Blue Bottle Coffee based in California opens its first store in China
February 27 - 2022
Coffee Geography Magazine
The renowned brand, Blue Bottle Coffee from Oakland, California has secured a prime location in a historical building near the Suzhou Creek in Shanghai as the company prefers an ancient façade for its customers. For Blue Coffee, It is the latest addition to the company's global network of 102 cafes, as well as the latest international brand vying for a piece of the booming local coffee market.

The renovations of the building were completed in 2019 as the former dormitories for the Shanghai Yutong Flour Mill built in 1926 needed quite the facelift to fit as a top designed Yutong Café. It is a two-story building which features typical Jiangnan (areas in the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) residence and Western elements. "China is a strategic market for Blue Bottle Coffee and one where we see a long future for ourselves," said CEO Karl Strovink.

Karl Strovink, CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee
The second floor, with antique furniture gives a deep and sentimental feeling for those who appreciate classic China. it also integrates two design features, a coffee bar using an old door and window frames recycled from old buildings in Shanghai, as well as the world's only 60-year-old vintage FAEMA espresso machine. The café introduced Hayes Valley Espresso, a powerful yet full of flavor to make its customers accustomed to its unique taste that no one could fine anywhere in the great Shanghai. In the coffee profile, customers will have the choice to experiement three single origin coffees from Ethiopia and Honduras where Blue Bottle Coffee has a long term relationship with the local farmers. All coffees are roasted in small batches at the Blue Bottle Coffee Shanghai Pengpu Roastery. Shanghai has nearly 7,000 coffee shops, and there's an average of 2.85 for every 10,000 people in the city. The new store provides limited-edition sticks, cups and bags designed in cooperation with Shanghai illustrator Peng Kai and inspired by scenes along the Suzhou Creek.