Starbucks recently opened a beautiful new store in Australia! It is located in a hospital in Brisbane, and replaces a previous small kiosk that operated there since 2005. This remodel is a major overhaul, and obviously now a much larger space than the previous kiosk. The new store features the design style of “re-purposed wood” and a heritage look. I owe a big thank you to a partner in Brisbane who took all of these photos the day of the store’s grand reopening and sent them to me right away!! THANK YOU!
I believe that the exact date of the grand opening of this store was Tuesday, November 9, 2010. This store’s whole bean coffee offering includes some limited international market coffees, and some well known “core” coffees universally found at Starbucks stores all over the world. The coffees include Breakfast Blend, House Blend (available in decaf), Colombia Narino Supremo, Organic Shade Grown Mexico, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Timor Larosa’e, Kenya, Arabian Mocha Sanani, Verona, Cafe Estima Blend, and Espresso Roast (available in decaf).
I have mentioned a few of those coffees before in previous blog posts, in case you wish to read more about them:
In terms of the store design, it is obviously of the LEED-inspired style that has been featured a number of times on this blog. I hear that there are three seating areas and that one of the great things about this store’s design is that it is disable-friendly: a number of the tables are high set in order to allow access for persons in wheelchairs. When Starbucks creates stores for hospitals, the design team does a great job of being thoughtful to the special needs of that kind of store site. I previously wrote a blog entry about a Starbucks located in Children’s Hospital in Seattle, and that post is still a favorite of mine – I highly recommend reading this blog post. It’s clear that the store was designed with great care:
Soup’s on at Children’s Hospital Starbucks in Seattle
Australia’s holiday beverages right now include the Gingerbread Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Toffee Nut Mocha, and the store offers a special Tazo Chai Cheesecake! I want to try that cheesecake! Food items change regularly however this store (and as is commonly found in the Australian Starbucks market) offers a daily soup. The “flat white” is on the menu as a standard item. For those that do not recall, Starbucks introduced the “flat white” to the UK (and other selected international markets) roughly a year ago (I don’t remember exactly when). It is a strong, small size, no foam latte. This store offers the usual fare of full-leaf Tazo teas as well.
Lastly, if you are interested in reading some previous blog posts about Starbucks stores or merchandise in international markets, click here for the “international category” on this blog.
Thank you again for the huge help in the emails, the photos, and the information, to the partner in Australia who put this all together for me. I enjoyed seeing this new store, and I hope you did too!
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YEEEAH! Starbucks around the world continues…:D
And finally in Australia! This is a wonderful store! I think the concept of such a store inside of a hospital is very American, but the interior of it looks very European. That’s cool!
Nice to see that the Xmas-Merch and promotions in Australia right now also seems to be the same like here.
That’s an interesting Starbucks Mug on this picture with the cake…wow! And I would love to try this Tazo Chai Cake…YUMMY!
The Australian Starbucks also seem to be not that cheap…kinda the same like Europe I would say.
Gosh it so amazes me how beautiful the stores in hospitals are. Why can’t SB take this design theme to free standing stores? Thanks Melody for passing along these pics.
Such a beautiful store! Absolutely love the artwork on the walls. I agree with purple, would love to see more store designs like this in free standing stores! (not including concept stores) 😀
It makes me so frustrated to see all these fantastic new or remodled stores we got a 10 year renovation it is so cheeply done, its already falling apart unmatching laminate and chairs I could go on and on…
PS: I REALLY want that condiment bar for my store! 😀
That TAZO Chai Cheesecake needs to come to the US ASAP!!!
@nematode – I’m sorry your remodel wasn’t up to quality standards. I haven’t seen that to be the case, in my experience. If you look, I’ve actually written MANY blog posts about stores that get their major remodel – Just recently, a few posts down, I mention the 6th and Union Starbucks in Seattle.
I don’t count this really as a remodel since it was only a kiosk before this actual store opened up. I look at this store in Brisbane, and actually I see much of what I have seen before in other Starbucks remodels. I’m getting used to it! Though I still like it, and I especially enjoying seeing the food differences around the world.
@baroosta – I want that cheesecake too!!! Tazo Chai Cheesecake sounds AMAZING!
