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A battle is brewing in the state of California for the hearts of caffeine junkies, with a Chinese coffee giant ready to pounce on rival Starbucks.
Cotti Coffee, which has already been busy opening locations in southern California, is preparing to give coffee lovers a new option to get their fix, with a plot to take over the Bay Area and Northern California amid closures statewide by the coffee chain Starbucks.
Cotti, which already has several coffee houses throughout LA county, including in San Gabriel, Rowland Heights, and Irvine, is expected to open more shops soon along Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade and at a location at 1447 Lincoln Blvd, according to signage on buildings, per Santa Monica Mirror.
The brand is known for not only its classic coffee, but innovative drinks, like its Orange Grapefruit Americano, along with fun coffee themed-merchandise and tasty treats, per the company’s website.
The company will also soon be opening two new locations in San Francisco. One shop will be at 99 Drum Street the other at 100 Bush St, the San Francisco Business Times reported.
The Chinese coffee brand launched in 2022 and has been exploding ever since, bringing some serious competition to China’s largest coffeehouse, Luckin Coffee, and Starbucks, per the report.
Since 2024, more than a dozen Cottie Coffee shops have opened across the United States, with chains in not only the Golden State, but Illinois, Hawaii, New York and more.
News of Cotti gaining ground in California, comes following the announcement last year by the Seattle-based coffee brand about closing coffee shops in major cities across the state, including San Francisco, San Ramon, Los Angeles and more.
In total it was reported that several dozen locations were shutting down, including more that 20 of which were in LA county, per FOX 11.
In April, another Starbucks closed its doors in San Jose, per KTVU, that wasn’t on the original list last fall.
“As part of Starbucks standard course of business, we continually evaluate our business to ensure a healthy store portfolio. After careful consideration, we’ve determined it is best to close the store,” the company told the outlet in a statement.
The Post reached out to Cotti Coffee and Starbucks for further comment.
Founded in 2022 by Luckin executives following a fraud scandal, Cotti Coffee made its US debut in early 2024 in Hawaii, before expanding to California and New York.
Creations include a Brown Sugar Oolong Oat Latte and Americanos infused with different fruit syrups such as lemon and grapefruit.
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