ZURICH –Starbucks Coffee Company and SBB unveiled yesterday the first Starbucks store on a train – offering travelers a new place and way to enjoy their favourite Starbucks coffee. The first official voyage for the Starbucks train will take place on the train line running from Geneva Airport to St.Gallen in Switzerland on November 21 at 06:36am.
The Swiss Federal Railways (abbrevated as SBB in German) is the national railway company of Switzerland.
The SBB is heardquartered in Berne and is a stock corporation owned by the state.
Starbucks is always looking for unique ways and places to connect with customers and together with SBB they created an inviting area where travellers can relax and enjoy their journey. The design is contemporary and focused on comfort, yet at the same time functional. This combination is expressed through beautiful design elements and a color scheme inspired by coffee.
The exterior of the sleek red and white car is branded with Starbucks siren logo on both sides including ‘Starbucks’ text. White icons representing menu items including beverages and muffins, as well as the Fairtrade symbol and an image of Starbucks espresso machines were created and placed on the windows to highlight the offering inside the train car.
Inside, the experience on the car is split between two levels and features a warm and welcoming color palette inspired by the shades and tints associated with coffee, from dark roasted brown beans to snowy white steamed milk.The two levels provide seating for a total of 50 people.
On the entry level, the baristas will serve passengers from behind a curved wooden bar that also features a small pastry case. There is a standing bar provided for customers to enjoy their drinks. The upstairs boasts a uniquely designed lounge area, with an intimate feel. It offers travellers a relaxing area to enjoy their favorite Starbucks beverages.
The materials used to create the unique travelling experience include distinctive beige-colored leather, moveable club chairs and wooden community tables.
To add Swiss-inspired details, special dials resembling watch faces were crafted and built into all of the upstairs tables. Each has a number on it which is also used to support table service, so customers can order from their seats and have drinks delivered.
“It was an incredible and rewarding challenge to design our first ever Starbucks store on a train. We had to combine functionality and beautiful design, whilst taking into account a variety of factors such as constant movement of the train, space limitation and stringent safety regulations.
This is one of the smallest espresso bars and stores we have ever designed and is a result of a unique collaboration of experts, including local designers and engineers from SBB. Working closely together with SBB over the past 2 years, makes me very proud that we can now truly bring the Starbucks Experience to life on this train”, said Liz Muller, director of concept design for Starbucks.
“We are very happy to unveil this exciting new on-board experience for our customers”, says Jeannine Pilloud, Director of SBB Passenger Transportation. “We continuously work to enhance our on-board services through innovations to ensure travelers enjoy a pleasant journey and this project is an evolution of our catering concept. We want our customers to feel at home while traveling with us.” Kris Engskov, president Starbucks Europe Middle East and Africa, notes Starbucks history in the market. “The unveiling of the train is another first for us in Switzerland. We opened our first store in contintental Europe in Switzerland over 11 years ago and have been welcomed by customers ever since.
SBB understands that people have changed the way they drink and value coffee, and by providing a leading coffee store on a train, we are giving travellers a one-of-a-kind offering they know and love.
While Starbucks high quality coffee, store partners, service and experience remain consistent in our stores, we’re tailoring design to meet the needs of customers and creating more local relevancy by taking inspiration from the local communities, the street, the city, the local coffee culture and in this case, the railstation. ” Source: Starbucks Coffee Company
