At a Glance (China Coffee Network): After Centurium Capital took control, Blue Bottle Coffee has accelerated store openings in China, with new stores rolling out in Beijing, Nanjing and Wuhan; turning a scarce experience into sustainable store operations is the new test.
The pace at which Blue Bottle Coffee is opening stores in China is changing.
Recently, construction hoardings for new Blue Bottle Coffee stores have appeared at commercial projects including Beijing’s China World Mall, Nanjing’s Deji Plaza, Wuhan’s MixC and Wushang MALL. Beijing and Nanjing will each welcome the brand’s first local store, while Wuhan has also become a key city in its new round of expansion.
For a specialty coffee brand that entered the Chinese mainland in 2022 and had until now expanded relatively slowly, such moves are unusual.
In February 2022, Blue Bottle Coffee opened its first mainland China store on the banks of Suzhou Creek in Shanghai, then gradually entered cities such as Shenzhen and Hangzhou. As of October 13, 2026, Blue Bottle Coffee had only 14 stores on the Chinese mainland, spread across Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hangzhou. Over more than four years its expansion pace fit the specialty-coffee model, averaging fewer than four new stores a year — consistently slow.
Now that pace is beginning to accelerate, and the change is not unrelated to adjustments in brand ownership and the management team.
In the first half of this year, Nestle sold Blue Bottle Coffee to Centurium Capital. According to previously disclosed transaction information, Centurium Capital mainly took over Blue Bottle Coffee’s global offline store business, while Nestle retained part of the fast-moving consumer goods business such as coffee capsules. Notably, Centurium Capital is also the controlling shareholder of Luckin Coffee.
After the acquisition closed, Blue Bottle Coffee’s China management also changed. In June this year, the legal representative and general manager of Blue Bottle Coffee (China) Co., Ltd. changed to Li Mo, who had previously served as general manager of Luckin Coffee’s Beijing branch; the new chairman, Chen Weihao, is a partner at Centurium Capital and also serves as a director of Luckin Coffee.
The arrival of managers with chain-coffee operating backgrounds, while still preserving the specialty-coffee character, gives more room for imagination about Blue Bottle Coffee’s next phase of scaled development.
Judging by the site selection of recent new stores, Blue Bottle Coffee’s operating thinking already shows some changes. In the past the brand was known for emphasizing architectural character and spatial design, tending to build distinctive stores in settings such as historic buildings and characteristic neighborhoods. Now mature commercial projects such as Beijing’s China World Mall, Nanjing’s Deji Plaza and Wuhan’s MixC have become its new expansion choices.
These commercial complexes offer relatively stable footfall and a high-end consumer base, and can help the brand reach local consumers faster. For Blue Bottle Coffee, raising store coverage and opening efficiency while continuing the specialty coffee experience is becoming a new operating consideration.
Beyond opening stores, the brand has also begun building awareness in new markets ahead of time. In October this year, Blue Bottle Coffee held pop-up events at Wuhan’s Wushang MALL and MixC, and brought the finals of its Global Barista Competition to China for the first time, establishing contact with local consumers before the official stores open.
But opening stores faster also means Blue Bottle Coffee must face new operating tests. For a long time, specialty coffee, distinctive spaces and a relatively premium price position together formed the brand’s image. As it enters more cities and more mature commercial settings, how to convert an originally scarce consumption experience into sustainable store operations will directly determine the outcome of this expansion round.
After Centurium Capital took control, Blue Bottle Coffee has taken its first step toward accelerated expansion. Whether the new stores can keep attracting consumers, and whether the brand can maintain its character amid scale growth, remain to be tested by the market.
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