Lavazza opens London flagship
Italian coffee company, Lavazza, has opened its first UK flagship store, bringing an immersive coffee experience to London for the first time. It is the first Lavazza coffee concept outside of Italy,
Set across three floors, with a square footage of 500sqm, the store is located in a historical building opposite the iconic Liberty department store on Great Marlborough Street, in the heart of Central London.
Inside, it invites coffee lovers to experience the extraordinary world of authentic coffee through an exciting journey of discovery that brings the store’s concept, “Coffee Design”, to life. Coinciding with the official launch, Lavazza has also developed an interactive augmented reality game with “Lavazza PickmeUp London”, where customers can collect virtual cup icons to win a selection of prizes over a three-week period.
Pietro Mazzà, Regional Director of the UK and Nordic Countries and General Manager of Lavazza UK, said that while the UK coffee market is mainly made of chains, the new Lavazza store introduces a completely different concept to what is known to coffee lovers and enthusiasts in the UK so far.
"Much more than a coffee shop, Lavazza's London flagship store will introduce British and foreign consumers to the unique experience of Italian coffee in all its forms, taking them on a journey from the bean to the cup and showing them the best of Lavazza, not only through authentic coffee experiences but also with fine cuisine, design, culture and much more," Mr Mazzà said.
The “Caffetteria”
On the ground floor, visitors can take a seat in the stunning ‘Caffetteria’. The counter, designed by celebrated Italian architect Carlo Ratti, takes inspiration from the shape of the coffee bean and is made from a combination of brass and re-used exhausted coffee powder. The same designer also conceived the flexible bench within the wider seating area to ensure customers can be seated at a comfortable distance from other guests.
While seated, customers can enjoy traditional coffee recipes alongside patisseries, while those visiting the store later in the day can sample the ‘Coffeetails’ menu - created by the Lavazza Training Centre – or bespoke cocktails created by the Campari Academy for Lavazza - including Nuvola Spritz or Negroni Cold Brew - paired with a selection of small bites for the ultimate Italian aperitivo.
Lavazza has partnered with Gruppo CIMBALI to provide all its espresso machines in-store, Faema E71e which have been customised to serve the new 1895 specialty coffees and offer a real Italian coffee experience. The store is also home to a customised chandelier patented by Lavazza made of 700 resin coffee beans, which mirrors the chandelier in the Milan flagship. A state-of-the-art sanification system for air conditioning and surfaces has been installed to cater to the post-covid environment.
The customer journey for the immersive brand experience where “walls come to life” has been created by Ralph Appelbaum Associates who used a range of design techniques to communicate Lavazza's signature combination of tradition and innovation.
Tasting Sessions
Consumers can purchase Lavazza’s newest range,1895 specialty coffee at the store, which comprises a range of single origin, blends and precious micro-lot, combining beans from independent, sustainable plantations. In the grocery area, customers can participate in tasting sessions with a Coffelier – the sommelier of the coffee world - where they are guided through each coffee’s aromatic notes across different coffee preparation methods.
An interactive installation is located above the tasting area, which projects the aromatic flavour notes of each blend onto the ceiling, further cementing the store’s position as an immersive coffee destination.
Dining experience
Upstairs is stairwell is a contemporary restaurant space on the first floor, with a menu created by Italian Michelin Star chef, Federico Zanasi of Condividere at Lavazza’s Nuvola HQ in Turin.
Also on this floor is a cosy cafeteria including the limited-edition 1895 Avanguardia micro lot, which originates from the Yemen. Within the space, the store designers have created a living wall, made from real plants and emblazoned with a 100-year-old quote from founder Luigi Lavazza, which reads: “I don’t want to live in a world where nature is destroyed” - a testament to the brand’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.
Interactive experiences
To encourage coffee-lovers to visit the new London Flagship store, Lavazza, in partnership with Yahoo Creative Studios, has created recipe video content and an interactive gaming experience, which further communicate the brand’s unique approach to coffee.
The new video series will showcase three different recipes available in the London Flagship store, including iconic Italian coffee-based recipes which have been re-invented by Lavazza - an Espresso transformed into ‘Coffee Caviar’, Cappuccino served in an unusual, solid texture and a Tiramisu sponge cake.
An interactive, augmented reality (AR) game went live on opening with Londoners will be challenged to find AR Lavazza-branded coffee cups hidden throughout the city. Once found, these Lavazza coffee cups can be collected on a mobile phone and redeemed at the Lavazza flagship London store for a free coffee as well as automatically being entered into a prize draw with the chance to win digital recipe cards, new A Modo Mio Voicy (Amazon Alexa-enabled) machines, coffee design experiences and the top prize of a luxury weekend in London including a tasting experience lunch at the Lavazza flagship store, dinner at Pollen Street Social owned by Lavazza ambassador and Michelin Star chef, Jason Atherton and staying at the boutique St Martins Lane Hotel.
“As part of Lavazza's internationalisation process, the UK is one of the key markets for our business, so the Lavazza London flagship store represents a strategic investment for us as a global brand and reinforces our dedication to the local market. We are so proud to finally open the doors to a store allowing us to connect to our UK and international consumers on a new level, with tangible Lavazza brand experiences,” Gloria Bagdadli, Global Retailing Director, Lavazza Group, said.
