Blue Bottle bets that Chinese consumers will drink more premium coffee

US brand, recently sold by Nestlé to Chinese capital firm, will need to offer unique experiences and ‘new taste combinations’, analyst says US premium coffee brand Blue Bottle Coffee will open its first Beijing store in the capital’s central business district, as it seeks to tap into China’s still growing market for the drink. The California-based brand is taking a spacious unit at China World Mall. The location, currently enclosed by construction hoarding, was previously occupied by Japanese jeweller Tasaki. The brand has yet to reveal an official opening date, though industry sources said the shop was expected to open by the end of the year. “There should still be growth overall for the freshly brewed coffee sector in China, as the average annual cups consumed per capita still lags significantly behind that of other markets like Japan and South Korea,” said Cathy Chao, senior director of Asia-Pacific corporate ratings at Fitch Ratings.

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