Starbucks just opened its first upscale store with a full bar — and it reveals the future of the brand

pulse

February 28, 2018 7:16 PM

Starbucks just opened its first of 1,000 Reserve stores it has planned. It has a full bar with wine, beer, and liquor.

The Reserve store is four times the size of a traditional Starbucks and features a full bar that serves alcohol and small plates.

Starbucks just opened the first of its 1,000 planned Reserve stores

The Reserve store — seen as a competitor of more upscale coffee shops like Blue Bottle and Intelligentsia — includes a high-end Princi bakery, full liquor bar, coffee bar, lounge areas, and two fireplaces. The Reserve stores plan to showcase the specialty, small-lot Starbucks Reserve coffee.

According to the Seattle Times, the Reserve store is 8,100 square feet — four times the size of a typical Starbucks. It's a more high-end experience from Starbucks, with a full bar and bakery that serve breakfast, lunch, cocktails, and appetizers.

Take a look inside the first upscale Reserve store from Starbucks:

The Starbucks Reserve store is meant to be more upscale than a traditional Starbucks store.

When you first walk in, you can see a colorful design made of nearly 3,700 Starbucks Reserve cards, which is meant to represent the topography of the mountains where coffee beans are grown. Each card is designed in-house and tells the story of a particular lot of coffee.

Here's a closer look at the Reserve cards that make up the design.

The whole store is decorated with equally detailed art.

One of the main features of the new Reserve store is the Italian Princi bakery, whose shelves are lined with fresh bread, fruits, and vegetables.

It also has full breakfast and lunch menus featuring artisanal baked breads, soups, salads, and pizza.

Visitors to the bakery are encouraged to look through a glass wall into the Princi kitchen to watch the bakers and chefs work.

Next to the bakery is a bar that offers wine, beer, and liquor paired with small plates.

The Reserve coffee bar has tons of coffee on display and a variety of brewing methods that visitors can sample.

Here's another look at the Reserve coffee bar.

The Reserve store will feature multiple lounge areas, including two floor-to-ceiling fireplaces that contribute to the upscale atmosphere.

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