Our journey to visit Starbucks all over the world continues: Next stop, Antwerp, Belgium: A reader traveling through Belgium stopped into a Starbucks in Antwerp and took the attached photos. I dug through the Starbucks Belgium’s facebook page and learned that this special store had its grand opening on February 24, 2010, and it is located in the Antwerp Central Train Station. If you are in Antwerp, the store address is Koningin Astridplein 27, Antwerp, Antwerp 2018. I would assume that Starbucks wanted to open a new store in a transportation hub, and so this site was selected for that reason. The person who wrote me said that the store was expensive and he paid the equivalent of $20 for a tumbler, and $10 for a Frappuccino. He also said that the food selection looked very good, and noticed a nice egg sandwich, and a BLT too. I can’t always write about Seattle, and so it’s time for a very short trip to Belgium! There are over 16,000 Starbucks stores world-wide: This blog is going to try and travel all over the world for store visits! (With the help of my readers – Thank you!).
I dug through You Tube and found this video with footage from some sort of media event the day before the actual grand opening of the new store:
In addition, here are the photos that I received via email. Very beautiful store! Hope you enjoy!
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for letting me travel to Belgium without a passport!!! Beautiful store. I am sort of amazed at the design of some SB stores. I know that most likely the design is related to the location, but I sure wish they (SB) would put more heart into their renovations and think of the community it serves when planning renovations. Some of the stores here in the USA lack the charm and comfort that makes you want to enjoy SB.
I take it that the $10 comes after converting the Euro into the dollar, no? It seems that larger European cities have Starbucks; Paris has a few of them dotted around the arrondisements, but Dijon is notably Starbucks-less.
It does have 3 McDonald’s, though.
-French Bean
Wow! This is a beautiful store! I love the artwork. Thanks for the post Melody and to your reader for sharing!
Purple1 – I totally agree, stores that are relevent to their communities have so much more charm. We recently had 2 stores in my district up for their 10-year remodel, and our DM had to step in and really push for different artwork in an attempt to make the stores more community friendly.
Thank you Melody for doing this Blog post!! I really appreciate that.
European stores in general are more expensive than US, sure, but this store was super high expensive.
Perhaps this is because the Belgian stores are not company-orperated. A company called ‘Autogrill’ operates them.
I forget–does anybody know what company operates this store?
Am curious why nonUSA stores are not considered corporate stores? Are reward cards issued in the USA valid at these stores? I know Canada has some of the same rewards but not all the same ones.
@Winter
http://www.autogrill.be
Wow! I didn’t know Autogrill was in charge of Starbucks! I just thought they were (really nice) pit stops that you saw on the French autoroutes. o_O
They are also in charge of Pizza Hut, too.
@French Bean
I wondered too…but they seem to do a lot of business beside their pit stops…a really big company. But I think they do not just operate the Belgian Starbucks, but also the stores in the Netherlands…I know the Netherlands stores are very expensive too. But I will find out…going to Utrecht or Schiphol Airport in the next weeks.
Hi Sebastian–how on earth are you able to travel so much???
Hi Winter, I have long holidays right now…and my parents love travelling too…so, we do some longer trips right now.
This starbucks is gorgeous! I love the stonework
The pricing there IS a bit steep so I’m a lil curious as to how successful the store is in revenue… A $10 frap??? LOL I am excited to see more starbucks from around the world and I feel its a great idea to do it thru your readership who travel!!! This is fantastic!
Many thanks to your reader who contributed! Very cool.
Wow, I have to just say I’m drooling over this store design. The tinted windows, the rock wall, everything about it is awesome. Pat on the back to this design team. It’s so hard for me to see this and then look at stores that are nothing like that. This is what I hope to see starbucks make all their stores more like. it’s a really great thing.
Thanks Mel, and thanks mel’s reader who went and brought back these images. I really hope to see that blt come to our stores soon.
Wow that store is absolutely gorgeous!! The exterior is beautiful with the stones and i love the wood siren! Thanks for the post and the person who sent the pictures! I love seeing these and this one is breathtaking.
An excellent store design!
The beautiful design by the stones is noble and has even dignity. And great logo! When I see the Starbucks original(2nd version) logo, I may put both knees on the floor and give prayer to the logo.
@Sebastian, thank you for good pics.
@Melody, thank you for the good post.
About price.
Tumblers and the foods are expensive in Japan also.
For example, you can believe that? Biscotti is 95 cents, but it is 2 dollars in Japan. And I cannot buy favorite Starbucks Caramel Macchiato Biscotti in Japan.
I LOVE Caramel Macchiato Biscotti → http://twitpic.com/27qu1w
@everyone – Thank you for posting here. I think it’s a beautiful store too. It’s mentally refreshing to come to this site and see all the positive participation without people tearing at each other, nitpicking stuff. I’m sure some of it has to do with it being a small small site, so a small community, but I really appreciate that friendliness in my readers – you seem to get along with each other! Thank you!
@Nob
HaHa…I would totally agree with your idea about praying in front of the logo…:D
The only problem…it’s not in the store, it was outside where crowds of people busily rushed to trains and buses. I waited for about an hour to make this photo of the logo…cuz there are seats in front of it where people were sitting and waiting. Was kinda terrific.
What a great post!! Thank you Melody!
@latterose, you changed your picture!
Great pictures and post! =)
I love how they use the older logo, and have the beautiful artwork.
Thanks for sharing the international Starbucks with us!
This store is gorgeous, Melody! Love the brick walls! And I see they have the red I-can-sleep-here-all-day couches. Wish we had a store like that here!
