Starbucks’ redesigned Seattle outpost

Seattle --Starbucks’ new outpost in the Fremont section of Seattle fits right in with the artsy neighborhood. The company moved from a smaller store in the area to a spacious two-level corner site, complete with a mezzanine.



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Customers who enter the store can’t help but notice its reclaimed art piece: an oversized neon letter “f” that stands five feet tall. There is also a selection of graphic art displayed on the wall to the right. The pop illustrations represent different points in assistant manager Jeremy Holzapfel’s six-year battle against cancer.



A grand staircase made of steel and reclaimed wood leads to the second level featuring community tables, comfortable conversation spaces and window seating. From the upper-level, customers can watch openings and closings of the busy Fremont Bridge – a drawbridge listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They also have they a bird’s eye view of the bar area where baristas make handcrafted coffee beverages.



Having a staircase in the middle of the space and floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides of the store inspired Starbucks in-house design team. (The coffee giant has 18 design offices worldwide.)



“We wanted to create a space that’s light and airy,” said Brian van Stipdonk, senior designer for Starbucks company-owned stores in the Pacific Northwest. “This location will be bright and inviting even on a cloudy day.”