Kengo Kuma's ultra-cool new Japanese Starbucks located in Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan (Click Image To Enlarge)
Starbucks recently commissioned starchitectKengo Kuma to design an outpost in Dazaifu, a small city in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture, that, with walls covered in a matrix of wood planks, is a striking departure from the company’s typical uninspired (if familiarly friendly) interiors filled with tacky pendant lighting and faux-wood finishes.
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And that’s the point. Starbucks shares a history with a host of other American companies that have plunked its cookie-cutter stores into countries around the world. But the coffee empire is now becoming more sensitive to cultural differences--and designing its branches to reflect regional tastes. Earlier this year, it opened an experimental shop in Amsterdam, a showcase of slow-brew coffee, local craftsmanship, and eco-friendly furnishings. And according to The New York Times, Starbucks is investing millions in making over hundreds of its stores in France to appeal to coffee aficionados who favor the personalized atmosphere of cafés.
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Kuma’s interior for the Starbucks in Dazaifu is a pearl in a growing strand of customized spaces--one that is an outgrowth of the architect’s fondness for natural materials. More than 2,000 wooden batons line the 2,260-square-foot shop, creating a loosely woven lattice that extends beyond the storefront’s edge. A few signs, nestled into the wooden structure, are the only outward indicators of the brand.
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According to Kengo Kuma and Associates, the design is meant to blend with the other buildings along the road to Dazaifu Tenmangu, Fukuoka’s most famous shrine, dedicated to the god of learning. “Along the main path to the shrine, there are traditional Japanese buildings in one or two stories,” the firm’s press release states. “The project aimed to make a structure that harmonizes with such townscape, using a unique system of weaving thin woods.” And yet with such a strong sculptural focal point, one can hardly imagine it blending in.
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COMMENTARY: Kengo Kuma's use of natural wood in a beautiful and intricate matrix of wooden planks is an artform that is so very Japanese. It's almost as if you were inside a giant wooden basket or tornado pattern looked sideways. It definitely gives this Japanese Starbucks artsy class, something you just don't find in any Starbucks here in the U.S. In a blog post dated March 8, 2012, I covered Starbucks new store in Amsterdam. That store made liberal use of natural woods throughout the store. The ceiling was absolutely beautiful. When is Starbucks going to start doing the same thing here in the U.S.?
World's Leading Baked Goods and Coffee Chain Planning to Expand in Communities throughout Eight States
CANTON, Mass., April 3, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Dunkin' Donuts, America's all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, announced today it is seeking to expand in communities and towns throughout West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Tennessee, and is looking for qualified franchisee candidates to grow the brand in specific counties within these eight states.
John Dawson, Chief Development Officer, Dunkin' Brands, Inc said.
"As part of our strategic growth plan, we are excited to offer this opportunity to qualified franchisee candidates who are interested in developing a restaurant outside of larger metropolitan areas in these regions. With more than 60 years in franchising, we've found the development and successful operation of a Dunkin' Donuts can deliver a significant impact to the community it serves and we are actively seeking local entrepreneurs to become the face of the brand in their towns."
Dunkin' Donuts' development throughout these communities and towns is part of the Company's goal to double the number of Dunkin' restaurants in the U.S. over the next 20 years. In support of this goal, Dunkin' Donuts has tailored development approaches designed to suit the growth opportunities and consumer needs of individual markets.
Dawson says.
"We're looking for community leaders who may already operate local businesses, such as other restaurants, retail outlets or even convenience stores and gas stations, who have the passion, financial qualifications and experience to operate a Dunkin' Donuts. Our restaurants are typically owned and operated by small business owners, and our development teams work closely with our franchisees to find the development solutions that meet the needs of individual markets."
By joining Dunkin' Donuts, franchisees become part of a nationally established brand with 98 percent brand recognition, benefit from a multi-million dollar advertising fund, in addition to having access to world-class training and ongoing operational support, among many other benefits.
In an effort to keep the brand fresh and competitive, Dunkin' Donuts offers flexible concepts for any real estate format including free-standing restaurants, end caps, in-line sites, gas and convenience, travel plazas, universities, as well as other retail environments.
