Luckin Coffee adds kiosks to its New York City locations

Luckin Coffee is adding two new shops and an entirely new ordering channel to its New York City presence.

The fast-growing, Chinese coffeeshop chain has rolled out self-ordering kiosks in the city, adding a new way for customers to order beverages without using the company’s mobile order app.

New york expansion

The chain, which now has about 20 locations in the market after debuting there last year, has until now relied entirely on mobile ordering to generate sales. The kiosks, which are common in the U.S. fast-food industry, open those locations up to a much larger group of customers.

The kiosk rollout comes as the chain added new locations in New York’s Grand Central Terminal and another at 48th and 3rd. The two stores opened on Tuesday.

Both locations will serve Luckin’s full lineup of espresso-based beverages along with refreshers, teas, and specialty drinks. Luckin will offer free sampling from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. during the stores’ first week.

Global growth strategy

Luckin, which did not exist before 2017, has grown rapidly throughout China and into other countries and now has more than 35,000 global locations. The company operates a tech-forward business model that requires customers to order through digital channels.

Kiosks could help the chain’s push into the U.S. market, where coffee is far more competitive than in China. Some of the country’s fastest growing chains, not to mention two of the five largest restaurant brands, serve coffee as their primary beverage.