Starbucks Opens Store Catering to Wheelchair Users

Wheelchair accessible seating provided at the Starbucks Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital branch. (Photo by Starbucks)

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Starbucks Coffee Korea opened the Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital store on the 9th, reflecting an interior design that considers wheelchair-friendly seating and ease of movement.

Starbucks plans to gradually expand the application of store designs that accommodate wheelchair users, focusing on stores located in hospitals. When opening new stores in hospitals where many wheelchair users visit, they will prioritize seating and movement paths that consider the convenience of customers with mobility difficulties, applying such interior designs as priority seating areas. Existing hospital stores will also be renovated accordingly during their renewal periods.

The Starbucks Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital store arranges furniture and fixtures considering sufficient movement paths within the store to facilitate easy wheelchair access, and is equipped with wheelchair-friendly seating with table heights adjusted for convenient use by wheelchair users.

In particular, to enable smoother communication between wheelchair users and partners when ordering and receiving beverages, a special bar design was adopted that includes space below the ordering and beverage serving areas.

Additionally, the overall interior concept of the Starbucks Sejong Chungnam National University Hospital store was inspired by the daecheongmaru (main wooden floor) of a traditional Korean hanok house. A wide wooden ceiling reminiscent of the daecheongmaru was implemented in the center of the store.

Hong Seongwook, Starbucks Store Development Manager, stated, “We plan to prioritize applying wheelchair-friendly interiors in new hospital stores in the future and will also renovate existing hospital stores accordingly during their renewal periods.”

Meanwhile, Starbucks opened the Seoul National University Dental Hospital store on December 3, 2020, to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, introducing the world’s first inclusive design store at Starbucks that allows anyone to use it easily regardless of disability status.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.