Since the 1950s, Dunkin' Donuts has been a daily ritual for millions of people. For more than 60 years, Dunkin' Donuts has offered delicious food, beverages, and friendly service at a great value. To best serve its guests, Dunkin' Donuts offers an all-day menu including iced coffee, flavored coffees, lattes, Dunkin' Donuts K-Cup® Packs, Coolatta® frozen drinks, muffins, bagels, breakfast sandwiches, and a DDSMART® menu featuring better-for-you items.
Today, there are more than 10,000 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants worldwide - more than 7,000 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants in 36 United States, plus the District of Columbia, and more than 3,000 international restaurants in 31 countries.
Dunkin Donuts global presence. Gold = well established, Pink = Entering markets (Click Image To Enlarge)
For information on franchise opportunities or to attend an upcoming webinar, please visit www.dunkinfranchising.com.
COMMENTARY: If interested in becoming a Dunkin Donuts franchisee this should help answer some of your questions:
Startup Costs, Financial Requirements, Ongoing Fees and Financing
Total Investment: $368,900 - $1,735,700
Individual Financial Requirements: $250,000 liquid assets and $500,000 net worth.
Franchise Fee: $40,000 - $80,000
Ongoing Royalty Fee: 5.9%
Term of Franchise Agreement: Term of agreement not renewable
No of Franchise Locations
YEAR
U.S.
CANADIAN
INTERNATIONAL
COMPANY OWNED
2011
6,900
20
3,100
0
2010
6,566
49
2,620
0
2009
6,475
55
2,394
0
2008
5,863
63
2,156
0
-
Where Seeking Franchisees
-
United States: Dunkin Donuts announced on April 3, 2012, that it is seeking to expand in communities and towns throughout West Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Tennessee, and is looking for qualified franchisee candidates to grow the brand in specific counties within these eight states. NOTE: Dunkin Donuts franchise's are presently not available in the State of California.
-
Internationally: Franchisor is seeking new units internationally. If you are interested in international growth opportunities, please submit an email with your location of interest to internationalddfranchising@dunkinbrands.com.
Franchisee Support
Training: Available at headquarters: Varies.
Ongoing Support: Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations,
Marketing Support: Regional advertising,
Franchisee Financial Support
Dunkin Donuts does not provide direct financing to franchisees, but has established relationships with preferred lenders which can offer flexible financing options depending on your individual situation.
Portfolio of Concepts
Dunkin' Donuts offers a variety of restaurant designs specifically created to thrive in different venues. Our portfolio of concepts provides a great mix of Development and Real Estate models.
Traditional Location – Full expression of the brand including stand alone and strip center locations, with or without drive thrus.
Traditional Store Concepts
Non-Traditional Location – Expressions of the brand that service a captured audience, including colleges, hotel, stadiums, medical facilities, military installations, and transportation hubs.
If Dunkin Donuts is not offering development opportunities in the market of your choice, see "Restaurants for Sale" for restaurant franchising opportunities in your area of interest.
The Pro's and Con's
According to About.com there are some Dunkin Donut franchise Pro's and Con's:
Pros
Name Recognition - If you can afford it, Dunkin' Donuts offers unlimited profit potential for the most astute entrepreneur.
Competitive - Dunkin' Donuts is in the top 5 of all categories of franchises according to Entrepreneur magazine.
Online University - The Dunkin' Donuts Online University offers numerous learning programs, courses, and resources to franchisees and crew 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Cons
Candidate Profile - Becoming a Dunkin' Donuts Franchisee requires skills and resources that make this opportunity prohibitive for many investors. After you pass your criminal background check, credit check, and proof of assets check, its on to due diligence and the development of your business plan. Dunkin Donuts is looking for candidates with a net worth for 5 restaurants at a minimum of $1.5 million and $750,000 in cash reserves. If you are thinking about a partnership, go ahead, but there is one caveat; one single candidate must personally meet the financial qualifications. The start up fee is a tame $40,000 to $80,000 in contrast, and yes, if you want more units you have to expand at the rate of 5 at a time.
Many Lawsuits - Dunkin' Donuts has been involved in many lawsuits with their franchisees. They have been involved in 10-15 times the amount of lawsuits then the average franchise.
