Working from home has gone from a far off dream to a staple in our 2020 “new reality.” Most of us have already mastered the craft, becoming more skilled at strategically dividing our days into diligent “desk” work in the mornings and creativity stimulating self-inspired OJT sessions in the afternoons. But for those who are yet to adjust to this remote working space and still prefer the calming atmosphere of the big city office, Starbucks Japan’s newly opened office-cafe might be the perfect spot for you.
The latest edition to Tokyo’s cafe scene, Starbucks Coffee Circles Ginza opened its doors to the capital’s coffee lovers and workaholics on July 30 inside the Circles Ginza building in the swanky Ginza neighborhood. Created in collaboration with coworking space geniuses at Think Lab, the new two-story branch combines the comfort of a typical Starbucks cafe, a business lounge, and your living room for the extra privacy it gives you.
The first floor of Starbucks Coffee Circles Ginza is where you’ll be ordering your Frappuccino — this floor offers the signature Starbucks cafe vibe and the regular drink and food lineup. The second floor is where you’ll spot the differences — here, it feels as if you’ve just moved into the office of a Silicon Valley startup.
Divided into two areas, the Co-Work and Solo-Work zone, this floor is where you’ll find spacious, sleek and stylish practical rooms created for meetings, solo or group work. The rooms have been designed with a separation of work in mind, with more spacious rooms for meetings and presentations and smaller workspaces for individual assignments.
While these are called “working spaces,” the rooms are, of course, fully open to the public, so you’re welcome to use them regardless of whether you’re working on a presentation, writing a novel or studying for your finals.
The Co-Work section, produced by Starbucks, is equipped with meeting tables that can seat from two to 12 people and semi-private booths with video conference equipment.
The semi-private booths (pictured above) can be booked in advance for a slot of 40 minutes. You can freely use this space for meetings and business negotiations, too, if you need more privacy.
For those without presentations or business negotiations on the agenda, the Co-Work section might be a little too large, but this is where Think Lab comes into play — by providing the Solo-Work creative space.
With 17 individual booths, this private working space has been created to allow customers to “get lost in thought” and solve any problem which lies ahead by fully focusing as if they were in a quiet office.
As such, Think Lab has established rules to preserve this atmosphere: any loud noises which could disturb other thinkers are not allowed, and while headphones are perfectly fine to use, remember to keep your phone in silent mode and leave the Bluetooth speakers at home.
The tagline for these solo spaces — “you won’t have to face anyone” — is especially appealing to those whose concentration is easily distributed by the presence of other customers (you’ve been to a cafe where someone has an awkward business meeting right next to you, right?) The seats in this section are equipped with power outlets and can be booked in advance using the Think Lab app for ¥300 per 15 minutes.
The branch’s overall design seeks to use plant life and natural light to keep visitors relaxed yet full of energy. So, if you’re looking for a place to concentrate and get some work done, Starbucks has you covered. The flexible nature of this new work cafe allows customers to have a small office space at the tip of their fingers — in the company of their favorite cup of coffee.
Starbucks Coffee Circles Ginza
Address: 3-7-6 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. Inside Circles Ginza. Map
Business hours: 7am – 10:30pm
How to book private or semi-private seats: You make a booking at the counter on arrival at the workspace if there’s a vacancy, but using the Think Lab app (iOS / Android) in advance is highly encouraged.
Additional cost: ¥300 per 15 minutes for Solo-Work private workspace
