Switzerland once had a Starbucks coffee shop on a train
In 2013, Starbucks opened its first café on a train in partnership with Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). The idea according to Starbuckswas intended to offer travelers “a new place and a new way to enjoy their favorite Starbucks coffee.”
It’s not surprising that this happened in Switzerland, as it was the first continental European nation to open a Starbucks back in 2002, per Starbucks. The outlet also reports that the café car, a double-decker, can seat up to 50 people. The car’s design was intended to evoke a sense of comfort and connectedness with a coffee-inspired color scheme. The walls were the color of a blond roast, while the ceiling looked more like a nice crema on an espresso. Leather upholstered seats and wooden communal tables almost make you forget you’re on a train.
Although it’s not that easy to put a Starbucks on a train. Concept leader Lix Muller struggled with the train’s movement, space restrictions and strict Swiss safety regulations (from Starbucks). It’s not clear if these Starbucks train cafes are still operating or not. A source above Trip Advisor claims that they are no longer running, and SBB offers no indication of an ongoing partnership with the Seattle coffee giant. If the Starbucks coffee trains really don’t exist anymore, that was a short-lived gimmick. Nevertheless, how Business Insider formulated: “We would be happy about good coffee on an early morning train ride through the mountains.”