In only the third re-design of its stores since opening for business in 1976, The Coffee Beanery has unveiled its newest look at the recent opening of its 2,000-square-foot store in Little Rock, Ark. This location is the first in the country to showcase the new design, which features an attractive ambience that takes customers into a setting reminiscent of a West Indies coffee plantation. Fort Lauderdale-based Zakaspace, a leading hospitality interior design and architectural firm, was hired to design and execute the new look which will eventually be incorporated in all Coffee Beanery locations nationwide. Consumers can indulge in a full menu of specialty and espresso-based coffee drinks, light breakfast fare, as well as sandwiches, soups, salads, and desserts, amidst the British and Dutch Colonial Coffee Plantation theme. According to JoAnne Shaw, founder and president of The Coffee Beanery, "This new re-design reflects the growing lifestyle trend whereby today's consumers seek excitement and adventure without leaving the comforts of what's familiar to them. "We're embracing this 'tasteful adventure' by offering customers the opportunity to escape with a great specialty or espresso-based coffee drink, while feeling as if they have traveled miles away to the authentic coffee plantations where our beans are grown," she added. According to Shaw, Zakaspace was able to take this design direction and make it easily adaptable for each style of Coffee Beanery location, by incorporating accessories that are timeless and enduring. The Zakaspace design team developed a program through a theme which incorporates the look of yesteryear, all within the romance and aura of the Colonial Era. All locations will eventually feature this design. "Even before entering the store, the subtle aroma of fresh brewed coffees is apparent. As customers approach what seems to be a tropical setting with eight-foot tall coffee trees, blended with rich wood and slate floor treatments, it is clear they have arrived somewhere special," said Spiros Zakas, president of Zakaspace. Other features of the new design include decorative wall tiles and large classically styled wooden wall clocks displaying different time zones from various coffee-producing countries, including Kenya, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Tanzania, Colombia, Sumatra and Jamaica. Customers can relax with an espresso beverage or specialty coffee drink surrounded by authentic hand silk-screened wall coverings featuring exotic leaves in hues of antiqued greens and golds, reminiscent of classic British Colonial designs. Retail display accessories also have an old world quality. For stores with large seating areas, booths and banquettes are upholstered in animal print fabrics in shades of gold, natural and dark brown coffee-rich tones. Wood seating and table tops are finished in crown cherry, with African slate flooring. The Little Rock Coffee Beanery features triple-tiered Duncan Phyfe-style tables and a vintage hand trunk shelf unit. Lending to the quaint atmosphere are ceiling fans with natural leaf blades and pendant lighting with amber tiger-finished glass globes. While making its debut in a streetfront cafe, the new design is easily modified for the Coffee Beanery's mall stores. The basics -- wall coverings, tile and slate floors -- will always be part of the design. Established in 1976, The Coffee Beanery is a privately held company headquartered in Flushing. Founded by JoAnne and Julius Shaw, the company franchises and supports a network of upscale cafes, retail stores, carts and kiosks that specialize in serving the finest specialty arabica coffee. The company began franchising in 1985. Since then, it has expanded to 190 locations in 32 states and an international franchise in Guam. In fiscal 1999, systemwide sales exceeded $51 million.
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