• by Teresa Buyikian , July 28, 2026

One of the world’s largest coffee chains, Chinese beverage giant Luckin Coffee, is teaming up with global language app Duolingo on its first partnership for summer and back-to-school promotions.

The collaboration will roll out in two phases, one themed for summer-learning entitled “Study Now or I Get Icy,” and a back-to-school campaign -- “Time to Luckin and Learn" -- “highlighting coffee as the ultimate study companion.”

The “Study Now..." push kicks off with a new, limited time menu of summer beverages, including two new seasonal drinks: the Piña Colada Mocktail and Pink Sunset, in addition to the returning Pink Sunrise and Mango Cloud Frappe options.

The new beverages are available at all New York City Luckin Coffee locations. 

“As brands that naturally resonate with Gen Z, this collaboration felt like an authentic way to connect with our communities through experiences they'll genuinely enjoy,” says Mai Shi, head of marketing at Luckin Coffee. “We're excited to bring together Duolingo's playful energy with Luckin Coffee's innovative menu to create something that's fun, shareable and perfectly timed for both summer adventures and the return to school.”

The collaboration features co-branded hot and iced cups, as well as limited edition collectible merchandise such Duolingo-themed stickers, notebooks and bookmarks, which are available exclusively at Luckin Coffee stores in New York City.

All items feature “Duo Lingo;” Duolingo’s bright green owl mascot. Luckin Coffee is promoting the collab via its socials. 

The partnership marks the first in the U.S. for Luckin Coffee, which boasts nearly 35,000 locations mostly across China and only expanded to the U.S. last year.

The chain, which has an app-driven, pickup-only model with cashier-less stores, has focused on Manhattan for its first U.S. stores, which now total 20 locations.