NOTE: Although I love Dunkin Donuts, this blog post should not to be construed as an outright recommendation to become a Dunkin Donuts franchisee. As always, do your homework, conduct adequate research, talk to existing franchisees, make sure you meet the capital requirements, obtain and carefully read the Franchisor's Franchise Disclosure Agreement, and make sure franchising is what you want to do. For additional infiormation about becoming a Dunkin Donuts franchisee, contact Dunkin Donuts Franchising directly.
A NEW COFFEEHOUSE IN AMSTERDAM WILL BE THE TESTING GROUND FOR IDEAS THAT WILL FIND THEIR WAY TO THE REST OF EUROPE.
Starbucks is known for its unwavering consistency, from its unoffensively homey store décor to its burnt-coffee smell. But this Thursday, the brand that normalized the $4 latte is opening an experimental concept store in Amsterdam that offers a glimpse of the Starbucks of the future--at least in Europe.
The historic Amsterdamsche Bank, a landmark building on Amsterdam's famous Rembrandt Square is the site of Starbuck's concept store (Click Image To Enlarge)
Close-up of the historic Amsterdamsche Bank, which has been redeveloped into a commercial center, and is now the site of Starbuck's concept store in Amsterdam (Click Image To Enlarge)
Located in the former vault of the historic Amsterdamsche Bank on Rembrandtplein (Rembrandt Square), on the ground floor of The Bank, a commercial and retail development, the new Starbucks concept store will be a showcase for sustainable interior design and slow coffee brewing, with small-batch reserve coffees and Europe’s first-ever Clover, a high-end machine that brews one cup at a time. But the most radical departure is in the aesthetic: the multilevel space is awash in recycled and local materials; walls are lined with antique Delft tiles, bicycle inner tubes, and wooden gingerbread molds; repurposed Dutch oak was used to make benches, tables, and the undulating ceiling relief consisting of 1,876 pieces of individually sawn blocks. The Dutch-born Liz Muller, Starbucks concept design director, commissioned more than 35 artists and craftsmen to add their quirky touches to the 4,500-square-foot space. The new concept store will officially be open for business on Friday, March 9, 2012.
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The designers took great care to retain some of the building’s original details, such as the 1920s marble floor and the vault’s exposed concrete. But while the design respects the bank’s architectural history, the store’s overall look approaches that of a theater, with the baristas visible from every vantage point of the multi-tiered spaces (which also cameo as stages for local bands, poetry readings, and other cultural events). The coffeehouse will also use social media to communicate relevant moments throughout the day--for example, by sending out a tweet when warm cookies roll out of its in-house bakery. The concepts that go over well in Amsterdam will find their way to other stores across Europe. They may even filter into the highly individualized local concept stores that Starbucks has been stealthily opening in the United States, including one made from shipping containers outside of Seattle.
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This isn’t the first instance of a quintessentially American brand revamping its approach to appeal to foreign tastes and markets. Check my other blog posts dated December 6, 2011 about the new Burger King concept restaurant in Singapore and November 22, 2011 about the new McDonald's concept restaurant in Paris, France.
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COMMENTARY: Now that's my idea of what a Starbuck's store should look like. BIG. Roomy, beautifully decorated, slick, modern and definitely a social watering hole. Not the little 1,100 square foot stores we are accustomed to here in the U.S. If you are ever in Amsterdam, and want to checkout the new Starbucks concept store in Rembrandt Square here's the location on Google Maps.
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I love the location for Starbucks new concept store in The Bank located on Rembrandt Square. I can definitely see myself sitting under a tree doing my blogging while drinking a cup of my favorite brew.
Courtesy of an article dated March 6, 2012 appearing in Fast Company Design and the press release dated March 6, 2012 issued by Starbucks
The Alien monster from the sci-fi movie thriller "Alien" (Click Image To Enlarge)
Can you imagine stepping inside this bar? Bar? Yes, it is just a bar called “HR Giger Bar“, found at the HR Giger Museum in Gruyères, Switzerland. HR Giger Bar is a cavernous,skeletal structure covered by double arches of vertebrae that crisscross the vaulted ceiling of an ancient castle. The sensation of being in this extraordinary setting recalls the tale of Jonah and the whale, lending the feel of being literally in the belly of a fossilized, prehistoric beast, or that you have been transported into the remains of a mutated future civilization. This is a really impressive design and I bet you will have a unforgettable drinking experience inside.
