FastCasual: Starbucks Adds Augmented Reality Experience to Shanghai Roastery

On Wednesday, Starbucks’ Shanghai Roastery became the first of the coffee brand’s locations to feature an augmented reality experience, facilitated by a free-to-use smartphone application. Using the app, guests can point their devices at various features throughout the restaurant to unlock badges, animations, and information. The app will also allow customers to order menu items from anywhere in the store, without waiting in line.

The AR experience is just one unique feature among many in the 30,000-square-foot Shanghai Roastery, which boasts a two-story copper cask, three separate coffee bars, and a 3D-printed tea bar.

"We wanted to create a completely new brand experience for our customers," Chang said. "Because you know, coffee is already such a deeply sensorial experience, even before the first sip: From hearing the unmistakable sound of beans being freshly ground, to inhaling that rich aroma and sipping your perfect blend brewed just right. We wanted to take that customer experience even further.