Located in New York City’s Meatpacking District, the Starbucks Reserve Roastery uses copper to showcase key elements of the bean-to-cup journey. The 23,000-square-foot building’s design is focused on the customer experiences inherent in developing an understanding of the art and science that goes into cultivating, roasting, serving and enjoying coffee.
Copper highlights and celebrates coffee bean-to-cup journey
Photo: Tex Jernigan, Arko
For the project, Starbucks’ New York Design office worked with A. Zahner Co., Kansas City, Mo., to use natural metal finishes in a way that would heighten the customer experience as they explored a new concept for a flagship location. Zahner worked with Starbuck’s designers to develop a series of custom patina options that involved using actual coffee beans to apply the chemicals to the activated surface of the copper sheets. Several tests runs were done with coffee beans to figure out that the quinic acid in the coffee could be concentrated or enhanced to push the color, with Dirty Penny patina being the most desirable color option. “Ultimately, the copper was patinated by hand, and under the watchful eye of our CEO to create a very unique surface,” says Gary Davis, director, market relations at Zahner.
Photo: Tex Jernigan, Arko
Located throughout the store, the copper surfaces are alive with color, light, texture and touch to attract attention. The copper forms are both sculptural as well as functional, creating art forms that reinforce the commercial activities. The surface’s texture draws the eyes of customers and staff alike to points of interest within the Reserve Roastery, while the hammer-textured surfaces allude to the coffee beans being used in preparation of beverages throughout the store, Davis explains.
Zahner supplied 1,200 visible square feet of custom-formed and patinated copper panels. According to Davis, the copper was sourced domestically from Revere Copper Products Inc., Rome, N.Y., with 130 sheets sized 3 feet by 8 feet.
The Starbucks Reserve Roastery in New York City is Starbucks’ fourth Roastery and its second location in the U.S. This location also introduced the Arriviamo Bar, a cocktail bar that features a curated menu of coffee and tea cocktails. Visitors can also enjoy a unique menu of Starbucks Reserve specialty coffee and Teavana tea, in addition to freshly baked artisanal food from the iconic Milanese Princi Bakery.