Container Modification Projects

Using shipping containers to build a drive-thru retail location made perfect sense for Starbucks. The company works to be a good steward of the planet it relies on to produce its products. Those products then ship in containers to Starbucks locations worldwide. Using those reclaimed containers as building materials keeps them out of the waste stream while also providing a unique experience for Starbucks customers. The result is the aptly dubbed, “Reclamation Drive-Thru.”

ConGlobal container modifications allowed for two customer access points. At one end of the Starbucks location is a drive-thru for vehicles. At the other is a walk-up window and outdoor seating for customers. Inside the 448-square-foot, four-container structure is room for three baristas. The use of the soy-based, closed cell foam for insulation is efficient and optimizes the interior space. Space for rainwater harvesting is another sustainable feature. Aspects like these earned LEED certification for construction of the project.

Reclamation Drive-Thru is comprised of four containers. The corrugated steel exterior maintains the authenticity of the shipping containers. Instead of paneling or other modifications, the containers are painted in Starbucks’ signature coffee-hued brand colors, with the Starbucks name and logo affixed to the exterior.

Starbucks commissioned this as a prototype for stores across the country. Reclamation Drive Thru is transportable, which seems fitting for a coffee shop made of shipping containers.

Learn more about the container-as-coffee shop model.

The Reclamation Drive-Thru was built using four shipping containers. Two of the containers are stacked on top of the two on the ground, providing easy drive-up and walk-up access. ConGlobal modified the ends of one container to allow access for customers; one end is the drive-up, and the other end is the walk-up window next to convenient outdoor seating.

The visual appearance of the Reclamation Drive-Thru showcases several stacked and connected shipping containers, and the design clearly announces “Starbucks”.  The upper containers are painted a light brown, and the lower containers are dark brown – both firmly in the palette of the Starbucks corporate color scheme. This location did not utilize any paneling or other modification to the corrugated steel of the standard shipping container. The use of the soy-based, closed cell foam for insulation is efficient and optimizes the interior space. This structure is considered “transportable” because the landowner wanted a temporary facility.