COMMENTARY: I have been to Hollywood theme-style restaurants, but I have never seen anything like the HR Giger Restaurant and Bar which is right out of the movie set for the sci-fi move thriller "Alien." Check out the video:
Amazing alien restaurant bar designed by H.R. Giger and if you don't know who Giger is then I shall tell you. He was involved in the design of the aliens in Alien the movie you know the alien tearing out of the stomach and the face huggers and the most dangerous alien acid blood burns any material. Anyway this bar is like the inside of the alien mother ship:-) They even have piped in music with the sounds of the Alien monster.
That's what I call one cool place worth checking if you are ever in Switzerland.
BTW, the 1979 movie "Alien" is one of my all-time favorites. I remember when the movie first came out. It scared the shit out of everybody in the audience and became an instant hit The movie made Sigourney Weaver a household name, and began the Alien movie series. Here's the original trailer, because I knew you would want to see it. I know my fans very well. Enjoy
Here's my favorite scene from the movie "Alien." I knew you would like to see it, too. Enjoy.
Courtesy of an article dated November 25, 2011 appearing in Design Swan
Our new restaurant concept is called Hollow Restaurant and was conceived by two Russian designers Sergei Makhno and Vasiliy Butenko. What do visitors expect from the new restaurant? Delicious meals? - No doubt. Comfort? - Of course. Coziness? – is a must! A place where you want to spend time with family, loved ones, friends and colleagues. Come to Hollow Restaurant!!
The concept of Hollow Restaurant is defined by its interior. After entering, you will feel the merger with nature. The "Hollow" in the name is the key of the interior. The restaurant is divided into two floors.
First Floor - This is the dining area with a spectrum of delicious cuisine that will delight even the most refined tastes.
Second Floor - This is the lounge area that conveys a feeling of comfort and complete security from the outside world. Here you will feel peace, solitude and seclusion from the bustle of everyday life.
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Hollow Restaurant's decorative elements include large windows to allow lots of natural light, high vaulted ceiling with a skylight drenchs the restaurant with lots of natural sunlight, decorative flower art pieces hanging from the ceiling, and cone-shaped lighting fixtures to lightup each table. Everything in Hollow Restaurant was designed to meet the aesthetic tastes of the client.
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Authorial lamps from Vasiliy Butenko complement the flower decorative pieces and remind visitors about the generous gifts of nature. Materials used in the design are wood and stone to give a sense of natural rest and comfort with the environment.
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The interior has another one pleasant feature. There you can fully devote yourself to reading your favorite book, especially as everything is available: natural light, comfortable chairs, delicious coffee and of course a wide variety of books for every taste. In the Hollow in every detail you will feel the personality, which is so lacking in today's world.
Main Floor Dining Area (Click Image To Enlarge)
Upstairs Lounge Area (Click Image To Enlarge)
COMMENTARY: I have showcased the restaurant design works of Sergei Makhno and Vasiliy Butenko before, and they have really impressed me with their unique restaurant interior ideas. I hope you like Hollow Restaurant. Looks like they gave Apple some free promo with the iMac in the upstairs lounge bar.
Courtesy of a "Hollow Restaurant" by Sergei Makhno and Vasiliy Butenko appearing in Behance
The aroma of baking bread wafts through the supermarket, even when the ovens are empty. The breezy scent of coconut oil floats through the bathing suit aisle of the department store when summer is months away.
Welcome to the world of scent marketing. Retailers are increasingly using ambient scents to induce shoppers to stay longer, spend more and maybe even behave a little more kindly toward fellow shoppers.
Beyond just creating a pleasant environment, the nascent scent marketing industry uses fragrance to tap into memory and emotion to strengthen brand identity.
Retailers are wary of discussing it lest they be accused of manipulation. But the fragrance makers, researchers and advertising agents gathered in Miami Beach for the ScentWorld conference in December were happy to explain their art.
Scentevents founder Neal Harris said.
"Control is one of the most important parts. Too much could be way too much."
