Luckin Coffee Launches $439 Million Smart Roasting Center in Qingdao, Boosting China's Coffee Production Capacity
April 24 - 2026
Coffee Geography Magazine
Luckin Coffee has officially commenced operations at its advanced smart roasting center in Qingdao, Shandong Province, representing a strategic investment of approximately USD $410 million in China's rapidly growing coffee market.
The new facility, equipped with the world's largest single coffee roaster, boasts an annual roasting capacity exceeding 55,000 tons. The commissioning of the Qingdao center completes a broader strategy for the coffee giant, establishing a synergized roasting network across four key locations — Qingdao, Pingnan, Kunshan, and Xiamen (currently under construction). Once fully operational, the combined roasting capacity is expected to surpass 155,000 tons, setting a new industry record for China.
Qingdao smart roasting center
Leveraging Qingdao Port's status as one of China's premier foreign trade hubs, Luckin has secured direct end-to-end shipment routes for green coffee beans from major global origins including Brazil, Colombia, and Ethiopia. The city's integrated sea, land, air, and rail logistics network enables the company to achieve efficient coverage spanning raw bean procurement to final consumption.
Luckin’s chairman and chief executive, Jinyi Guo
"Qingdao's inherent advantages in port logistics, bonded processing, and multi-modal transport underpin Luckin's comprehensive value chain strategy," said Jinyi Guo, Co-Founder and CEO of Luckin Coffee, in a statement. "The commissioning of the roasting center represents a key milestone in Luckin's full value chain deployment."
The facility incorporates globally competitive intelligent systems, including high-capacity in-house packaging equipment that leads across Asia. A full-process automated production model, combined with constant temperature and humidity smart warehousing, drives digital manufacturing efficiency.
Notably, the center features the FRTO (Flameless Regenerative Thermal Oxidation) system, which supports low-carbon operations. The facility was designed in strict compliance with China's Three-Star Green Building standard and is pursuing LEED Platinum certification, underscoring Luckin's commitment to eco-friendly production.
Guo emphasized that the company remains focused on technological innovation and sustainable development, advancing the upgrading of China's coffee sector while bringing premium product experiences to consumers globally.
"Looking ahead, Luckin will continue to deepen its full coffee value chain layout," Guo added, "authoring a new chapter for the high-quality development of China's coffee industry, while empowering Chinese coffee brands to make steady strides onto the global stage."
The Qingdao facility marks another step forward in Luckin's global supply chain strategy, driving progress in the intelligent and green transformation of China's coffee industry.