Starbucks coffeehouse designs enter a new era – take a look
Starbucks is reclaiming the heart of the coffeehouse experience by bringing back familiar comforts like generous, soft seating and designs reflecting the local community.
What makes a great coffeehouse? It’s the sound of a ceramic cup skidding the counter, a smile from a barista, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, or the feeling of sinking into a comfortable chair — a collection of sensory experiences that add up to a feeling. Starbucks is bringing that coffeehouse vibe back into its places as part of its Back to Starbucks plan announced by Starbucks chairman and chief executive officer Brian Niccol when he joined the company a year ago.
“We’re refocusing on what has always set Starbucks apart — a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather, and where we serve the finest coffee, handcrafted by our skilled baristas,” he said then.
A big part of creating a welcoming coffeehouse is making it a place where people want to gather — a warm, cozy, comfortable environment. Think of it as a living room outside your home.
Already this year, Starbucks has launched Green Apron Service to give customers a more personal experience, introduced ceramic cups for those who want to relax and stay awhile in the coffeehouses, provided more power outlets and brought back the condiment bars.
Next up is focusing on the design to create physically welcoming spaces that bring back familiar comforts and are intentionally designed. Some coffeehouses have already been refreshed in places like New York City and Southern California. By the end of 2026, more than 1,000 coffeehouses will be uplifted, with plans for more in the years to come.
A new era of design
Every touch in the redesigned coffeehouses has been planned around the idea of helping create community and making customers feel warm, comfortable and cared for.
While the stores won’t all look the same since there will be a range of designs and coffeehouse sizes, some of the features you’ll see include:
- Cozier, softer seating — a lot more of it. Starbucks is bringing back thousands of seats that were removed in recent years and will create a place where people can comfortably gather or relax with a cup of coffee.
- A local look. The coffeehouses will reflect the unique character of the communities where they are located, whether that’s a bustling city, a quiet neighborhood, a rural oasis, or a beach town. Teams will look for opportunities to weave in the history of the area itself, when possible. For example, in a coffeehouse in East Hampton, you will find a compass on the gallery wall, which has ties to the local community.
- The textures, paint, art, furniture, plants and more will help carry out the local feel, while preserving the warmth and familiarity that make Starbucks special.
- Warmer colors, textures and layers that feel more inviting.
- A redesigned espresso bar offers a front-row seat to the craft behind every cup.
- Redesign for ease of pick up. For customers who want to order ahead on the Starbucks mobile app and pick up their drink and go, the redesigned stores will offer a more effortless experience by introducing pick up risers to make it easier for customers to find their order. More dedicated open spaces will help to reduce congestion and make a clearer distinction between customers who are staying or picking up an order.
- Other features, like rugs, are being tested in some stores, as well as decor elements that are being layered into the designs.
Take a look at some of the Starbucks coffeehouses that have recently been transformed.
Shaping the future
Early results from uplifted coffeehouses in New York City and Southern California are already showing promise. Customers are staying longer, visiting more often, and sharing positive feedback. This transformation goes beyond design — it is about shaping the future of gathering spaces, strengthening community ties and creating places people love.
Dawn Clark, Starbucks senior vice president of coffeehouse design and concepts, said that after the first coffeehouses were redesigned in New York earlier this year as part of a pilot, she and her team took time to sit in them and think about how these intimate spaces could become a part of the experience for every coffeehouse.
“We sat in each store and asked ourselves, ‘What could we keep? What’s great about this? What’s the history of this place? What is this community like?’” she said. “… At that point it felt like we had a whole new approach to design, which was much more rooted in our heritage and will create an experience that is more richly sensorial.”
NYC Union Square East
NYC Park Row at Beekman
NYC 93rd & Second
LA Sunset & Palisades
Teams are also taking a fresh perspective on new-build coffeehouses. This approach prioritizes the lobby and seating options while decreasing the overall footprint of the coffeehouse. These smaller spaces will mirror the same warm and welcoming environment as mentioned above through intentional design, including furniture, fixtures, finishes and layers. The first of these coffeehouses are currently in development and on schedule to open doors late next year.
