Experience the craft of coffee at Starbucks Reserve bars in Southeast Asia

At a Starbucks Reserve™ coffee bar, the craft of making coffee is a sensory experience. It’s an interactive space, where customers can relax near the amber glow of the Siphon brewer or watch the slow, steady pour of Nitro Cold Brew cascade into a glass.

Based in Hong Kong, the team of 60 designers in the Starbucks Asia Pacific studio have brought the theater of coffee to life with three new Starbucks® stores in Southeast Asia that highlight small-lot Starbucks Reserve coffee from around the world.

“These stores illustrate our goal of using design to cultivate moments of connection between the customer and barista over coffee,” said Scott Keller, senior vice president of Store Development and Design for Starbucks Asia Pacific.

Read on to learn more about them.

Singapore

Starbucks opened its first store in Singapore – Starbucks second market in Asia – nearly 20 years ago; now the China & Asia Pacific region has grown to nearly 7,000 stores in 16 markets.

A short walk from that historic first store in Liat Towers, Starbucks has opened one of its most contemporary destinations. The 24-hour United Square store is housed in a modern glass structure featuring a layered concept from floor to ceiling that creates a visual story about the coffee journey from bean to cup.

The artwork pays homage to the origins of coffee and coffee farming with a sustainably sourced natural bamboo installation and a swirling bamboo ceiling reminiscent of steaming coffee.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Outside Starbucks Nhà Thờ store, located in Hanoi’s scenic Hoàn Kiếm District, a geometric iron canopy and gold accents reflect the city’s French Art Deco style architecture. Inside, Vietnam’s first Reserve coffee bar showcases eye-catching brewing methods. The design celebrates Vietnam’s Da Lat region, where Starbucks sourced its first single-origin Vietnamese arabica coffee. The artwork depicts the ever-present mist that sits among the city and its surrounding pine forests using ‘dó’ paper, a traditional folk craft in Vietnam.

Jakarta, Indonesia

Earlier this month, Starbucks marked its 15th anniversary in Indonesia with the renovated Plaza Senayan store in the capital city of Jakarta. The store, which features a Starbucks Reserve coffee bar, is the first that features a Black Eagle espresso machine, and has a welcoming “open kitchen” concept to facilitate partner-customer connections. The design inspiration is Indonesian batik stamp art with custom pieces created by a local artist, including a batik Starbucks Reserve logo and an abstract wood carving depicting the romance of the coffee journey.

“Art is a powerful way of honoring local culture and Starbucks’ coffee heritage,” Keller said. “While the three stores are different, the common thread running through them all is that the theater of coffee is prominent, drawing customers in for a genuine experience.”