Coffee lovers have a chance to enjoy their favorite UK brew tomorrow at Palau de Mar.
Costa Coffee is opening their first Barcelona location, marking a milestone moment for the Malta-owned branch of the UK´s coffee giant.
Great coffee and top-notch customer service are what will set the store apart from the myriad of privately-owned and chain coffee houses in Barcelona, Costa Spain’s Marketing Manager Rachelle Tabone said as we talked with her yesterday amid the bustle of the soon-to-be-open location.
“For us, I think it’s more than just trying our coffee,” she said of the Costa Spain experience. “It’s about being in a home away from home, in a cozy atmosphere.
Costa’s new store is located in the historic Palau de Mar. Bricks line the ceiling in a series of arches supported by jet-black iron columns and beams preserved from the building’s beginnings.
The interior of the store boasts cozy colors and a warm atmosphere which feels both modern and comfy, insulating coffee drinkers from the bustle that typifies the walkways outside the store.
Tabone said Barcelona’s lively coffee scene made the city a natural fit for the new store.
“In a market like Barcelona, there a number of individual and local chains. There’s already a massive culture. We definitely feel like we can bring something new,” Tabone said as workers milled about preparing the store for its opening. “We have a wide selection of drinks, a lot of innovation, drinks changing every two months. We can definitely contribute to the coffee culture here and be one of the best.”
A team of seven staff members will run the store. Baristas were hired from Barcelona and underwent two months of training and studies in two different company coffee books in order to prepare for the opening.
The team of coffee creators will be working with a gleaming chrome and red Astoria espresso machine.
Costa Training Manager Jennifer Sant was at the store as well. She stopped by to talk with us about her team
“The staff are very excited about the opening,” Sant said. “I think our store will shine.”
Each day baristas check the grind of the espresso machines six times to ensure quality and consistency.Yet Sant and Tabone know that simply having good coffee doesn’t make a coffee store a star.
“For us, it’s not just about giving you good coffee, it’s about the entire experience,” Sant said.”We want to give you a home away from home.”
With preparations almost complete, Tabone said the company is eager to open its first Barcelona location.
“Overall it’s been an extremely positive process,” she said. “Now we just really want to get the doors open and start making some coffee.”
For more information about the opening, click here to check out Costa Coffee Spain’s Facebook page.The Palau de Mar location will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The store is located in Palau de Mar across from the building’s museum.
