Starbucks is opening its first Starbucks Reserve Roastery branch in Japan in 2019 at a location in the trendy Tokyo district of Nakameguro. Designed by the architect Kengo Kuma, the branch will open on February 28th, 2019, overlooking the Meguro River. The food menu will be supervised by famed Italian baker Rocco Princi, an established partner with the coffee shop chain.
Starbucks has now released a publicity image giving a preview of how the debut Japanese Starbucks Reserve Roastery branch will look.
This is not the first Starbucks branch that Kengo Kuma has designed. He also created the stunning outlet in Dazaifu, Fukuoka, that employed some 2,000 pieces of wood batons. Moreover, he recently designed a striking Starbucks branch in Taiwan out of shipping containers.
Probably the most in-demand architect in Japan right now, Kengo Kuma’s current slate of projects includes the New National Stadium that will form the key venue for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, an additional station on the Yamanote Line, a luxury hotel in Ginza, a museum attached to Meiji Shrine, and a hotel in central Kyoto set to open in 2019.
Nakameguro is a popular area for eating out, with its riverside scenery offering picturesque settings for dining and drinking. It is also a well-known hub for the creative industries, resulting in a steady supply of hipsters. Not surprisingly, then, the district already has its fair share of stylish coffee shops and cafes, including a branch of Blue Bottle.
Starbucks previously opened a branch inspired by traditional Japanese crafts in the nearby neighborhood of Meguro on the ground floor of its corporate headquarters.
