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Earlier this month, Japanese casual wear brand Uniqlo debuted its first-ever coffee shop in North America, inside the shop's midtown Manhattan store at 660 Fifth Avenue by 52nd Street, offering coffee-based drinks like espresso, cold brew, lattes and more. For the caffeine-free, hot chocolate, orange juice and other sans java options abound.
Find Uniqlo Coffee on the second floor of the store, where Starbucks used to be until 2018. Unlike the other similar locations now operating across Asia, this one does not (at least for now) serve any sort of food.
"The decision to bring Uniqlo Coffee to the Fifth Avenue global flagship store was driven by our desire to enhance the shopping experience with a convenient, inviting space where customers can enjoy a variety of beverages," an official spokesperson said to Time Out New York. "Through Uniqlo Coffee, we aim to create a warm and welcoming environment that reflects our Japanese values of hospitality and thoughtful service."
As for the public's reaction, it's been "very positive," said the rep, with plenty of people already wondering whether the brand will open similar concepts inside other area stores.
Although there are no plans of expansion at the moment, the spokesperson mentioned that the company will "potentially" open other branches after collecting customer feedback about this latest project.
Given the popularity of Uniqlo as a fashion brand, we expect the company's latest foray into the culinary to be very successful. If the business makes coffee the same way it makes clothes, we're certainly in for a treat.