At nearly 3,000 square meters, the largest Starbucks Reserve Roastery has opened its door in Tokyo, located in the city's chic Nakameguro district.
Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo is the company's fifth "outlet," following Seattle (2014), Shanghai (2017), Milan and New York (both in 2018).
Situated next to the Meguro River, this is the only Reserve Roastery that was designed and built from the ground up — previous iterations repurposed existing buildings — Renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma – the man behind the main host stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – utilized sugi (Japanese cedar), a durable, fragrant, light-colored wood to make a "Japanese-like building" that would "connect the neighborhood with coffee."
Inside, from the origami-like ceiling to the washi paper lanterns, each of the roastery's four floors is a "celebration" of Japanese culture. The focal point of the space is a 17-meter-tall copper cask, which rises up like a glimmering monolith from the ground floor, its 121 copper plates hand-hammered in the Japanese tsuchime technique.
Complementing the cask are 2,100 copper cherry blossoms that cascade down from the ceiling — in homage to the Meguro River's famous cherry tree-lined banks. From the cask extends a complicated-looking, vaguely steampunk system of pipes and tubes, some emblazoned with the words “straight from cask to cup,” that wend their way around the ceiling, delivering beans around the store.
The first floor hosts the roastery's main coffee bar, which offers a range of unique coffees and coffee-based beverages. Baristas offer one-on-one consultations, tailoring the bean, brew style and preparation to individual tastes. They also serve signature beverages such as a barrel-aged cold brew (¥1,200) that uses beans aged in whisky barrels.
The second floor is home to the Teavana tea bar, which offers an equally innovative experience, with 18 loose-leaf teas and even more tea-based beverages. One, a cream soda made with matcha from Kyoto, sparkling water, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a bright red cherry (¥900), is a nod to the melon-flavored cream soda often found at kissaten (traditional coffee shops).
The third-floor features a full-service Arriviamo bar offering both coffee and tea-infused cocktails, Japanese twists on standard classics and non-alcoholic options. With the Tokyo Pour Over (¥3,000), coffee is filter-brewed, poured over a cocktail made with Japanese whisky and served with two ochoko sake cups for sharing — combining the best of coffee and cocktail craft.
Finally, the fourth floor boasts the Amu (from the Japanese word "to knit") Inspiration Lounge, an event space and soon-to-be Specialty Coffee Association of Japan-certified training location.
The Reserve Roastery Tokyo can roast an impressive 1,800 kilograms of coffee a day between its 118-kilogram Probat G-120 and 16-kilogram Probat P25 roasters. Coffee roasted here will be packaged and shipped to Starbucks stores across Japan. The roastery will also make the eponymous Tokyo Roast, a Starbucks Japan-exclusive blend coffee that will change with the season.
STARBUCKS RESERVE® ROASTERY TOKYO
2-19-23 Aobadai Meguro-ku Tokyo 153-0042
