Jinda Coffee and Beverage City in Baiyun district serves as a one-stop supply chain platform connecting global coffee sources with nationwide distribution. [Photo/Yangcheng Evening News]

Guangzhou's Baiyun district is cementing its role as the core engine of the city's coffee industry, of which the operating revenue totaled 67 billion yuan ($9.89 billion) in 2025, leveraging a complete supply chain spanning raw bean imports, roasting, equipment manufacturing and brand incubation.

At the heart of this ecosystem is Jinda Coffee and Beverage City in Songzhou Street, a premier platform housing over 200 enterprises with an annual transaction volume of approximately 2 billion yuan.

The hub connects global coffee sources to nationwide distribution, with major commodity trading platforms, including the Guangzhou Commodity Exchange and Yunnan International Coffee Exchange, operating on-site.

It also serves as an innovation center, with an estimated 1,000 new coffee flavors developed annually — many combining Eastern ingredients with coffee and exported to markets in the United States, Mexico, and Southeast Asia.

A TEALY Coffee store. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

Baiyun has nurtured homegrown brands such as TEALY Coffee, which operates a 4,000-square-meter roasting factory capable of supplying 7,000 stores.

For Liu Qiao, founder and executive director of TEALY Coffee, the journey into the coffee industry was an unexpected pivot from a lucrative advertising career.

"Before founding TEALY, I was running an advertising company in Beijing with annual revenue in the tens of millions of yuan. But I wanted to build something with substance — something sustainable that carries real responsibility, like a brand," Liu said.

The shift wasn't all smooth sailing. After initially operating some tea shops, Liu spotted a gap in the market.

"The core of coffee is the bean. Without our own supply chain, we couldn't control quality or pricing. So we started with a 6-kilogram roaster and built our Yuanchun Coffee Factory in Baiyun. Now every bean we use is from our own facility," Liu added.

That factory now produces 5 to 7 metric tons daily, with annual capacity reaching approximately 2,000 tons — far exceeding the needs of TEALY's current 200-plus stores nationwide.

"We built capacity for 7,000 stores, but we're only at 200. That's intentional," Liu explained. "Guangzhou is a training ground. Consumers here are incredibly discerning — they've tasted everything. If you can survive in Guangzhou, you won't panic anywhere else."

The brand's philosophy crystallized around a simple mission: "Let everyone drink good coffee" — combining quality with affordability. "We don't chase viral fame. Slow is fast, fast is slow. We want to build something the next generation can take over."

Flloli 1917 Coffee in Baiyun. [Photo/WeChat account: gz_baiyunfabu]

The district's supply chain prowess is further exemplified by Flloli Supply Chain, which owns over 20,000 mu (1,333.33 hectares) of coffee plantations in Yunnan province and supplies coffee to more than 10,000 hotel chains nationwide, including Atour and Juntin Hotels, with products exported to Dubai, the US and Japan.

Guangzhou now ranks second nationally in coffee stores with over 8,000 outlets. Baiyun officials are planning an international coffee industry headquarters base and a high-end coffee manufacturing park, alongside talent cultivation programs and a dedicated coffee raw bean acquisition fund.