Starbucks® Smart Lounge Makes Its Latin America Debut in Chile
Located in the heart of Santiago, the new coffeehouse features innovative solo and group working spaces designed to inspire creativity, connection, and collaborative work.
Santiago, Chile – Starbucks – operated by Alsea in Chile – continues to reimagine the coffeehouse experience with the opening of Starbucks Bandera in Santiago, a new Starbucks® Smart Lounge store format designed to elevate connection, inspiration, and idea creation.
Located in downtown Santiago near Plaza de La Constitución, the Starbucks® Smart Lounge blends world-class coffee with flexible, reservable workspaces, empowering customers to seamlessly transition between social connection and focused productivity—offering a premium “third place” optimized for modern ways of working.
“Our Starbucks® Smart Lounge concept reflects how we continue evolving the Starbucks Experience to meet the unique rhythms of Latin America and the Caribbean. As our first Starbucks® Smart Lounge coffeehouse in the region, it builds on the strong legacy we’ve created as a trusted ‘third place’ between home and work – bringing together coffee, inspiration, and thoughtfully designed spaces for every moment of the day, whether that’s focused work, a collaborative meeting, or an intimate conversation with friends. With this new format, we’re creating an environment that truly fits the way people live and connect across our region,” said Ricardo Arias-Nath, svp of Global Coffee & Tea and president, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The coffeehouse welcomes customers with a familiar experience – enhanced to offer even more. On the lower level, customers will enjoy the classic Starbucks café, complete with high-quality Arabica coffee, iconic handcrafted beverages made by passionate baristas, and a broad selection of food offerings. Upstairs, the environment shifts to one designed for connection and inspiration, featuring communal work tables, private meeting rooms, individual focus areas, and cozy nooks perfect for one-on-one conversations.
Starbucks® Smart Lounge concept reflects a cultural shift in how people use urban spaces, where coffeehouses have increasingly become meeting points for projects, conversations, creativity, and the exchange of ideas.
A place where new ideas form
The debut of the Starbucks® Smart Lounge concept in Chile is rooted in a belief that has guided Starbucks from the very beginning: coffee brings people together—connecting ideas, conversations, and possibilities.
“Great ideas don’t always start with big announcements. They often begin with something small: a conversation, a meeting, an open notebook, or a pause with a cup of coffee. Starbucks itself was born from that same spark—an idea about creating a place where coffee could bring people together,” said Soledad Fantuzzi, marketing manager for Starbucks at Alsea South America. ”Our Starbucks® Smart Lounge was created with that conviction—to offer a space where coffee connects people and where new stories can emerge.”
Chile, home to the first Starbucks® Smart Lounge in Latin America
The Starbucks® Smart Lounge concept was first introduced in Japan in March 2020, when Starbucks launched new store formats designed for work, focus, and collaboration. With it’s debut in Santiago, the company brings the Starbucks® Smart Lounge experience to Latin America and the Caribbean for the first time.
“We chose to introduce the Starbucks® Smart Lounge in Chile, and specifically in this location, because it sits at the heart of Santiago’s financial district — a vibrant professional hub where people are looking for flexible spaces to work, meet, and connect. The early response has been very encouraging, and we’re already exploring opportunities to bring another Starbucks® Smart Lounge to the region,” added Jose Pozo, director of Starbucks LAC Store Development & Design.
The location in downtown Santiago also aims to contribute to the revitalization of the historic city center, promoting spaces that encourage people to return, reconnect, and develop new ideas in the city.
The Starbucks Experience continues to evolve
With this opening, Starbucks reaffirms its commitment to continuing to innovate in the coffeehouse experience, adapting to new urban dynamics and to the ways people use spaces to work, create, and connect.
Customers can reserve a space at either the group and solo working areas through Cisco Spaces.
