Mexico City, 2015-2-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — In the heart of the Arcos Bosques commercial center in Mexico City’s Bosques de las Lomas neighborhood is a new Starbucks unlike any other in the country.
It is Mexico’s first Starbucks Reserve™ store featuring a carefully curated line of some of the world’s rarest single-origin, small-lot arabica coffees. From the mountains of Nicaragua, to faraway highlands in Papua New Guinea, to the coast of the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador – the store highlights Reserve™ coffees that are hand selected by the company’s most experienced coffee buyers around the world. Each bean will be roasted at the Starbucks Reserve® Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle, Washington, before being shipped to Starbucks Reserve™ locations around the world.
But the allure of Mexico’s first Reserve™ store isn’t in the coffee alone. It’s in the design.
Valeria Marini, a Starbucks store designer based in the company’s Mexico City design studio, had imagined a “jewel box” like location – a small, but storied space in the midst of one of the world’s largest cities where customers could discover new and rare coffees.
A coffee journey from bean to cup
“There is such a rich story behind each bag of Starbucks Reserve coffee,” said Marini. “I wanted to create a space that would introduce Reserve to our customers in Mexico City, and take them on a journey from the small farms that harvest these coffees, to that freshly brewed cup, right here in the heart of Mexico City.”
Starbucks designers spent many months transforming the 650 square foot retail space in to a celebration of the world’s coffee growing regions. There are patterns from East Timor and Sumatra on the ceiling, Rwandan motifs along the walls, and Colombian influences in the furniture and photographs. Starbucks also worked with a range of local artisans and vendors from Mexico City, Quintana Roo and Guadalajara to source wood, furniture, and light fixtures. The merchandise tables and armchairs are from Guadalajara´s Le Porc Shop, while the chandelier is by David Pompa, and the hanging lamps on the outdoor terrace by Ariel Rojo, both artists based in Mexico City.
The color pallet and design elements were chosen to share the origin of coffee with customers. A mural at the entrance depicts the flavor profiles of coffees from around the world, and a chalkboard illustrates the coffee trees and cherries. Patterns are etched into the architecture, allowing their shadows to dance across the space as the sun rises and sets. Designers intentionally kept the indoor space open, with limited bar seating, to allow ample room to walk around and explore while they wait for their orders. Outside, an open-air terrace serves as an ideal place to sit, relax and enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
‘Bringing the world of coffee to the customer in Mexico City’
For Marini, who moved from Buenos Aires to Mexico City over ten years ago to join Starbucks Latin America studio, designing Mexico’s first Starbucks Reserve™ store was an exciting new challenge. “We typically design to reflect and celebrate the local culture and community,” said Marini, whose portfolio now consists of over 50 Starbucks® stores in Mexico, Chile and Argentina. “With this new Reserve store, however, we wanted to go a step further and show where these coffees are grown, harvested and roasted. It was about bringing the world of coffee to the customer in Mexico City.”
The new store features Starbucks Reserve™ Nicaragua Cabo Azul which has rich, vibrant flavors of sun-dried coffee beans from the Cabo Azul Estate located in the mountains of Nicaragua, as well as the Starbucks Reserve™ Panama Carmen Estate with floral and citrus notes of lemon wrapped in the sweetness of roasted nuts. The selection of Reserve™ coffees available at the Arcos Bosques location will change regularly, giving customers an opportunity to try new varieties. Starbucks will also have 20 certified Starbucks Coffee Masters at the store, who wear black aprons as a symbol of their coffee expertise and passion, to answer customers’ questions and help find the right coffee to meet their tastes and preferences.
“For more than 40 years, Starbucks has purchased and roasted some of the finest quality coffee beans around the world for our customers,” said Federico Tejado, ceo of Starbucks Mexico. “Our customers in Mexico City have a strong appreciation for coffee and we’ve created a one-of-a-kind store where they can discover new coffees, explore different brewing methods, and enjoy a truly modern design inspired by the world’s coffee growing regions.”
Mexico City’s new Starbucks Reserve™ store opens Friday, February 20th. Daily hours are 7:00 am to 11:00 pm. The store is located at Centro Comercial Arcos Bosques, Paseo de Los Tamarindos No. 90, Bosques de Las Lomas in Mexico City.
About Starbucks Mexico
Starbucks Mexico is owned and operated by Alsea, the leading restaurant operator in Latin America and Spain with globally recognized brands in the quick service, coffee shop and casual dining segments. Since entering the market with Alsea in 2002, Starbucks Mexico has grown to more than 443 stores in 52 cities throughout the country. Today, with stores around the globe, Starbucks Coffee Company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for our customers through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at http://www.starbucks.com.mx/
For more information on this news release, contact the Starbucks Newsroom.
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