What started in 1971 as a small stand in downtown Seattle has evolved into a global enterprise. Today, Starbucks, a publicly traded company, has more than 17,000 stores in 58 countries, from Malaysia to Norway, and earned $11.7 billion in revenue during its last fiscal year. Its cultural contribution is most profound in the United States, where it popularized the Italian coffeehouse tradition yet gave it an American twist, offering gussied-up espresso drinks to stay or to go. A Starbucks pit stop is now a daily ritual for many.
The retailer's shops often share a uniform look. Still, Starbucks has always aimed to craft artful spaces that respond to their context and serve as gathering hubs, says architect Arthur Rubinfeld, president of global development. In recent years, the company has raised its design ambitions to venti-sized proportions, opening branches that generate considerable buzz for their distinct styles. Here, we feature four such examples, designed mostly by in-house teams.
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