Coffee is gaining popularity among young Chinese consumers in smaller cities, with demand for coffee more than doubling in some ‘third- and fourth-tier’ cities in the first two months of this year, according to consumer data.

In Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in northeast China, there are more than 100 cafes near Yanbian University, creating a lively atmosphere and a high turnover of coffee sales.

"We can sell as many as 700 to 800 cups in one day. Many are our old customers. They will come back once they tried our coffee. Now we sell 300 to 400 cups a day on average," said Li Xiangying, a cafe owner in the busy district.

Cafe owner Li Xiaoliang in Sihui County in Guangdong Province has also spotted the trend, with previously popular milk tea being supplanted in sales by coffee drinks.

"We sell iced Americano and baguette every day. Orders for takeaway are increasing. We also have more customers sitting inside," said Li.According to data from Meituan, one of China's biggest online lifestyle platforms, coffee orders in China’s third- and fourth-tier cities in January and February surged by 104 percent, while it only rose by 72 percent in first- and second-tier cities.

To seize the opportunity, many coffee brands have promoted specialty coffee products that combine local culture and cuisine.

"There are many kinds of coffee. We have a lot of choices and the experience is quite good," said one coffee drinker in Beijing.

Many shopping malls in Beijing have also started holding coffee themed events to pull in thirsty customers.

"We have music shows at different times. We also have coffee culture sharing events. The customer flow in the past two days surpassed 5,000. It’s a good promotion [for our shopping mall]," said Deng Huimin, deputy director of the marketing department at a Beijing shopping mall.