Starbucks' New Stores Could Change the Chain Forever

From Delish

Last summer Starbucks set into motion a new movement. After launching its first-ever "express" store in August, it created a new tone for the mermaid-emblazoned cafés. With zero cushy chairs and tables-just a counter for orders and a second for pick-up-gone are the days of the novel-writing trope.

With a highly-streamlined process, Starbucks aims to make the customer experience at its express shops as quick and easy as possible. A limited menu, sans Frappuccinos, ensures speedy coffee making-but it's the ordering process that makes it all click: You place your order at the first counter, then pay at a register at the second counter where you also pick up your drink, and you leave through a separate door. It's an extremely smooth, espresso-fueled journey.

The first iteration opened on Wall Street in downtown Manhattan, then came another in Toronto, Canada and others dotted throughout New York. Now another is opening in Chicago, nestled inside the city's incredibly busy Union Station, which is trampled by more than three million passengers every year. Chi Town's new express shop marks the company's fifth "espresso shot of a store." And that makes it more than a trend-this hyper-lapsed concept is here to stay. So don't be surprised when one pops up in your 'hood.

This quick, in-and-out model mimics that of one of its biggest competitors: Dunkin' Donuts. Which is funny because that was one of DD's brand managers' favorite digs, saying Dunks isn't for "those who are going to sit for hours 'working on their screenplay.'"

Of course, Starbucks isn't totally giving up on its "stay a while" vibe. The company plans to open a second Roastery, one that sprawls over nine stories, in New York's Hells Kitchen neighborhood. There, customers can try exclusive reserve roasts, join in on coffee samplings similar to wine tastings, and walk through a massive retail space filled with all things Starbucks.

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