Starbucks Corp. is planning another re-worked coffeehouse in Seattle, with an all-new environmentally-friendly store design and an expanded menu including beer and wine that aims to build afternoon and evening traffic.
The Starbucks store at 1600 East Olive Way in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle is targeted for the overhaul, the company said Friday. Efforts will include a new exterior and interior design that will aim for LEED certification to “reduce the store’s environmental impact,” the company said.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certification is a recognized green standard.
The Olive Way location will also be the first Starbucks location in the United States to offer beer and wine, an element that has been tested in the company’s non-Starbucks concepts that debuted last year. Company officials at the time described those efforts as learning labs to “re-imagine” the Starbucks experience.
“We are now applying what we’ve learned to create a new way for customers to experience their neighborhood Starbucks where it makes sense, while offering a late afternoon and evening destination,” a spokeswoman for the Seattle-based company said in a statement.
Last year Starbucks opened 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea, and Roy Street Coffee & Tea, both in Seattle, which offered snacks in the evening such as cheese plates and sandwiches, as well as a small selection of wines and local beers.
The Olive Way location reportedly will include a 360-degree barista bar in the middle of the space as a sort of “coffee theater,” which aims to bring customers closer to those making their drinks.
The Olive Way location also will reportedly include an outdoor deck and an indoor-outdoor fireplace. The renovation is expected to be completed in the fall.
The company would not disclose details or the expected cost of the remodel.
Securities analysts that follow Starbucks have noted the chain’s remodels come at a time when competitor McDonald’s has also been promoting its ongoing redesign efforts. The burger chain is expected to remodel between 400 and 500 locations this year with a more contemporary look that varies by location, and in some cases including soft chairs and fireplaces, similar to a coffeehouse.
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
