posted 10/17/10 04:11 PM | updated 10/17/10 05:56 PM
Views: 9583 | Comments : 13 | News, etc.

First look inside the overhauled East Olive Way Starbucks

By jseattle
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CHS made the list along with friends, family and media including USA Today for a Sunday afternoon look at the revamped East Olive Way Starbucks.

Related coverage:

4:20PM - First look inside the overhauled East Olive Way Starbucks - The redesign is intended to evoke a coffee warehouse, those involved in the project say. It is part of a global refocus for the coffee giant on adding more entertainment -- and late night -- offerings to their stores. The revamped store opens to the public Monday morning at 5 AM.
4:22PM - First look inside the overhauled East Olive Way Starbucks - Perfect for a fall day like this Sunday, the revamp has added a large patio. Less perfect today is the new fireplace. Get the feeling that will get some use later in the year.
4:23PM - The study crowd might be sad to note there appears to be fewer group tables in favor of more small tables and big comfy looking chairs and couches.

4:29PM - First look inside the overhauled East Olive Way Starbucks - Here, Starbucks employees get ready for the ceremonial first tasting at a 'new' store. Lots of talk of the challenges in ramping up on the beer and wine end of things for the service staff.
4:30PM - A new meeting bubble. Corporate meeting types, into the bubble!
4:30PM - See? Wine. Starbucks wine. And beer.
4:31PM - East Olive Way re-opens for business Monday at 5 AM.

8:29PM - Here are details about the shop from the official "fact sheet":

Our Olive Way store is located in the vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood in a sprawling structure that has grown and morphed over time, housing many different businesses. Our design evokes these periods and the roles this building once held, as well as the warm heritage of our first store in Pike Place Market through hardwoods, furniture and lighting. The brick façade blends in with the neighborhood, while the interior is raw, simple and allows coffee to be center stage in an intimate, interactive experience between customer and barista. This is our 21st store worldwide to be either LEED® registered or certified.


Notable store elements include:

Reused & Recycled Materials
• The columns and floor were preserved from the existing building
• The coffee bag tapestry on the wall was created using repurposed burlap coffee bags from the Starbucks Roasting Plant in Kent, Washington
• The live-edge wood at the coffee bar was made from urban salvaged wood
• The wood for the case-worked panels was made from reclaimed wood flooring
• The structure of the main serving bar incorporates reclaimed and recycled materials
• The community table was made from flooring from Garfield High School
• The community board was made from reused panels from old espresso machines
• Some of the chairs originally came from the University of Washington campus


Water & Energy Conservation
• Dual-flush toilets and low-flow faucets significantly reduce our water use
• LED and CFL bulbs reduce our energy use
• Our hand dryers are energy efficient and reduce paper towel consumption


Waste Reduction
• During construction, much of the waste was diverted from the landfill
• By using one of our “for-here” mugs or bringing in their own, customers can help us reduce waste


Store Environment
• Paint, finishes and adhesives were carefully selected to avoid interference with the aroma of our coffee
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ReVamped Starbucks
It looks awesome! Can't wait to pop in for a look.
Comment by M.E. O'Meagher
October 17, 2010
Remodeled SBUX
Eager to see the transition at 4 pm to wine/beer/food. I will definitely check it out.
Comment by Faith Sheridan
October 17, 2010
Not impressed
Pretty space. Their beans still taste like burnt ass. No amount of remodeling can change the fact that they need to serve better coffee. Perhaps Stumptown?
Comment by Nick Hart
October 17, 2010
Beans
What "not impressed" should really say is that their beans are roasted differently. Each roast has a range of low roast to high roast, the bolder the coffee, the darker the roast. Stumptown has decent coffee, but each of their roasts are the same way. Sounds like "not impressed" should ask for a mild coffee instead.
Comment by Clarity
October 18, 2010
RE: Beans
"Stumptown has decent coffee but each of their roasts are the same way"
(Brought to you by Starbucks employee #1,345)

Starbucks coffee is for people that like burnt toast and overpriced franchises.
Comment by errrr.
October 18, 2010
RE: Beans
@errr - uh actually "Clarity" has a good point - different roasting techniques affect the flavor of the coffee that the beans produce. This is not to say I like any of starbucks' roasts, but to just assume someone who defends starbucks is an employee of the company makes you sound kind of pretentious, don't you think?

To each their own - different roasts for different folks.

** and NO, i don't work for starbucks ;)
Comment by vics
October 18, 2010
RE: Beans
Stumptown is for faux hipsters.
Comment by hmm
October 18, 2010
RE: Beans
The burnt ass flavor isn't just the roast. The push-button vending machine brewing is a factor as well.

Listen, we all like to feel superior and think what we like is best. I personally have never understood why anyone would want to frequent Charbucks, but then, some of my friends do and they seem to have most of their wits about them, so I have to chalk it all up to a matter of preference and not some fatal flaw in their reasoning.

Perhaps fatal flaws in their senses of olfaction and taste, but not reasoning.

As I said, we all like to feel superior. I'm not immune!
Comment by Mizjames
October 21, 2010
exterior lighting
Okay - so discussion of SBUX coffee aside, what struck me walking by at night this week was the exterior lighting, well and some of the interior lighting also.

Someone please correct me if i am wrong (and I sincerely hope I am) but the exterior fixtures look like they use incandescent bulbs. And the perimeter interior fixtures incandescent Edison bulbs. While they look really cool, I know there are products on the market that use compact florescent or LED bulbs that also look cool. And if this SBUX is supposed to be the unveiling of a new store prototype, how environmentally sensitive of the designers was it to use these incandescent fixtures?

Lt me also say that I am not a SBUX hater and absolutely acknowledge the steps they have taken on a corporate level to reduce their stores carbon footprint and be good stewards of our environmental future. I’m just not sure how this store achieves that. Hopefully SBUX can comment?
Comment by CH Neighbor
October 18, 2010
Bad paint...
I thought it looked much more aesthetically pleasing before they primed and painted it that god awful gray.

The natural wood with the brick was lovely. Now, it is just... Blah. Again.
Comment by Rae
October 19, 2010
SBUX interior
manages to *look* inviting, without actually being welcoming.

The tables are too tiny to spread out on or sit around, furniture is too crowded, and set at different height levels. The whole thing screams "admire this place, but don't get comfortable."
Comment by NapoleonXIV
October 19, 2010
RE: SBUX interior
Looks pretty, but with the exception of a couple of nice leather chairs, there really is no comfortable place to sit and study/work or read. Most of the tables are tiny and it's hard to find an outlet to plug-in a laptop. It's designed more like a pretty, trendy bar, not a coffee house.
Comment by Rick
November 10, 2010
Parking, etc
I am so happy it's open again, but a bit disapointed that the employees are filling the parking lot in the morning. Tried to stop in a bit before 6:30 and noticed that there weren't too many customers buying coffee, but was told that some of the employees were parking there to avoid having to walk to work...
Comment by SeattleXB
October 19, 2010