Luckin Coffee's 100th Store: When a Tech Giant Meets Specialty Coffee

Luckin Coffee has opened its 100th Singapore outlet at Bugis Junction, and it's not like your typical Luckin. This flagship concept features a dedicated V60 pour-over bar, single-origin espresso, and a Q-Grader-certified Costa Rica Gesha.

But what makes this outlet different isn't the scale. It's the coffee.

Walk into the Bugis Junction outlet and you'll notice something unusual for a chain: a dedicated pour-over station.

Walk into the Bugis Junction outlet, and you'll notice something unusual for a chain: a dedicated pour-over station. It's equipped with a pour-over setup, along with precision grinders that freshly grind beans for each cup, and machines that standardize every pour-over. This isn't a gimmick. It's the kind of consistency you'd expect from a specialty roaster, not a chain.

The star of the menu is the Costa Rica Gesha, a single-origin bean currently available as a pour-over. It's grown in Biolley, Costa Rica, at an altitude of 1,250 to 1,380 metres, and processed using the honey method, where the outer cherry skin is removed but a thick layer of mucilage is left to dry, yielding heightened sweetness and more complex flavours. The roast profile is light, and it carries a Q-Grader Cupping Score of 85.25, which certifies it as Specialty Grade. On the palate, it delivers sweet notes, bright fruit acidity, a round and juicy mouthfeel, and a subtle herbal note.

I ordered the Costa Rica Gesha as a pour-over, served over ice. The aroma was floral with a hint of sweetness. The acidity was bright and fruity but not overpowering, while the body was round and juicy with a clean finish. The aftertaste lingered with a sweet, subtly herbal note. It's a delicate, complex cup, the kind that rewards slow sipping.

Luckin Coffee's 100th store is a signal that the line between "chain" and "specialty" is blurring, and consumers are the winners.