Unique Starbucks Stores to Visit During the Summer in U.S.
Summer
is upon us, and whether you’re planning an epic cross-country adventure or
exploring a little closer to home – sometimes getting there is half of the fun.
Here are a few of the most unique U.S. Starbucks stores for a memorable pit
stop on your next road trip.
West
Coast
Los
Angeles
Let’s
fuel up for our adventure at a café that was once an old-fashioned gas station,
the Starbucks at Highland and Willoughby in Los Angeles. The art deco
structure, originally built in 1935, is straight from the golden age of
Hollywood and has even been featured in several movies and commercials.
Las
Vegas
A
200-mile drive across the desert east of L.A. brings us to the bright lights of
Las Vegas, where you’ll find a Starbucks store that is a work of art. The
Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Starbucks features a colorful geometric public art
installation by French artist and photographer Georges Rousse that changes
perspective when moving through the space. Still thirsty? There are more than
30 Starbucks stores along the four miles of the Las Vegas Strip between the
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino to the Stratosphere Tower.
Ketchum,
Idaho
If
you’d prefer wide open spaces and mountain views, a summertime visit to
Ketchum, Idaho is just for you – with hiking, mountain biking, and camping in
the surrounding Sawtooth National Forest. The Ketchum Town Center store and its
relaxing ski resort vibe (inspired by nearby Sun Valley) make it the perfect
spot to visit after a day outdoors.
Seattle
Summer
is the best time to visit Seattle, when the rain (mostly) stays away and the
flowers are in bloom at the Pike Place Market. Thousands make the pilgrimage
each year to the Pike Place store, snapping selfies under the weathered brown
logo while partners make their beverages on the vintage-style manual espresso
machine and bag coffee on the worn wooden counters. You’ll also see something
partners tossing empty cups back and forth with drink orders, an homage to the
fish tossed my fishmongers in stalls across the cobblestone street. Just don’t
try to order a blueberry muffin, the original lease stipulated that food could
not be served, and that tradition is continued today.
Midwest
Chicago
Is
visiting the largest Starbucks in the world is on your summer bucket list? If
so, then head to Chicago for a trip to the Starbucks Reserve Chicago Roastery.
It is a five-story coffee wonderland – where you can immerse yourself in the
journey of coffee from bean to cup.
Austin,
Texas
If
your travels take you through Texas, check out the Starbucks store at 3rd &
Lavaca in Austin which celebrates the city’s love for music. The design
includes music-inspired details like speaker paneling, microphone chandeliers
and spotlight pendant lighting. The design team also incorporated amber siding
throughout the store to serve as a nod to the site’s previous history as a way
station on a rail route back when the city was called Waterloo.
New
Orleans
Another
location with musical inspiration is the store on Canal St. & Saint Charles
in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter. Here, the Starbucks design team
dreamed up a vivid story of an apothecary merchant from the early 20th Century
who would sell his goods in the front of a store and settle down after hours in
the back “living room,” where a 12-foot-long community table rested. That
formidable table demanded a trumpet chandelier to complement its commanding
presence.
Savannah,
Georgia
Savannah
is known as the “Forest City,” with its cobblestone streets lined by hundreds
of live oaks and Spanish moss-draped trees made for wandering, both for people
and the spirits who roam this notoriously haunted city. The West Bay &
Bernard store features an enchanting art installation that celebrates the
city’s nature, beauty and history.
Washington,
D.C.
Continue
driving north up the Atlantic Coast to the nation’s capital, where you’ll find
one of the most unique Starbucks stores in the country. The Starbucks Signing
Store at 6th &H in Washington, D.C. is led by a diverse team of partners
who are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). For customers new to sign
language, the store features high-tech options for assisting with
communication, ordering drinks, and receiving beverages at the hand-off
counter. Be sure to check out the colorful mural created by Yiqiao Wang, a Deaf
artist and adjunct professor at Gallaudet University which includes a host of
letters, signs and symbols representing English, ASL, Deaf culture and coffee.
Fairfax,
Virginia
Just
outside Washington, D.C., book lovers will enjoy a stop at the George Mason
University store and its a one-of-a-kind collage of 34 flying books. This café
may look a little familiar, it is featured in Starbucks collection of virtual
backgrounds, and honors the university’s renowned science program with light
fixtures made from iron pipes above the artwork evoke the feeling of a science
lab. (Be sure to “hit the books” on a weekday, the location is closed on the
weekends over the summer.)
New
York City
One
last stop before we go and we’ll make it a good one – the Starbucks Reserve New
York Roastery. Located in the historic meatpacking district of Manhattan, the
New York Roastery has been immersing customers in the craft of coffee since
2018, with interactive elements to bring guests closer to the craft of coffee
from roasting to brewing. If you’re staying the night, grab a bite at Princi
bakery and a drink at the Arriviamo Bar, which serves cocktails and spritz
beverages featuring coffee and tea, including the newest cocktails on the menu:
Pineapple Rum Float and Blush Mint Julep.