report illustrates that its Chinese operation has shown two-digit growth in 2024.
