Starbucks South Coast Plaza

By: Eduard Golubiievskyi 

Close your eyes and imagine your morning without coffee. Indeed, that would be a very unusual morning. In my opinion, we need to thank “Starbucks” for this delicious addiction. We no longer need to drive several miles to get a desirable cup of coffee; nowadays, you can find the “Starbucks” store almost everywhere. Yet, we are going to skip a discussion about Latte and Cappuccino and instead talk about interior design of one of the most popular coffee shops in the world.

The new “Starbucks” store was opened in South Coast Plaza in September 2015. This is the second “Starbucks” in this particular mall, which only makes the life of coffee lovers easier, doesn’t it? The new store attracts a lot of customers: “We didn’t expect that many people; the store was literally packed” said a barista. In my opinion, designers did a great job. They organized the small space as an in-and-out type store. This helps a lot, especially during the busiest days. There is no seating area in the store; only outside which pushes you out from the shop. The entrance is darker and register area is well-lit. This leads you directly to make your order. There is a sign of where the line starts, which is close to the table that divides the room. So, satisfied customers can leave the store in a fast and easy manner. The only disadvantage is a narrow space between a dividing table and a register’s counter, which “sometimes creates traffic or makes it hard to pass it with a baby-carriage”, as barista pointed.

However, overall the whole design looks like a traditional “Starbucks” design. There is nothing special: black and white walls with wood counters and different cups and coffee bags. It looks so familiar and cozy but still very functional, yet may be it is time for some changes? You may think about it drinking your next cup of delicious coffee.