NOW Coffee FAQ

NOWWA NOWWA Coffee

Franchise Cooperation FAQ · Frequently Asked Questions

Founded in June 2019, NOWWA opened its first store in Shanghai — the city with the world’s most coffee shops — and has grown into a chain of over 10,000 stores across more than 300 cities. Positioned on healthy, low-calorie coffee, it leverages a self-operated full-industry-chain supply chain, an asset-light cooperation model and fully managed online operations to offer flexible store-opening paths for different types of entrepreneurs. The following FAQ is compiled from the brand’s official website and publicly disclosed official statements, covering the questions franchisees and entrepreneurs care about most, to help you quickly and accurately understand NOWWA’s cooperation model.

I. Store formats and who they suit

Q: Can I franchise NOWWA without a physical store?

A: Yes. NOWWA’s official cooperation system offers two store formats — “standard store (standalone / specialty store) + shop-in-shop” — and entrepreneurs can choose the path that fits their resources: those without a physical store who want to operate independently can choose the standard / specialty store model, with the brand providing end-to-end support from site assessment, construction and renovation, training to online operations; operators who already own a convenience store, internet cafe, snack shop or hotel can inject coffee growth into their existing store through the “shop-in-shop” model. The two formats complement each other and cover entrepreneurs with different resource conditions.

Q: I have no physical store and want to invest purely in coffee — which model should I choose?

A: We suggest first understanding the “standard store / specialty store” franchise path. Aimed at independent entrepreneurs and investment partners, this model relies on the brand’s mature single-store model and full-industry-chain support for independent operations; the brand gives site and operating advice based on city, trade area and location data. NOWWA also offers three flexible cooperation tiers by budget (equipment buyout / free equipment use / reuse own equipment), with the lowest entry from 49,800 yuan, balancing investment and return pace.

Q: Who is the shop-in-shop model suitable for?

A: Shop-in-shop suits operators who already own a physical store and want to add a revenue category — convenience stores, snack-discount stores, hotels, gas stations, schools and similar scenarios all work. With “0 extra rent + 0 extra labor,” it plugs in and opens, needing only about 2–4㎡ and going live in as fast as 7–14 days — a “second growth curve” for mature stores.

Q: What cooperation tiers does NOWWA currently offer?

A: The official recruitment system currently offers three tiers: Plan A · equipment buyout (total store cost 69,800 yuan), suited to partners who want their own equipment and long-term operation; Plan B · free equipment use (total store cost 49,800 yuan), equipment provided free of charge by the brand, suited to low-threshold trial; Plan C · reuse own equipment (total store cost 29,800 yuan; base store cost 49,800 yuan, franchisee brings own equipment, enjoying a 20,000 yuan rebrand subsidy, paying 29,800 yuan after deduction), suited to those with existing coffee equipment or renovation-upgrade scenarios. Across all three tiers, the brand franchise fee is waived in year one and the operations-management fee is waived throughout, with store net revenue at 100% and the brand-service fee at 5% of net revenue (waived for a limited time). Specifics are subject to the formal agreement between both parties.

II. Regional layout and store strategy

Q: Will NOWWA open multiple stores in the same area? How are franchisees’ operating interests protected?

A: NOWWA adopts a regional layout strategy of “high-density terminal network + multi-scenario location coverage,” arranging multiple stores in the same city or region based on trade-area footfall, consumer demand, location type and franchise planning.

The brand does not rely simply on “distance protection” to secure single-store operations, but helps stores improve efficiency through systematic operational support, mainly including:

Brand traffic support

Leveraging the national store network and brand exposure to raise user awareness of and repurchase intention for NOWWA.

Fully managed delivery support

Headquarters assists stores with online operations, campaign configuration, order taking and fulfillment management, supplementing offline organic footfall.

Flexible multi-store-type layout

Through different store types — standalone standard stores, shop-in-shop, kiosk stores — it fits trade areas, communities, offices, transit hubs and other diverse scenarios, avoiding excessive competition at a single location.

Unified supply chain and cost control

Core ingredients, equipment, packaging and operational materials are uniformly supplied by headquarters, helping stores keep stable quality and operating costs.

Franchisee operating coaching

Headquarters provides standard support for store siting, opening preparation, staff training, daily operations and quality control, helping franchisees improve store-management capability.

