London’s bustling Covent Garden district has always been a place of connection and contrasts – where past meets present, design meets culture, and fashion meets entertainment.
The new Starbucks store at Upper St. Martin’s Lane brings together these worlds, promoting interaction between Starbucks partners and customers.
“The store is a platform of connection,” said Ad de Hond, vice president of Design. “Everything in the store is visible – the way we make our coffees, the way we prepare and present our food, and the way we interact with our customers.”
Walk through the large double-doors of Starbucks Upper St. Martin’s Lane, and one of the first things a customer may notice is that there is no queue at a cash register.
Instead, they will be greeted by a host, who can invite customers to sit down and relax or quickly get coffee for take-away.
“The special thing is that we moved our partners from behind the bar into the store,” said de Hond. “Customers can order wherever and whenever they want through handheld devices. We hope to reduce the idea of standing in line.”
An open kitchen will offer a menu of freshly prepared food for breakfast, lunch and evenings. Floor-to-ceiling walls of glass visually link the interior to the happenings on the street outside.
Inspired by the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room, the London store immerses customers in the world of coffee. All baristas are certified Coffee Masters, who handcraft espresso beverages from a manual Black Eagle espresso machine.
The unique taste profiles from small-lot Starbucks Reserve coffees come to life with premium brewing methods such as pour-over, Siphon and Chemex.
Upper St. Martin’s Lane will also serve specialty beverages such as Shakerato, Sparkling Mint Espresso, and flights of coffee to allow customers to do side-by-side tastings of coffees from around the world.
