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Starbucks Debuts Next Wave Upscale Coffee "Destinations"
By
Nell Casey
Published Dec 5, 2014
Modified Dec 5, 2014
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via Starbucks
By
Nell Casey
Published Dec 5, 2014
Modified Dec 5, 2014
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The next generation of Starbucks coffee shops debuted today in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, an area coincidentally dubbed the Williamsburg of the West. The 15,000 square foot Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room bucks the traditional mass market Starbucks design, replacing it with faux-industrial touches and an enormous section dedicated to roasting coffee beans onsite. It's the first in the next wave of Starbucks stores that the company hopes will transition them into the new reality, where consumers are living their lives increasingly online and less in malls and shopping centers.
The company hopes to make their stores more "destinations" than casual places to score a latte and use the bathroom. "This Roastery is the fulfillment of a decade-long dream—an homage to our relentless pursuit of coffee innovation that will create for our customers the most immersive, sensory demonstration of how we source, roast and craft the finest coffee from around the world," explains Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.
This will include handcrafted brewing methods (Pour Over, Siphon, Clover, etc.) and 100% of the beans offered will be roasted on-site. "This is a real-life Willy Wonka experience with coffee as the heart and soul, where customers will see coffee being moved through the roasting process right before their eyes," according to vice president of Concept Design Liz Muller.
Starbucks plans to open 100 of these pumped-up coffee shops in the next five years, including locations in NYC, Chicago, LA, San Francisco and Washington DC. This in addition to their planned express coffee shops and Starbucks Evenings, which attempt to convert some coffee chain outlets into mini tapas bars after 4 p.m. Major metropolitan areas are already accustomed to these upscale-types of cafes; but will the rest of the country shell out $8 for a cup of joe?
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Nell Casey
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