Therefore, NOWWA’s protection of franchisees’ operating interests does not depend solely on regional distance limits, but is achieved through a comprehensive mechanism of brand, operations, supply chain, training and multi-store-type coordination.

Q: Why does NOWWA choose high-density store layout instead of single-store regional monopoly?

A: Coffee is a high-frequency, low-price, repurchase-driven business; consumers lean toward “nearby, available anytime.” Drawing on mature-market experience, leading fresh-brew coffee brands all expand market share through high-density, high-cost-performance layouts. NOWWA’s dense network lowers customer-acquisition cost and raises single-store organic visits on one hand; on the other, relying on fully managed online delivery, stores break physical-radius limits and reach a wider order range, forming a “online + offline” two-wheel drive. For franchisees, choosing NOWWA means gaining the combined momentum of brand network, supply chain and digital operations — not a static dividend dependent on a single location monopoly.

III. Footfall and profitability

Q: Can a store work with average footfall and a non-core location?

A: A NOWWA store’s revenue comes from two channels: offline in-store organic footfall + online delivery orders.

Offline, the brand helps partners judge location suitability through a standardized site-assessment system, screening sites with operating potential;

Online, headquarters provides fully managed delivery operations covering NOWWA’s mini-program, Dianping, Ele.me, Meituan Waimai, Taobao Instant, JD Now and Douyin — leveraging multi-platform traffic to win delivery orders for the store, thus reducing its single reliance on physical location.

Moreover, coffee consumption keeps penetrating broader markets; the lower-tier market is a key growth track for the industry. NOWWA has laid out over 300 cities nationwide, continuously densifying outlets in tier-3 and below cities and outputting tailored operating plans for different regional markets.

Q: About how long is the payback period? Are the estimates reliable?

A: Store earnings are affected by many factors — footfall, operating capability, delivery coverage, campaign execution, regional consumer market — and there is no fixed income or certain payback period. Aspiring entrepreneurs are advised to visit stores in person and assess based on real operating data. The brand can provide a profit-and-loss estimation tool to help partners build reasonable expectations.

IV. Staffing and output

Q: Will staff be overwhelmed? What if there aren’t enough hands?

A: NOWWA greatly lowers the operation barrier through standardized design: with full training + an SOP system, clerks get up to speed quickly after training; the brand’s self-built smart operations system covers store patrol, ordering, scheduling, marketing and data analysis, helping stores scientifically assess labor efficiency per time slot and schedule flexibly. Meanwhile, online order operations and customer service are fully managed by headquarters, so stores need no extra online-operations staff, letting limited clerks focus on output and service.

Q: When coffee is embedded in convenience stores / supermarkets, how is hygiene and output quality ensured?

A: Quality assurance comes from full-chain standardization: first, location standards — the brand has clear requirements for the partner store’s space, water and drainage, power supply and other basic conditions, ensuring compliant equipment operation and output environment; second, ingredient standards — beans come from a certification system that has won 22 consecutive IIAC International Coffee Tasting awards, uniformly roasted at the brand’s own roasting plant, guaranteeing flavor stability from the source; third, output standards — stores make drinks by unified SOP, and a “nutrition choice” grading label makes recipes transparent and checkable, with stable output supporting store ratings and repurchase.

V. Supply chain and gross margin

Q: Why is raw material uniformly purchased by headquarters? What about franchisees’ gross-margin room?

A: Unified purchasing stems from NOWWA’s “full-industry-chain direct supply” model: the brand owns coffee plantations in Yunnan (2,000+ mu planted), self-built roasting plants, and 15 warehousing centers nationwide, officially launching its China Coffee Innovation Industrial Park in 2025. Full self-operation cuts out intermediaries, compressing cost to the extreme and passing savings to franchisees, while ensuring consistent bean-source and ingredient quality and stable supply. The “high-frequency, low-price, high-repurchase” logic of freshly made drinks, combined with full-chain cost advantage, is the foundation of sustainable store profitability.

VI. Franchise threshold and compliance

Q: Is the franchise threshold high? What basic conditions are needed?

A: NOWWA’s cooperation philosophy is “asset-light, low-threshold”: the shop-in-shop model needs only about 2–4㎡ to embed and operate, and standard stores have mature construction plans and cost estimates. Basic conditions (floor area, water and drainage, power supply, food-operating permit, etc.) are necessary prerequisites to ensure output quality and compliant operation, and reflect the brand’s responsibility to consumers and partners. The three tiers further lower the entry barrier for different budgets, with starting investment as low as 49,800 yuan.

