The initial secret to Starbucks’ success was making its coffeehouses a place for people to relax. In the modern, technologically advanced world, though, it’s also become a place for people to work, with creative professionals using laptops and other mobile devices to create and communicate while sipping a cappuccino, Frappuccino, or even a beverage that doesn’t end in “-ccino.”
So Tokyo’s newest Starbucks is fully aware that customers are as likely to want to use it as an office as a cafe, and so the branch is designed to cater to teleworkers.
On the first floor of Starbucks’ Circles Ginza branch, located in Tokyo’s swanky Ginza neighborhood, things look pretty normal, with a counter to place drink and food orders at. It’s when you climb the stairs to the second floor that the differences become noticeable.
The second floor is divided into two areas, the Co-Work and Solo-Work zone. In the Co-Work section, you’ll find meeting tables that can seat up to 12 people, for teams that work remotely regularly enough that they don’t have an office with a conference room, but still need to hold the occasional face-to-face meeting. There are also semi-private booths with video conference equipment, as shown in the photo above.
But where things really get unique is in the Solo-Work area, which has one-person work capsules. These work spaces are designed to help maximize your concentration with cozy dimensions and privacy that keeps you out of the line of sight of other patrons, so you never have to let self-consciousness disrupt your creative process. Seats are equipped with power outlets, and the branch’s overall design seeks to use plant life and natural light to keep patron relaxed yet full of energy.
Reservations for work spaces can be made using the Think Lab app (available here).
Cafe information
Starbucks Coffee (Circles Ginza branch) / スターバックス コーヒー CIRCLES 銀座店
Address: Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku, Ginza 3-7-6, Circles Ginza
東京都中央区銀座3-7-6 CIRCLES 銀座
Open 7 a.m.-10:30 p.m.
Source: Starbucks
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14 Comments
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Wesley
Maybe Japanese beverage companies can follow suit but with green tea houses instead?
Oxycodin
I bet a Chief Information Security Officer ( CISO) would disapprove.
Oxycodin
If there is a way to make money someone is certainly out there to get it. This totally defeats the purpose of working from home and not exposing yourself to CRONO VIRUS! Not only that perfect recipe for eaves dropping on company information and recording confidential company data and selling company confidential stolen data. Not a bright idea at all.
JeffLee
Great idea, although about 50% of the time when I enter a regular 'Bucks in Tokyo, there is nowhere to sit due to fullness. Reservations are a must, it would seem.
Mike Donovan
Most of the Starbucks in Vancouver have the seats removed
Toasted Heretic
Ah, Starbucks, who had such a wonderful history when it comes to coffee pickers and treatment of staff.
No thanks.
kyronstavic
Good stuff. How much does it cost for a booth?
Would be nice to get one in Osaka.
Ran
@rgcivilian... spot on mate! It’s nearly impossible to find a seat at most Starbucks because of these types of people!
rgcivilian1
Ok done, I'm there now and it is awesome, I like this. Wish this was around years ago.
rgcivilian1
"Imagine they'll have to charge to use the space? Otherwise someone could sit there on a 400 yen coffee all day?"
Many take up seats doing that already what's different is now they have personal space. I would pay to rent one just for spite and a guaranteed place to sit even if for 20 minutes. That's what I dislike the most in Starbuck's Japan, I and many out there have to go to alternative places because you see the same group drink 1 cup of coffee and stay there for 3 hrs gossiping, and they are not students.
Akula
Imagine they'll have to charge to use the space? Otherwise someone could sit there on a 400 yen coffee all day?
Michael Machida
Do you need to pay additionally to us the workspace?
Monty
That is cool.
But unfortunately my company will never allow me to work from there.