The “People’s Coffee Shop” deliberately designed its shopfronts to resemble the masthead of the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party.

Its 30 branches across China were adorned with red stars and party slogans adapted to include references to coffee.

The People’s Daily took aim at the business in a sharp editorial, which said “people” was a term that “cannot be desecrated or misused”, The Times reports.

The chain has now issued a public apology and restored its previous branding as “Trendy People’s Coffee Shop”.

“We extend our sincerest apologies to every customer who felt uncomfortable,” it said in a statement.