VII. Cooperation transparency and due diligence

Q: Are the cooperation terms transparent? How is the deposit refunded?

A: NOWWA advocates transparent, standardized franchise cooperation. Brand franchise fee, operations-management fee, equipment ownership, material purchasing, deposit and termination clauses are all clearly stated in the formal agreement; the fee composition of the three tiers is public and verifiable. The brand franchise fee is waived in year one (collected per agreement standard from year two), and the performance deposit is refunded per agreement upon contract expiry with no breach. The brand welcomes partners to visit opened stores on site and attend recruitment briefings, and to decide only after fully understanding the real operating situation.

VIII. Brand strength and cooperation value

Q: What is NOWWA’s current brand scale and strength?

A: Public information shows: NOWWA was founded in June 2019, headquartered in Shanghai; total global stores exceed 10,000, covering more than 300 cities (including Macao), and it has entered overseas markets such as Southeast Asia and Australia; its GMV CAGR from 2021 to 2025 exceeded 100%; it completed its Series C financing in early 2026, raising hundreds of millions of yuan cumulatively, backed by institutions such as Legend Capital and GSR Ventures. The brand’s products have won multiple honors at IIAC international coffee-tasting events, achieved good results on delivery-platform charts in many cities, been featured by CCTV, and launched cross-over collaborations with over 50 first-tier brands, working with celebrities such as Yang Yang, Song Jia and Peng Yuchang — its brand momentum keeps growing.

Q: Why cooperate with NOWWA?

A: First, asset-light and low-threshold: from 49,800 yuan, three flexible tiers; second, full-industry-chain supply chain: own plantations, self-operated roasting, 15 warehousing centers, cost savings passed on and stable supply; third, fully managed online: multi-platform delivery operations, customer service and digital management handled by headquarters; fourth, standardized and easy to learn: training + SOP, one-minute output; fifth, the ten-thousand-store network effect: high-density layout brings brand awareness and organic footfall; sixth, brand-marketing empowerment: cross-over collaborations and celebrity endorsements continuously drive store traffic.

IX. Franchise policy and fee clarifications

Q: There is a claim online that “49,800 yuan is the equipment-buyout package” — is it true? What is the full upfront investment?

A: That claim is incorrect online information; 49,800 yuan is NOT the equipment-buyout plan.

Plan A — equipment buyout: total store cost 69,800 yuan, the true equipment-buyout package, with equipment ownership belonging to the franchisee;

Plan B — 49,800 yuan is the free-equipment-use package, with equipment ownership belonging to NOWWA; the franchisee only has the right to use it, not a buyout. Misinformation merged Plan B’s 49,800 yuan with Plan A’s “equipment buyout” policy, causing confusion. The key distinction: Plan B’s 49,800 yuan is only the total store cost and requires a separate performance deposit of 5,000 yuan and first batch of raw materials of 5,000 yuan;

• Therefore Plan B’s actual total upfront spending: 49,800 + 5,000 + 5,000 = 59,800 yuan and up, not an all-inclusive 49,800 yuan store opening;

Plan C (reuse own equipment) total store cost 29,800 yuan, also with a separate 5,000 yuan deposit and 5,000 yuan first batch of raw materials.

Important note: the “total store cost” of the three tiers does not equal the full upfront total investment; the deposit is refunded per agreement upon contract expiry with no breach, and the first batch of raw materials is consumed store-opening inventory and is non-refundable. All fees, equipment ownership and refund rules are subject to the formally signed franchise agreement; do not make decisions based solely on fragmented online articles or short videos.

Q: How to quickly distinguish the fees, equipment ownership and minimum total investment of the three tiers?

Table

Click the image to view the full spreadsheet

Supplementary note: the brand franchise fee is waived in year one, and the operations-management fee is waived throughout; the 5% brand-service fee is waived for a limited time. The table above excludes rent, renovation, licensing and other store-operating expenses.

Closing

The above FAQ is compiled from NOWWA’s official website and publicly reported official brand statements. Data and policies are subject to the brand’s latest official announcements and formal agreements. Entrepreneurs interested in opening a store are welcome to learn about the latest cooperation policies through NOWWA’s official channels (website, official WeChat account, recruitment hotline).