Building Inclusive Spaces: Starbucks Announces New Accessibility Guidelines for its U.S. Store Portfolio
February 16 2024 - 5:00AM
Business Wire
The company will leverage its growing store
footprint to support access and inclusion for the partners,
customers and communities it serves
A new store in Washington, D.C., is the first
location built using the new framework including accessible
features like optimized acoustics, power-operated doors, improved
features for customers with low vision and more
Today, Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) announced that it
is creating a more accessible store experience across its U.S.
store portfolio through an Inclusive Spaces Framework. Building on
the company’s commitment to inclusion, the new design framework
defines how Starbucks will help expand independence, choice and
ease for all people across physical and digital spaces. The first
store to be built using the inclusive design framework opens today
in Washington, D.C. and features items such as optimized acoustics
and lighting for improved visual and audible communication for
customers and accessible equipment designs for a better partner
(employee) experience among other features.
The Inclusive Spaces Framework was created in partnership with a
diverse community of customers, partners and accessibility experts
to develop scalable solutions for retail spaces. Moving forward,
all newly built and renovated Starbucks company-operated stores in
the U.S. will begin to incorporate the framework, a key milestone
in ensuring Starbucks continues to expand accessibility and
inclusion. The framework will also be open sourced and further
developed to help expand accessibility across the retail
industry.
“At Starbucks, we have challenged ourselves to imagine what’s
possible when we take a closer look at the many ways our partners
and customers interact with us and experience our stores every
day,” said Katie Young, senior vice president of store operations.
“Building and scaling an Inclusive Store Framework is central to
our mission of connection and will lead to greater access for
all.”
An estimated one in four adults in the United States has a
disability and Starbucks is working to better meet the needs of its
partners, customers and communities. The Inclusive Spaces Framework
is already intentionally embedded into the company’s rapid store
growth plans in the U.S.
As Laxman Narasimhan, chief executive officer of Starbucks,
shared during the recent Q1 FY24 earnings call, the company is
bullish on new store openings and their strong unit economics.
Starbucks plans to continue open more stores, growing by
approximately 4% this year in the U.S. on a base of over 16,000,
including licensed stores. Further, new company-operated stores in
the U.S. are averaging unit volumes of approximately $2 million
with ROIs of approximately 50%. With strong unit economics and
abundant opportunity ahead, new store growth in the U.S. will
continue to fuel the company’s Triple Shot strategy.
Starbucks Debuts Inclusive Spaces Framework in Washington
D.C. Store on Feb. 16
The first Starbucks store to be built using the Inclusive Spaces
Framework guidelines opens on Friday, Feb. 16. in Washington D.C.,
at Union Market (331 N Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20002). Learn
more about the partners at the Starbucks store at Union Market and
take a virtual tour of the new cafe.
Bringing the Inclusive Spaces Framework to Life
The Inclusive Spaces Framework aims to bring more inclusive
innovation in physical and digital spaces, while enabling Starbucks
to scale the accessibility across its store portfolio.
Some of the physical and digital features that Starbucks will
begin to incorporate include:
- Updated Point-of-Sale (POS): The updated point-of-sale
(POS) system is customized to meet the needs of more partners and
customers. It’s now portable for improved ease of use with
customers, has an adjustable angle stand for better visibility, an
intuitive and customizable layout, offers voice assist and screen
magnification, shows images of menu items to support language
diversity and provides visual order confirmation to help ensure
order accuracy.
- Customer Order Status Boards: Customer order status
boards will offer customers visual update on where their order is
in the process, and when it’s ready to be picked up – providing
multiple ways of communicating.
- Power-Operated Doors: Wherever possible, doors to store
entrances will include a longer vertical push button that is easier
to activate from more heights and angles, designed to reduce the
effort required to open the door.
- Optimized Acoustics and Lighting: Acoustics and lighting
features help create a more inclusive auditory and visual
experience for customers and partners. Stores will use materials to
reduce unwanted background noise and reverberation that can
interfere with assistive devices like hearing aids, and lighting
that minimizes glare, shadow patterns and backlighting that can
impede visual communication.
- Inclusive Equipment Design: Starbucks Clover Vertica™
brewer was built to include a more accessible store experience for
our partners including design features such as a larger dial and
button that protrude for a more accessible reach and visual and
haptic confirmation, including a light to notify when brewing is
complete.
- Paths of Travel: Store designs will create a continuous,
unobstructed pedestrian path, allowing people to approach, enter,
explore, enjoy and exit the store with ease where possible. This
includes open sightlines, barrier free pathways with more
accessible wayfinding to accommodate varying heights, distances and
iconography.
- Connection: To nurture a culture of connection between
customers and partners, counters are lower with overhangs to
accommodate wheelchair access and support better communication when
picking up food and beverages.
“Starbucks opening of their new store built with inclusive
design elements is a big moment as we try to make retail spaces
more accessible and inclusive,” said Tony Coelho, a former U.S.
congressman, primary author and sponsor of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). “We have to go beyond just what is required
to put accessibility and inclusion first to ensure all people feel
like they belong in community spaces.”
Upholding a culture of warmth and belonging
Since the earliest days of the company, Starbucks has worked to
create a culture of warmth and belonging in its stores – a place
where everyone is welcome. This includes Starbucks collection of
artwork featured at stores that celebrate community, 18 Signing
Stores across the globe, free access to free Aira services that
help blind or low vision customers navigate the cafes and
Disability Advocacy Partner Network (employee resource group) which
has contributed to the success of Starbucks partners and the
company since 2016.
About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to
ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today,
with more than 38,000 stores worldwide, the company is the premier
roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our
unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we
bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer
through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in
our stores or online at http://news.starbucks.com or
www.starbucks.com.
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Starbucks Contacts, Media Betsy McManus Phone:
845.893.3454 Email: bmcmanus@starbucks.com
Danielle Winslow Phone: 206.572.0597 Email:
dwinslow@starbucks.com
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