Manner Coffee

Overview

Manner Coffee was founded in 2015 in Shanghai by former veterinarian Han Yulong and his wife Lu Jianxia, opening with a 2-square-meter takeout window on Nanyang Road in Jing'an district after a previous coffee shop in Nantong failed to find a market. The name comes from the Kingsman line 'manners maketh man,' and the brand built its reputation pricing barista-pulled flat whites 30–40% below international chains while offering a 5-yuan discount to customers who bring their own cup. Manner expanded slowly until ByteDance- and Temasek-backed funding from 2018 onward; the chain now operates 1,000+ directly-operated stores across 21 Chinese provinces and is among the largest mainland Chinese specialty brands.

Known for

• Founded 2015 in Shanghai by Han Yulong + Lu Jianxia — first store was a 2 m² Nanyang Road takeout window
• 1,000+ directly-operated stores across 21 Chinese provinces (1,000th store opened North Bund Riverside, November 2023)
• Bring-your-own-cup discount (5 yuan / ~$0.76) — early sustainability positioning
• Backed by ByteDance, Temasek, Meituan Long-Z, Coatue, H Capital
• Focus on Chinese-grown beans, primarily Yunnan-sourced for house blends

Why it matters

Manner is the bellwether of Chinese specialty coffee scaling from 'specialty bar' to 'national chain' — going from 8 stores at the end of 2018 to over 1,000 by November 2023. The model — 2-to-3 square meter footprints, locally roasted Yunnan-heavy beans, prices well under international chains — has reshaped what specialty coffee looks like in China. For the directory, Manner is the most important Chinese name to track because it's the case study other domestic chains (M Stand, Seesaw) have followed and the one that has attracted the largest specialty-adjacent investor base.

Production

destoning

null

head roaster

Han Yulong (originally; now centralized team)

color sorting

null

roaster machine

null

filter equipment

null

cupping frequency

null

roastery location

Shanghai (centralized roasting facility)

espresso equipment

null

annual volume tonnes

null

Café

This roaster operates a café.

Recognitions

• 2023 Hurun Global Unicorn — ¥19 billion enterprise value (rank 364)
• 2025 Hurun Global Unicorn — ¥20.5 billion valuation
• 2023 Louis Vuitton x Manner pop-up bookstore collaboration
• 2025 Hills Hurun Global Restaurant Enterprise Value Top 50

Sources

• https://thechinaproject.com/2021/11/05/the-rise-of-manner-coffee/
• https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Manner%20coffee/18342
• https://chinamktginsights.com/how-manner-coffee-broke-through-chinas-crowded-beverage-industry/
• https://thebambooworks.com/mild-manner-coffee-takes-on-starbucks-in-china-with-street-coffee/
• https://pandayoo.com/post/manner-coffee-another-miracle-of-chinas-coffee-industry-after-luckin/