I liked the youtube video, too! I wonder who made it
I love how they have all of the for here cups stacked up right by the paper cups. It seems like they have them stacked right by the register too. I think I spy with my little eye at :26 in the video the HUGE steaming pitchers. What a great store. Thanks for sharing this, Melody!
Oh Melody, this post reminds me of my trip to England five years ago. I’ll never forget visiting the Starbucks outside of Windsor Castle. It was surreal. Inside, it looked like home, but the window overlooked the Thames. And, the store was playing the Beach Boys’ “California Girls.” (Of course, I’ve never heard that song played in any of the many Southern California Starbucks I’ve frequented.)
The other thing I remember about the Starbucks in London were that they didn’t serve decaf drip. Not to be found. (But all the places we stayed had instant coffee in a small paper tube. Typhoo?)
@latterose @baroosta @pamwestcott @amazonv @kaori
- Latterose – You did change your picture! Cabarista noticed it first! Cute new pic.
@pamwestcott – Yeah the stone design makes you think you could be in the 18th century but you’re totally in the present too watching Frappuccinos being made. Was the instant coffee in paper tubes a Starbucks thing? How curious!
@baroosta @amazonv @kaori – Glad you liked the store. I love our short trips around the world!
No, the coffee-in-a-paper-tube was just what the hotels and B&Bs and B&Bs. As I recall, I had a hard time, as a whole, getting regular drip coffee anywhere but a Starbucks. Other coffee places wanted to give me what they called an “Americano” — espresso and hot water. Not the same thing as my beloved “half-caf grande drip.” I started drinking more tea, instead.
Whoops — sorry for the typo in the previous comment. (It must be Friday!)
Anyway, your latest post made me think about something that I’d like to ask you and your readers. For years, I would hear people say, “Europe has the best coffee because all the crappy beans are sent to the United States.” The implication was that U.S. coffee drinkers didn’t know the difference anyway. And everyone would just nod their heads and say, “Yup, it’s true. Too bad.”
Do you know of any back story to what may be an urban myth?
When I visited England and Ireland a few years ago, I was really looking forward to trying the coffee. Couldn’t wait to try those fabulous beans I’d been hearing about! But what I had certainly didn’t bowl me over.
I never saw a Starbucks in Dublin. Sometimes when I’d ordered a cup of coffee, I got watered-down espresso. So, I switched to tea, which was good. (And the Guinness was wonderful!)
I agree, another beautiful thread! I have NO idea how you get all this done Melody.
to Pam W.: I remember yrs ago (pre-Sbux in the UK), it was kind of the general opinion that they were known for their tea (obvious) but did not know coffee……and I had to agree. I couldn’t wait to get home to some good coffee (and one of these times was pre-Sbux here too) I did, however , get some good espressos and cappucinos….but regular brewed good coffee was considered an American thing. (this is in the early 70′s and 80′s) Obviously, things have changed but from what I hear, we are still much more known for a good cup of coffee than the UK. (except Sbux now, thankfully)
Now THAT’S a licensed store! It’s too bad the U.S. licensed stores don’t look like that.
P.S. @LatteRose – love the ChocoCat avatar!
You can see that Windsor Castle store here:
http://starbuckseverywhere.net/JustWestOfLondon.htm
Beautiful store! There seem to be A LOT of partners on the floor, though! Someone mentioned the consistency of the frappuccino: that happens when you don’t get your measurements spot on when you blend two grandes!
@purple1 Starbucks Cards are always accepted at company operated stores outside the US. The MyStarbucksRewards are only valid for redemption in the USA, but you will still accrue stars if you make purchases on the card in company operated stores around the globe. I tend to buy everything on my sbux card here in Australia and then redeem my free drink vouchers when I go back to the States. I also have lots of difficulty redeeming my partner discount when I travel to a non-company operated market (NZ, Japan, Taiwan, Peru to name a few…) – partners in the States/Canada are usually really good about my international numbers not working there.
To denise r. — ha, ha, ha. What you describe sounds very familiar! Well, maybe in a few years Starbucks will be remembered as the “American Invasion of Good Coffee” a la The British Invasion of Rock ‘n Roll! (Well, we can hope.)
To Winter — thank you! Those photos bring it all back. Hope to see it in person again.
That is a cool-looking store. I, too, dig the stonework.
I noticed they still have the old blenders, which kinda sucks for them. Hopefully they’ll get the new ones soon; they’re way nicer. (Of course, if frappuccinos are $10 a pop, they might not have a lot of call for them, so it won’t matter much.)
I also noticed a lot of ceramic mugs. I wonder: are the ceramic “for-here” mugs the standard there?
@ Enlightened Coffee Sage
In Europe in general, it is much more in common at Starbucks to take your drinks in ceramic Mugs.
It still is so amazing to me how different the stores are in different parts of the world. Too bad there cannot be unity throughout the system. I enjoy hearing comments from all. Melody- where are you taking us next? With this awful heat on the east coast I sure am ready for some travel!
I went there 3 times and I am sure I will come back very soon. Really good choice of coffee, food and mugs. My favorite one is “Sumatra” coffee. It’s also a very nice place because it’s situated in one of the best train station in the world.
Hard to understand why there is no Starbucks store in downtown Brussels – There are two at the airport – Brussels is a sort of “European DC”, bringing together millions of people every year. Maybe I am too thick to see the business plan behind this choice.
Thank you
Stefano
re frappucinno consistency-it actually looked to be a combo of : too much ice and not enough base. I could be wrong though.