Japan now home to largest Starbucks in the world
Customers can enjoy more than 100 unique coffee and tea beverages and merchandise exclusively available at the coffee giant's newest Reserve Roastery in Tokyo.
Starbucks has officially opened its biggest Roastery in the world in Japan.
The 32,000-square-foot Tokyo Reserve Roastery overtakes the one they have Shanghai. The company has just three other Roasteries, located in Seattle, Milan and New York City. After Tokyo, Starbucks plans to open one more in Chicago.
“As the first international market outside of North America, Starbucks Japan has contributed 23 years of innovation for the company globally,” Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said. “The opening of the Tokyo Roastery will further amplify what Starbucks Japan has done across all stores in the market for more than two decades—innovating and delivering the finest quality coffee one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”
“The Roastery will amplify and inspire coffee passion across all Starbucks stores, and will serve as a catalyst for a new wave of growth centered on the customer experience and passion for coffee and service. Beginning with the “Make it Yours” campaign that will commence at every store in Japan upon the opening of the Roastery, customers will be invited to experience the first Starbucks coffee roasted exclusively in Tokyo, for Japan, and available in a variety of coffee beverage styles," Starbucks Japan CEO Takafumi Minaguchi added.
The Tokyo Reserve Roastery's bean-roasting cask: Source: Starbucks/Matt Glac
Taking inspiration from Japan's culture, natural resources
The Roastery’s design was inspired by cherry blossom trees lining the Meguro River. Its exterior was brought to life in collaboration with renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Envisioned by Starbucks chief design officer Liz Muller, who is also the lead designer for all five Roasteries globally, the new location aims to highlight the work of local craftsmen and women and merges traditional and modern design.
Located at the trendy Nakameguro neighborhood, Starbucks Reserve Roastery aims to provide a four-story fully immersive premium coffee experience in Tokyo.
Customers entering the Roastery will be greeted by the brand's largest coffee bean-roasting cask: more than 55 feet of blush-tinted copper adorned with hand-crafted copper cherry blossoms, which changes hues throughout the day in different lights.
The in-store experience is aimed to be an "education in coffee", with customers being introduced to the art of roasting, brewing and hand-crafting beverages in the first floor. The second floor will see customers transported into the tradition of Japanese tea at the world’s largest Teavana Bar, which features exclusive tea beverages, such as the Pop’n Tea Sakura Jasmine.
On the terraced third floor, Starbucks Japan’s first cocktail bar, Arriviamo, features coffee and tea-inspired cocktails only available at the Tokyo Roastery, including the Nakameguro Espresso Martini, made with chestnut liqueur, crème de cacao and espresso, then paired with decadent chocolate from Nakameguro’s brand.
Meanwhile, the fourth floor of the Roastery is home to AMU Inspiration Lounge – a dedicated space to host change-makers and creative thinkers from across Japan. The Roastery is also planned to become Starbucks' first certified Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) location, offering training for coffee professionals in the near future.
“We believe that where passions connect, the future is sparked, and we will offer the Tokyo Roastery as a gathering space to spark new ideas and create an impact,” said Minaguchi. “The Roastery signifies our commitment to fostering moments of human connection over a cup of coffee and using these moments to create positive social impact in the communities we serve.”
