African Design Magazine May 2017 | Page 57

seattle d roll-out office ure erior , to espresso bar centre stage, where people were warmly drawn in to place their order with the baristas. Each store needed to have good flow, drawing people into the heart, and ensuring that seating was not crowded when people were waiting for their daily brew. The cafés needed to have varied seating choices, where customers could rub elbows at a communal farm- style table, have a business meeting, watch the people walk by from a street-facing bar stool or even curl up on a comfy leather couch with a book. Seattle Coffee Company is a relatively small family-owned business, and not a large soulless franchise – they purchase the top 1% of Direct Trade beans in the world and hand-roast them in Cape Town. COA were asked to bring little touches of the journey that delicious coffee makes, from farm to cup, into the interior design of each unique cafe. africandesignmagazine.com