His Los Angeles company provided the cotton candy aroma that sweetened arenas around the world during pop singer Katy Perry's recent candy-themed "California Dreams" tour. At a Hollywood Halloween party, he did what theme parks are rumored to do by releasing a popcorn aroma to put guests in a snacking mood.
Harris said.
"When you smell popcorn you want to eat it. But they're not popping the popcorn there."
His company uses fragrance-infused ceramic beads and diffusers to fan the scent through a room. For larger spaces, the scent goes into the air conditioner or ventilating system. It's a dry system so it doesn't linger too long
Harris said.
"You probably don't want to smell coffee at midnight."
Scent marketing is expanding because the technology has become more sophisticated and more affordable, enabling a small retailer to scent the environment for less than $100 a month, said Jennifer Dublino, chief operating officer for the 5-year-old Scent Marketing Institute.
She said.
"Years ago when this first came out it was kind of clunky."
LINGER A WHILE
Companies in the industry are privately held and do not report earnings but Dublino estimates their revenues at $80 million to $100 million annually worldwide.
That includes ambient scenting and the use of scents in ink, plastics, rubber and textiles but not traditional uses of scent such as consumer packaged goods, food, cosmetics and personal fragrances.
Simon Faure-Field, chief executive of the Equal Strategy consulting firm, has been nicknamed "the smell guy" for his efforts to incorporate scent to build brands.
For a New Balance shoe store in Beijing, he introduced Chinese shoppers to the 105-year-old U.S. brand by creating "a total sensory experience" designed to convey heritage and craftmanship. He used a nostalgic wood and leather scent, decorated the wooden-floored store with vintage ads and compiled a soundtrack of 1950s bebop music.
Shoppers spent twice as much money as in similarly sized stores elsewhere, partly because the atmosphere induced them to linger, he said.
Faure-Field said.
"The longer a customer stays in a store, the more (they) spend."
Success stories from other companies have inspired others to jump on the bandwagon, Dublino said.
Casinos were early adapters, experimenting with scent as they fought to neutralize cigarette and cigar smoke that chased gamers away. Theme parks use artificial scents to help create the illusion that guests are in ancient castles or primeval forests. Upscale stores scent their baby goods department with the soothing smell of baby powder.
Cruise lines and hotels use signature aromas in their rooms and on the brochures mailed to guests after they go home, in hopes the scent will bring back memories of a pleasant vacation and spur repeat bookings.
Even nonprofit Goodwill Industries has gotten in on the act, using a custom-made orange and honeysuckle scent created by Prolitec Inc to sweeten the shopping at its thrift stores in Wisconsin and Illinois.
Research bears out the powerful influence of smell on behavior, conference speakers said. Shoppers in a mall were more likely to help out a stranger in a pleasantly scented area than when the same area was unscented, said Jean-Charles Chebat, a marketing professor at the HEC Montreal business school.
PLEASURE OR POLLUTION
Aromas stimulate the amygdala, which is also the emotional center of the brain. Once an odor is connected with an emotional experience, it can elicit that emotion later, which can in turn affect behavior, said Rachel Herz, a Brown University professor and expert on the psychology of smell.
But there is no subliminal odor perception, and therefore no way to use stealth scents to make someone buy something. And people's reactions can vary widely because humans are not hard-wired to like or dislike a particular odor, Herz said.
She cited studies conducted in the mid-1960s and in 1978 asking Americans or Britons to rate the smell of wintergreen from among a battery of common odors.
In America, where wintergreen was only used in gum and candy, test subjects found it very pleasant. In Britain, where it had not been used in candy but was widely used in analgesic balms popular during World War Two, test subjects hated it and associated it with wartime.
More recently, the U.S. military tried to develop a universal stink bomb to disperse unruly crowds but could not find an odor that was repugnant to all, not even one dubbed "Army-issue latrine." That smell was ubiquitous in places without modern plumbing and people who grew up around open-pit latrines were unfazed.
Herz said.
"The degree to which a smell is bad depends on the comfort level with it."
She cited the example of a woman who hated the smell of roses because she first smelled them at her mother's funeral.
Herz, who has written about sensory perception in her books "The Scent of Desire," and the soon-to-be released "That's Disgusting" said.
