As Starbucks Replage its American locations, the coffee chain tries to make its cafes welcoming through a more inclusive design.
As part of its wider efforts to bring customers, the company has prioritized plans to give renovations to around 1,000 locations by the end of 2026. He will be as a warehouse in the interval.
Although the modifications will vary depending on the location, expect more seats, dark wooden woodwork and other adjustments that make its cafes more comfortable. The renovations will also include adjustments such as less severe lighting that will not affect customers with light sensitivity.
“We are building more than 1,000 cafes in the next year, mixing our global heritage with local relevance to create spaces that are immersive, inclusive and deeply human,” said Dawn Clark, senior vice-president of design and concept Starbucks, in a CNBC press release.
“Whether the relaxed heat of Manhattan’s Urban Palisades or Urban Energy, intentional design encourages customers to stay longer, to connect more and to come back often – and results in a significant commercial impact,” said Clark.
Starbucks plans to spend about $ 150,000 on each “uprising”, without closing stores. The company began with locations in New York, followed by cafes in southern California.
The renovations are intended to make stores more welcoming, referring Starbucks to its previous status as “third place” so that customers pass between house and work. In recent years, Starbucks has lost this reputation, fueled by decisions such as the suppression of seats as the mobile order becomes popular and get rid of points of sale to discourage persistence.
Under the CEO Brian Niccol, the chain plans to reverse most of these decisions because it tries to break a collapse of sales. For example, he previously told employees in June that he planned to add the 30,000 seats that had been removed from the cafes.
But trying to call on a wider band of customers is not new for the company. Starbucks first unveiled a store design accessible at the beginning of 2024, before Niccol’s mandate. At the time, the company said that the design had taken about two years and included the comments of Baristas.
Take a look inside a recently renovated New York coffee near the Place Union de Manhattan.
The location of Starbucks Union Square East before renovation
Source: Starbucks
Before the renovation, the location lacked many decorative keys, in addition to a few large -scale photos of the Hacienda Alsacia of the chain, its coffee and research farm in Costa Rica.
With such sparse seats, the coffee concrete floors were more obvious. Severe lighting has also not helped the appearance of the store.
A large lounge area now has even more seats, plus a gallery wall and lighting with less dazzling.
Source: Starbucks
The location now offers many more seats near the entrance. The leather accents with the enveloping cabin make the seats more comfortable. The tables are easily mobile and at an accessible height for users of wheelchairs.
Starbucks also brought the electrical outlets that have disappeared in previous makeover. Now, customers who wish to study or work from the location can charge their laptops or phones, encouraging them to stay longer.
Large surface carpets provide a comfortable touch, in addition to absorb part of the ambient noise of coffee. Living plants also add to the intimate atmosphere of space.
The location adjustments include the addition of high tables and bar stools for more seats.
Source: Starbucks
The high tables, positioned closer to the Barista bar, offer a seats option to customers who seek to sit with companions. The youth cure adds 16 additional seats to the location.
Starbucks has also changed its bulbs to soften the store lighting and reduce reflections, giving it a warmer atmosphere. Improved lighting helps to highlight an existing wall paint, view to the right of the photo above.
Starbucks added a shelf that highlights its coffee beans.
Source: Starbucks
Behind the bar of Barista, the company added a large shelf which highlights the bags of its coffee, as well as decorative jute bags which contain grains. Touches of purple are a nod to New York University nearby.
Customers waiting to collect their drinks can sit on the side. Previously, the area was a standing bar that was not accessible to users of wheelchairs.
In addition to adding carpets, Starbucks has also improved the overall insulation of the location to reduce the clamor of a very frequented coffee. For baristas, change means that conversations between customers are less likely to disturb their work, whether by correctly hearing an order or focusing on the manufacture of a latte.