In Shanghai’s Lujiazui financial district—where hedge funds, fintech startups, and caffeine addiction coexist—Luckin Coffee has opened its most unexpected store yet. The budget chain, best known for 9.9 RMB lattes and ruthless efficiency, has gone full “old Shanghai” fantasy, unveiling a flagship that looks closer to a private library than a grab-and-go café.
The downstairs leans hard into heritage aesthetics. Stained glass windows, wrought iron details, and a dramatic spiral staircase channel Republican-era elegance, the kind that suggests serious money and serious thoughts. It’s a visual flex that lands even harder when you remember you’re still ordering from a QR code.
Upstairs is where the real surprise waits. Instead of Luckin’s usual high stools and turnover-friendly layouts, the second floor offers wooden study carrels, high-backed chairs, and semi-private partitions. For students and white-collar workers used to fighting for seats in overcrowded libraries or balancing laptops on café counters, the setup feels almost luxurious. Grinding through slides or exam prep suddenly comes with a sense of dignity.
Then comes the catch: no power outlets, no free Wi-Fi.
The absence feels deliberate. You’re invited to sit, focus, and enjoy the atmosphere—but not to fully move in. Compared with commercial study rooms that charge hourly fees, a cheap coffee still buys impressive value. Compared with the “old Starbucks” era of endless outlets and plush sofas, the boundaries are unmistakable.
Luckin has long rejected Starbucks’ “third place” philosophy, favoring what it calls “infinite scenarios”—different store formats for different moments. This Lujiazui flagship fits neatly into that logic: a brand statement space that flirts with being public while staying firmly commercial.
In a city where genuinely free, comfortable public spaces remain scarce, coffee shops keep absorbing civic functions they were never designed to handle. Luckin’s new study room captures that contradiction perfectly. It welcomes you in, makes you feel important, and quietly reminds you not to stay too long. Just don’t forget to bring a fully charged laptop.
All images via Xiaohongshu.