"Once an association with an odor is formed it can stay with you for life."
Retailers and advertisers are trying to tap into that scent association to help establish emotional intimacy with their brands and "get to the kiss quicker," said Simon Harrop, chief executive of the Brand Sense Agency based in Oxford, England.
The efforts sometimes provoke a backlash. The London Underground coated the platforms at some of its tube stations with an encapsulated fragrance, described as a rosy jasmine with a hint of herbs, during a test aimed at making the subway more pleasant in 2001. It was quickly halted when some commuters complained that it made them feel sick.
An attempt to promote milk consumption by putting chocolate-chip-cookie scent strips in bus shelters was equally short lived in San Francisco. Transit officials ordered them removed amid concern they might provoke allergic reactions.
Scentmakers point out that many naturally occurring substances can be irritating, as any ragweed sufferer can attest. They argue that very few people, generally about 2 percent, suffer allergic reactions to manufactured fragrances, and that the industry has worked hard to stop the use of ingredients that can irritate skin or airways.
Complaints are more often based on simple dislike of a fragrance or overuse of scent in a small space, they said.
Ladd Smith, president of the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, which analyzes fragrances to determine their safety said.
"One man's pleasure is another's pollution. Involuntary exposure drives us crazy."
COMMENTARY: Scent marketing is truly becoming mainstream as more marketers outside the packaged foods and food and beverage industries, where artificial scents have been used predominantly, have adopted scents intto their marketing mix.
The scents industry even has their own institute--The Scent Marketing Institute, the leading authority on scent and sensory marketing in the world.
The Scent Marketing Institute provides information, education and support to scent solution providers and manufacturers, brand owners, marketing agencies and the press about the effects and benefits of scent and sensory marketing.
The Scent Marketing Institute also sponsors ScentWorld, an annual conference dedicated to promoting scent marketing. This year's conference was held on December 7-9, 2011. The 2011 conference was about 60% larger than the previous ScentWorld, and drew scent solution providers, equipment manufacturers, fragrance houses, ad agencies, global brands and the media. 125 people attended from 20 different countries, including Australia, Sinapore, Japan, Korea, Chile, Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the US, the UK, France, Holland, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Denmark, Turkey and Sweden. Here's their promo video:
In a blog article dated October 3, 2011, I profiled ScentAir, the market leader of in-store scent solutions for brands and retailers. The company created a billboard for Bloom, a division of Food Lion, that actually emitted the aromas of hickory, providing realism to the image of a barbqued steak on the billboard.
I find scent marketing very interesting, because it demonstrates how science is being applied to marketing to enhance the customer experience, and get them to buy.
Courtesy of an article dated December 19, 2011 appearing in Reuters
With natural, rustic materials and a communal vibe, this restaurant looks more like a vegetarian cafe than the home of the Whopper.
Fast-food joints are embracing high design--especially abroad, where fast food is younger to the market and sometimes carries a premium halo. Consider that McDonald’s recently enlisted Patrick Noguet to trot out a new family restaurant concept in France. And now Burger King is getting in on the act, with a garden-patio theme intended to appeal to both families and teens alike. The design team OutofStock writes.
“We noticed that one word that kept popping up was ‘flame grilled,’ and we used this clue as a starting point. From collective experiences, our mental picture of flame grilling is closely associated with garden barbecues and camping cook-outs.”
So OutofStock brought the outside in, furnishing the restaurant with lounge-y seating upholstered in weatherproof fabrics and set against a collage wall of materials and textures, including everything from raw concrete and clay bricks to cork and copper. Traditional stick-backed chairs surround wooden metal-framed tabletops reminiscent of folding camping furniture. And a roof trellis serves to hide air-conditioning and heating ducts, while anchoring pendant lamps made from clay gardening pots. Other homey touches: wooden shelving for holding framed BK posters and potted plants along the window ledges. The overall atmosphere is more evocative of a college-town café serving heirloom-tomato salads than a burger-flipping fast-food chain.
