I posted this image to Facebook recently:
On Facebook, I simply tagged it as #WhereInTheWorld and #Starbucks, and then I made a very similar post on Instagram too. Of course, immediately a number of people guessed right that this is a photo from the “SODO 8” Starbucks. I took the pic on Monday, August 11th, as I stood in line. As I read through comments, there were people who wrote, “What’s SODO 8”?
SODO 8 is a company-operated Starbucks. It’s not open to the public. Each time I’ve been there, a Starbucks corporate headquarters partner has escorted my visit. The line is almost entirely headquarter partners. In fact, I’d guess that 99% of the time, every customer is a partner. The store is intended to serve all the 3,000 (or maybe 4,000 or so) Starbucks headquarters employees. And this store stays busy. I’ve walked by a couple of times (while at events at the SSC) and not gotten into the line because it stays so busy. On top of that, this special store donates its profits to the Starbucks CUP Fund. This store opened new March 8, 2011.
Some of my readers might be familiar with a Starbucks customer named Winter who is on a life-long journey to visit every single Starbucks in the world. He’s been to this store once. His photo is here. This is Starbucks store # 15253, 2401 Utah Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134.
Now if someone asks you what the “SODO 8” Starbucks is, you’ll know. It has a Clover and the kind of menu you’d expect: Coffee, handcrafted drinks, La Boulange pastries, Evolution Fresh juices, and it’s designed to be a Starbucks for the headquarters Starbucks partners.
One more thing: I imagine someone is going to ask if there’s a story behind the large original Siren in this photo. As I recall (and someone please correct me if I got this wrong), but that original large Siren was salvaged from Starbucks’ original roasting facility location (long-since closed) and then ultimately re-purposed for this store. Don’t quote me on that though! I need to double check on that.
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Melody another interesting post on a store that only a few people outside of corporate can see. So, if you go to the gear store you still cannot get into this store? I wonder if at the regional offices of SB whether there are stores for partners and staff only?
I hope I get to go to this store someday! Do you know if they also include this store in the tests that Seattle stores might get? I would imagine every partner that pays there usually pays with a registered SBUX card or partner card! So gorgeous! (Although I admit that is quite a lot of Evolution Fresh juices!)
We’ve got a regional office here in Dallas but I’ve never been to it. There is a SBUX across the highway from the office building where the regional office is but I would hazard a guess there isn’t one in the office.
Wow! I want to know more! If it’s not open to the public, how do you get a partner escort?
There is also a similar for-partners-only Starbucks in the Support Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
@Alissa – If you’re partner, it’s possible you know someone inside the building or in some way can connect with someone who knows someone. From my experience, the overwhelming number of people who stand at the front desk and get visitors badges are, in some way, doing business with Starbucks. There probably are partners who bring in their families, but it often has the look of all business. For myself, because I have this blog, in the eyes of Starbucks, I’m kinda “media” – Actually, based upon my interactions with them, Starbucks sees me as blend of fan/friend/media. I have had meetings with the PR department and sometimes they’ve just invited me to do fun things. That’s been the majority of my visits inside the SSC, When I snapped this photo above, it was the same. I met with someone from PR, and on the way out the door, we stopped by SODO 8 Starbucks. And I quickly snapped this pic as I stood in line.
I love this! I’ve been with the company nearly 7 years, and I’ve never heard of this place. Sadly, the stores I’ve worked at are so busy that I think we really don’t get to really dig that deep.
Thanks for sharing!