African project
Starbucks – South Africa
strangers to meet. This is visible in the variety of seating opportunities we offer, creating
a backdrop to each moment.
Both our stores offer beautiful Reserve Bars. Starbucks sources coffee from nine
countries in Africa; the two first single-origin, small-batch African Reserve coffees, are
from the Kenya Kaganda Estate and from Burundi Murambi. These special coffees are
brought to life through a variety of brewing methods, including Siphon, Pour-Over, and
the Clover™ brewing system.
Q
What was the inspiration behind the concept for the design?
Mall of Africa store: The store’s design was inspired by the beautiful, natural
landscapes of Africa – amber sunsets, mighty mountains covered in lush green
vegetation and Africa’s coffee farms. This is reflected in the colour palette, where we
used warm rich wood tones and forest green marble. The in-store artwork embraces
the great traditions of African storytelling by taking customers on the journey of coffee
though imagery produced by local artists.
Rosebank: We were inspired by the regional characteristic of the rich sunset earth tone,
combining this with the warmth of natural materials and dark wood. The traditional
weaving which is often found in home furnishing crafts and textiles is used to cover the
entire ceiling.
Q
THE SHOPFITTING
What challenges were encountered during the projects and how were these
overcome?
As with any new location, translating and building the Starbucks experience for the
first time is always hard work. There are design nuances that make a true Starbucks
environment, and it requires some learning to get it right and the teamwork and support
Starbucks recently opened the doors of its second store in South Africa, at the new Mall of
Africa in Midrand, Johannesburg. The store design aimed to combine Starbucks coffee culture
with the warmth and richness of the African landscape. Jacobs Shopfitters were contracted
to provide a full turnkey solution, including local craftsmanship and artistry of the highest
quality.
Jacobs Shopfitters was ideally suited to produce a bespoke, modern and innovative interior
for this iconic brand at the beginning of its journey onto South African shores. The Starbucks
brand is undeniably a design powerhouse, boasting some of the most beautiful coffee shops
the world over. Known for their exceptional woodwork and joinery, Jacobs Shopfitters was able
to expressly understand, interpret and implement the vision for the project.
The design showcases the store’s African identity; with rich wood tones, an earthy colourpalette and a rippling, felt covered ceiling, echoing the rows in which coffee beans are dried.
Jacobs Shopfitters used state-of-the-art CNC and laser machinery, as well as meticulous
hand-crafting techniques, to tell the story of the Starbucks siren on the intricate, woodcladded walls. Local carpenters and artisans contributed to the décor and furniture, realising
Starbucks’ wish to support regional craftsmen.
Despite extremely tight deadlines and difficult working conditions, the Mall of Africa project
was a resounding success for both Starbucks and Jacobs Shopfitters. A company such as Jacobs
Shopfitters, with a wealth of industry experience and a highly-skilled team of people, is capable
of taking on any challenge. Offering full turnkey solutions, their consistently high standards
and quality of workmanship mean Jacobs Shopfitters are on the cutting-edge of the industry.
26 africandesignmagazine.com