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BK corporate financed the “Garden Grill” and recently unveiled it to Asian franchisees during an Asian-Pacific conference in Singapore--no doubt as a way to gain a stronger foothold in the growing Asian market. The first concept store is now in full operation in Singapore; the next is set to crop up in Japan. OutofStock’s Gabriel Tan tells Co.Design,
“Changing the perception of fast food was one of targets, to become a place where people would want to sit for a while to enjoy the experience, rather than just to eat and go quickly.”
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COMMENTARY: This makes me hungry. I think a tripple Whopper would be perfect right about now.
Courtesy of an article dated December 5, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design
Hi/Lo bills itself as a “high-end” (heh) alternative to all the seedy Dutch coffeeshops out there.
Dutch coffeeshops are world famous for offering up endless varieties of pot on which to get spectacularly stoned. They aren’t illegal in the Netherlands--at least, not for some people--but most of them are so seedy that when you patronize them you feel like you’re doing something illegal.
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Hi/Lo bills itself as a “high-end” (uh, pun intended?) corrective. The first new coffeeshop in Utrecht in 20 years, it has a bright, airy main floor, complete with a glossy white reception desk, matching tables, colorful Foscarini Tropico lamps, and black Spiderwoman chairs from Hay. You could easily mistake the place for some sort of hip hotel lobby, if not for the pungent scent of Purple Haze wafting through the air.
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The notion of a “high-end” coffeeshop might seem a bit silly. After all, coffeeshops will attract customers no matter what; it’s not like they need sexy design to push their product. At the same time, good design can be a powerful way to acknowledge that pot users aren’t scofflaws who need to be shunted off to the dreariest recesses of the city. Perhaps more importantly, it can be excellent PR. As the designers, Utrecht-based Workshop of Wonders, tell it:
“We are... very proud of the fact that even though there were 250 (unsuccessful) appeals submitted by neighbors opposing this project, when they were invited a few weeks ago to have a look inside the vast majority was so impressed, their resistance went up in smoke.”
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COMMENTARY: Now that's what I call a classy "coffweed shop." Let's give the owners a standing ovation for creating a truly great coffee head shop experience worthy of getting high in total comfort, class and style. Thankfully there are still states in the U.S. that have not outlawed medical marijuana. There is still a great need for legally grown marijuana for medical reasons. In a blog article dated September 14, 2010, I profiled a San Francisco medical marijuana shop called SPARC, which is a cut above other legal marijuana shops.
Marijuana and establishments that sell it remain illegal in Holland, but the industry operates more or less in plain sight through a statutory gray area known as gedoogbeleid, roughly "tolerance." The tolerance policy protects smokers possessing five grams or less but cuts local government plenty of prosecutorial slack to harry shop owners at the first shift of Holland's culture wars. The national statutes are sufficiently loose and leaky that almost forty years after the first coffee shop opened its doors, the center-right Christian Democratic Appeal—until recently Holland's ruling party—has pledged to shutter every hash bar on Dutch soil.
And while coffee shops operate at the pleasure of city government, not national parties like the CDA, Holland's dope outlets have undergone a substantial die-off of late. In 1997, at least 1,019 coffee shops were doing business in the Netherlands. But after a quiet epidemic of denied shop-license renewals and selective enforcement of gedoogbeleid's caprices, today's number is closer to 700. Rotterdam alone closed a third of its shops in 2008. These are anxious times in the dope trade, which is why, through voluntary measures like today's clinic, shop owners are doing all they can to stay on the good side of the law.
Dutch ‘coffee shops’ – world renowned for the sale of cannabis – are rather seedy, to say the least. Utrecht’s newest coffee shop does not fit this description, however. The bipolar concept developed by Workshop of Wonders combines a convivial yet secure atmosphere with a sense of order and functionality.
Both heaven and hell play major roles in the concept. Heaven occupies the 100-sq-m ground floor, a light-filled space in which clouds adorn the walls. Hell – the same size as heaven – is darker, more intimate and underground, where you’d expect to find it. The designers’ biggest challenge was to furnish the coffee shop with ash- and roach-resistant tables, chairs and poufs. The solution lay in materials such as glass, steel and leather.
Graphic-design agency Dietwee, the outfit responsible for the shop’s identity, came up with the name Hi/Lo, clearly an allusion to the two levels within but, even more, a reference to how it feels to be stoned.
