What the 3D-printed store means for the coffee industry

Starbucks has completed its first 3D-printed store in Brownsville, Texas, on Boca Chica Boulevard. German team Peri 3D handled the build, which took six days and cost close to 1.1 million USD. The 1,400-square-foot shell is stacked layer by layer in concrete, leaving wavy tubular walls. The store has no seating and serves drive-thru and takeaway only, a format meant to speed up service for drivers in the area.

AI supported the design process, covering layout, material selection, cost and carbon footprint estimates. Starbucks has not said whether more such stores will follow, and it has not explained why Brownsville, a city of about 190,000 people with at least four existing locations, was chosen as the pilot. The news matters to anyone watching the coffee industry and the spread of street coffee formats built for cars rather than cafes.

Starbucks has opened its first store built with 3D printing technology in Brownsville, Texas, USA. The project was handled by the German team Peri 3D and was completed in just 6 days at a cost of nearly 1.1 million USD. The store is located on Boca Chica Boulevard, and its building shell is made of layer-by-layer stacked concrete walls, presenting a wavy tubular structure. Windows, branding signage, and drive-thru facilities have all been installed in place. This store has no seating at all and only offers drive-thru and takeaway service, aiming to improve service efficiency and cater to the driving habits of Texas residents. The design process used AI for planning, covering layout, material selection, cost, and carbon footprint calculations. Starbucks has not yet revealed whether it will promote this type of store. Front Street Coffee follows developments in the coffee industry and brings you the latest news.

At the end of last month, Starbucks' first 3D-printed store was officially completed. The store was handled by the German design team Peri 3D and used 3D printing technology. From the start of construction to completion, it took only 6 days, with an investment of nearly 1.1 million USD, and it is now open for business.

This store is located on Boca Chica Boulevard in Brownsville, Texas, USA. From a distance, this rectangular building with the Starbucks logo looks unremarkable, but up close, the walls appear wavy, as if formed by layers of tubular structures stacked together.

On-site photos show that the building shell has been fully completed. The concrete walls retain the layered texture unique to 3D printing, and the windows, brand logo, and drive-thru service facilities have all been installed in place. (Those in the know can tell this is 3D printing; those who do not might think it is cream piping on a cake. Hmm... it is still a bit rough after all...)

At present, Starbucks has neither indicated whether it will build more similar stores nor explained why it chose Brownsville, a city with a population of about 190,000, as the first pilot site, especially since there are already at least four Starbucks stores in the area.

In the past, Starbucks' spatial design often incorporated greenery, wood, tiles, and local cultural elements, creating a cozy atmosphere through many details. However, this store is not only built beside a busy avenue but also presents a completely different decorative style.

The store has a total area of 1,400 square feet (about 40 ping). The entire structure is made completely with 3D printing technology, stacked layer by layer with concrete walls, abandoning traditional cement walls and beam design, giving the building a more rugged and direct appearance.

Unlike traditional Starbucks locations that emphasize comfortable seating space, this one has no seating at all. The goal of the 3D store is to improve service efficiency, so even the outdoor environment lacks the usual carefully landscaped greenery, replaced instead by sand and gravel. Consumers can choose drive-thru only or takeaway service.

This is mainly because Texas is vast and sparsely populated, and most people are used to driving. This design precisely meets consumers' needs—without needing to park, or even get out of the car, they can quickly get a standardized cup of coffee and then continue on the road.

It is understood that the project was implemented by the German company Peri 3D, using a gantry-style 3D printer developed by Denmark's COBOD. As a globally leading supplier of construction 3D printing technology, COBOD's equipment is widely used in various innovative architectural projects. Since 2020, the Peri 3D team has successfully used this technology in Germany to build multiple social housing projects and public facilities, demonstrating the feasibility and potential of 3D printing in actual construction.

In addition, the 3D-printed construction of this Starbucks took only 6 days. AI was used in the design process for planning, covering details such as regional layout, material selection, cost control, and carbon footprint calculation, and all the work was completed within seconds.

Andrew McCoy, a professor at Virginia Tech, believes that although the cost of 3D-printed buildings is currently usually higher than that of structures made with traditional materials, this technology can help alleviate labor shortages and also speed up construction.

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.