The 2024 Global Coffee Industry Hongqiao Forum – held in East China's Shanghai on May 9 – released the 2024 China Urban Coffee Development Report, with an extremely pleasing set of results.

It showcased Shanghai's impressive coffee shop growth last year, taking the total to 9,553 outlets and maintaining the national lead.

A panel discussion takes place at the forum. [Photo/eastday.com]

The event attracted officials from major coffee-producing nations, international brand executives and founders of popular coffee spots from across China, fostering spirited and insightful discussions on the future of the sector.

Representatives from McCafé and Trung Nguyen Legend – a leading Vietnamese coffee producer – delivered keynote speeches.

McCafé, having split from McDonald's last year, presented its development strategies to expand its customer base, while Trung Nguyen Legend highlighted its global popularity.

Trung Nguyen Legend's first overseas flagship store – which opened in Shanghai in 2022 – has now become a hub for the overseas Vietnamese coffee culture, blending traditions from the Ottoman, the Roman and the Zen civilizations.

At the event, trade representatives from Brazil and Ethiopia – key coffee-producing nations – shared their insights into global coffee flavors. The forum also featured tasting sessions of coffee beans from international regions, offering attendees a diverse tasting experience.