Starbucks Passion

New Favourite Store (#4007)

A new Starbucks store opened in Mississauga on June 10. It’s located at Erin Mills Pkwy. and Burnhamthorpe Rd. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the opening of this store and today, I made my way to the location at around 8pm. I couldn’t wait to see what this store was like. And to be perfectly honest, I was impressed.

Every Starbucks store is different, special and unique. Even though there are thousands of stores world-wide, each store has a unique flair. Why is that? How can that be? Well, it’s simple. Before each store opens, Starbucks sends in a team of interior designers to assess what can be made of the space to give each store a distinctive appeal. They take into account: lighting, ceiling height, floor, windows and seating space. Once they have the blueprints and a feel for the space, they start designing the store. For example, if the space is small and cozy, they may decide to give the store a ‘cottage’ feel. If there are large windows, they may create a ‘metropolitan’ feel. And so on… They add furniture, pictures, paint and any other accessories necessary to create a distinctive feel for each store.

This particular store (#4007) has a sleek, woodsy, industrial feel to it. The large, comfortable, brown leather couches and chairs give it a sleek look. The high ceiling, hanging lights and polished cement floor give it an industrial feel. And the reclaimed wood tables and baseboards give it a woodsy feel. Overall, it’s a store unlike any other.

above: reclaimed wood baseboards

below: high ceilings with industrial, warehouse style lighting

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the store is the reclaimed wood tables and baseboards. After speaking with the store manager, I learned that all the wood used in the store was reclaimed from a bar floor in the Guelph area. But even before the wood was used for the flooring in the bar, the wood was reclaimed from a ship that sunk in Lake Ontario several years back. The wood was found at the bottom of the lake, saved and then sold to a manufacturing company in Ontario. From there, the wood was sold to a bar and used for the flooring. Once the bar closed down, the wood was sold back to another manufacturing company. At that point, Starbucks purchased the reclaimed wood and decided to put it to use in this new Mississauga store. The reclaimed wood has now been used for all in-store tables and 3 foot high baseboards.

above: reclaimed wood table

Overall, this store has quickly become one of my favourites. It’s eccentric and cozy; sleek and comfy. And even though it just opened, it already has a lot of character. A great new store!