This is such a great idea! Especially for people who are waiting to learn about a patient, or something of the sort. A Starbucks would be a much more comfortable and potentially relaxing place to sit and wait.
And I love the look of this Starbucks. Very nice!
Also, I agree—I’d love to see that cheesecake at a Starbucks near me! Looks delicious. I would absolutely try a slice!
Wow, very good.
I want to eat the cheesecake!
MELODY!
Beautiful store. I’m jealous that they have Arabian Mocha Sanani. grrr.
@Caeruleus – Hey! I was jealous too that they have Sanani! I was really surprised when I heard from the partner who helped me with this blog post that they still have Sanani. I think that the UK used to offer Sanani until recently, and they just discontinued offering it because the supplies of it are so scant!
Hi Melody. Yes we did have Arabian Mocha Sanani until recently. It still remains my favourite whole bean coffee to date so I was really sad to see it go.
The new Australian store looks fab. We have started to have some of the new look stores in the UK – Conduit Street in London, The Royal Mile in Edinburgh, Bicester Village retail park and more new concept stores in the making. All exciting stuff and also a great way of giving more value to making the store fit its local community.
Love your blog, but I hope you wont mind if I comment on what you said about Flat Whites. It’s not actually a no foam latte (in the UK anyway). It’s a double shot of espresso blended with very carefully steamed full fat milk so that you get super velvety micro-foam and the drink is then finished with latte art – rather similar to the picture you have in your Roy St cupping blog.
Keep up the great blogging!
Man I really miss Colombia Narino Supremo. I guess I will just have to start being a jet setting world traveler so I can taste these flavors again. I had a customer get upset with me because she wanted to know what coffees we still carry that she could blend to taste like Arabian Mocha Sanani and I had to tell her that she wouldn’t be able to match that luxurious treat. When she first asked about Ethiopian Sidamo and I told her is was not available any longer she asked me why, like anyone tells me, HA HA I love that you cover the world with your posts, so International.
I had a hard time finding decaf anything when I visited Starbucks in London a few years ago. Is “decaf’ an American thing?
i wanna try the TAZO chai cheezecake!!
maybe they should have that over the world :p
and i love to see the pix of new stores 🙂
thax for sharing the photo!
Hi Miki! LOL! I think the cheesecake was more of a hit than the store design! Food is always the winner. I too want to try it.
@Pam – Good question! I really don’t know if decaf is more of an American thing. Hopefully someone else will drop by this blog who knows the answer.
we only have one decaf coffee in JP!
I think maybe a few years ago Decaf probably was a bit of a US thing but I wouldn’t say so anymore. We now have decaf espresso in all UK stores for you to buy and have at home and also there is some decaf house blend available as well although I’m not sure whether that is going to stay in our line up.
I suspect that americans are larger consumers of decaf but at least we do offer it for those UK customers that do want it.
I’m so proud that this is one of our (Starbucks Australia’s) stores! It really is fantastic in person and I don’t think the photos I took completely do it justice.
As a side note we’ve had the Flat White in Australian stores longer than I’ve been here – so much longer than the introduction of the beverage in the UK. Essentially, ours is a no-water Americano Misto and can be ordered in any size. The Flat White, as a beverage, does originate in Australia and every single cafe would offer it (even McCafe). What they have in the UK as a Flat White, though, would be considered a latte here – as it’s very common to find lattes with some sort of art work on top!
The cheesecake is phenomenal. It’s a super pairing with Anniversary Blend! Initially it tastes like our other baked cheesecakes, but when you swallow the spice explodes and all you can taste is the sweet spice of the tazo chai. Brilliant recipe!
@Laurence — Thanks. I remember trying to order a “half-caf grande drip” in London and getting puzzled looks. I hope to return — sooner than later — and try again!
I love love love LOVE seeing other Starbucks stores outside the U.S. 🙂 Don’t get me wrong I love all the Starbucks here in the states but it’s just really fun to see what concepts other countries come up with. I’d imagine the country that the Starbucks is being designed in has a lot to do with how the end look comes out…and they all have that smooth Starbucks design flow too. I like that.
Thank you again for sharing reader pictures and announcements…it’s a little like traveling the world from the comfort of my laptop *SMILE*