Starbucks has opened a new flagship location in the city of Chengdu in China. Nestled in the recently opened Chengdu Taikoo Li retail and entertainment district, the Starbucks flagship store is designed to honor the vibrant culture in Chengdu.
The design of the new store features Sichuan-inspired tiles, silk artwork by local craftsmen, and a warm wood tone interior, which is similar to the materials used in the recent refurbishment of the nearby historic Daci Temple, a key cultural landmark in Chengdu.
“The store is the first flagship store in our fast-growing China Southwest and Central region and reflects on our coffee passion,” said the president of Starbucks China Belinda Wong.
“This is a reflection of our continued focus to highlight our coffee passion and create a locally-relevant Starbucks Experience through each moment of connection for our customers.”
All baristas at the store are Starbucks Coffee Masters. These baristas have completed a rigorous certification process and have earned the distinguished Black Apron after an intensive coffee skills and knowledge training. Currently, there are 6,000 Coffee Masters in China.
Located in a three-story building, the first floor features an exclusive Starbucks ReserveCoffee interactive bar to facilitate customer engagement with Starbucks Coffee Masters. Starbucks Reserve Coffee is a range of rare, small-lot arabica coffees from around the world.
The second floor reflects Starbucks global coffeehouse culture with plush custom seating for customers to connect with friends and family over a cup of coffee.
The third, or loft, floor provides a space for large gatherings and star-gazing in the evenings through the exposed terra cotta ceiling.
The store is the company’s eighth Starbucks Reserve store in China since bringing the program to the market in October 2014 and was designed by Starbucks China Design Studio, one of eighteen in-house international Starbucks design offices across the globe.
