Oh, Starbucks. How I love and simultaneously loathe you. Sure, many complain about the prices (myself included), but Starbucks coffee is reliable in a pinch, especially when you’re not in a neighborhood with any local roasters. I am a consumer of convenience, mostly…but I do enjoy a good salted caramel latte. Nine blocks away from their original Pike Place location in Seattle, is this behemoth: The world’s largest Starbucks. It is the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room, and the space brings Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory to mind: Beans literally move through pipes and into bins where the baristas collect them to brew you a fresh cup of joe! The idea was to create a roastery connected to a cafe, so that Starbucks’ loyal customers could see how their coffee was made. The end result beautiful: A large-scale, high-concept design and a LOT of coffee. Despite my back-and forth relationship with Starbucks, even I can’t argue with that. Let’s all go immediately.
