Espresso Express

Just across from theNew York Stock Exchange, Starbucks Coffee Co. (Seattle) has opened its first express-format store at 14 Wall St. While most Starbucks locations feature an integrated approach to design, with community gathering spaces, working environments and immersive coffee experiences, the new express-format store will be a highly streamlined operation, Starbucks reports.

The company describes the format as the “espresso shot” version of a typical Starbucks store. The compact 538-square-foot location challenged the design team to maximize the space while making sure customers had a fast, convenient experience.

“This location on Wall Street was intentionally designed to take what’s at the heart of our cafés and distill that for a smaller space,” said Bill Sleeth, vp for store design, Starbucks, in a news release. “It is the perfect example of how to balance high design, attention to detail and efficiency, while maintaining what is unique to who we are – our coffee and the connection between our customers and partners.”

Starbucks plans to open four more express-format stores in New York in 2015 as part of the pilot project.