‘Why we accepted the job? Even though we don’t smoke dope ourselves,’ says Gerrit Vos of Workshop of Wonders, ‘we do have a passion for adventure and an understanding of the need to get away from it all.’
Courtesy of an article dated November 22, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design
Designed by Patrick Norguet, the concept aims to reestablish the fast-food giant as a family restaurant.
In the battle between José Bové, the French antiglobalism activist, and his bête noire, McDonald’s, there’s no question that the fast-food giant emerged victorious. Today, France has effectively declared its love for Le Big Mac, becoming the No. 2 McDonald’s consumer in the world. To be fair, McDo--as the French call it--has changed things up to woo discerning customers: It sources most of its ingredients from French farmers and recently introduced 130 McCafés featuring espresso and pastries (we’re talking macaroons here, not deep-fried apple pies). And now, it’s even classing up its interiors, with the help of Paris-based designer Patrick Norguet.
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The new identity is an attempt to recast McDo as a family restaurant, rather than a teenage hangout--which Norguet describes as a literal and metaphorical return to the chain’s roots. Pieces of birch plywood branch out to create shelving and distinct areas for different social functions and moods. A lone teen can eat standing up, while a family may grab a more private alcove equipped with a digital ordering terminal. “Henceforth,” the press release reads, “a mother can settle with her offspring at a table, order from a nearby terminal and wait for the meals to be brought to the table.”
Norguet chose a palette of white with bold accent colors, including the McDonald’s signature red and yellow, and used some of his earlier designs, including his Still metal chair for Lapalma and a gray ceramic floor for Lea Ceramica.
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The design was given a trial run at an outpost in Villefranche-de-Lauragais, and six other locations are currently in the works. The new look might even give a McDonald's-rampaging Bové reason to pause. But probably not for long; despite its contemporary sheen, it’s still a fast-food joint, after all.
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COMMENTARY: That's what I call a very nice fast food design concept. You couldn't even tell it was McDonald's. More like a very slick, modern and high-tech Diner concept. I could definitely eat a BigMac and fries there. I love the smell of burgers and fries. I definitely see the white, red and yellow McDonald's colors, but they are more subtle. I don't see a sign of Ronald McDonald's prersence anywhere or the inside playground for the kiddies. Fine job by designer Patrick Norguet.
Courtesy of an article dated November 25, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design
Groupon just succeeded in raising a mint of money -- $700 million -- with a limited IPO of 35 million shares last week. That values the company at around $12.8 billion, down from the heady heights of the $25+ billion range not so many months ago. But analysts are warning that the company may still be overpriced, given that there are essentially no barriers to entry for new competitors in the group discount arena.
Indeed, there may be as many as 600 competitors, according to a tally by MSNBC in August, although the high rate of turnover means many of these have already failed or been sucked up by larger competitors: a separate survey from Yipit.com found that 170 of 530 daily deal sites have already met their demise in 2011. The point is there are a lot of these sites running around, and new ones seem to pop up every day.
One of the bigger new launches is ShareItUp, from PeopleString Corporation, which unveiled a new coupon and deal platform that allows advertisers and marketers large and small to create and launch social coupons and deals on their Facebook business pages. In the ShareItUp iteration of the group discount model, social coupons go up in value the more they are shared -- thus rewarding Facebook fans, Twitter followers and email subscribers for sharing their offers.
ShareItUp also employs a cost-per-share pricing system for social commerce, wherein advertisers are only charged when their offers are socially engaged by a fan or their friends (or their friends’ friends, etc.). The social coupons feature security features to prevent online coupon fraud including the users name, watermarks and unique identification codes.
COMMENTARY: This does not surprise me at all, which is why I have never been very positive about Groupon's future prospects. Another problem for Groupon: They split the revenues from the sales of Groupons 50/50 with their merchants, but take 60 days to pay their merchants after the money has been collected. According to an article dated November 10, 2011 appearing in the Wall Street Journal, merchants are already starting to complain about Groupon's payment terms. This leaves an opening for competitors willing to take a smaller split of revenues and paying in a shorter time period.
Courtesy of an article dated November 9, 2011 appearing in MediaPost Publications The Social Graf
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