Retro is in vogue again: Nostalgic film vibes blow through Starbucks as customers get to play mahjong

Reported by You Ru / Taipei
 
The fusion of traditional and modern decor continues to make waves around the world. In Hong Kong, there’s a Starbucks that combines traditional art with innovative culture to create a trendy new hub for coffee, local culture, art, and cinema. The store features vintage signage, seating, and walls, and even has a “mahjong wall” entirely made of mahjong tiles, with the phrase “Great show upstairs!” written on it.

 
▲The “Great show upstairs!” created with mahjong tiles leads the eye up to a staircase covered in graffiti. (Photo provided by Hong Kong Tourism Board)

Located at the bustling location of Ki Lung Street in Mong Kok, this Starbucks is a flagship concept store integrating local artistic and cultural elements. With a vintage movie theme, the journey into Hong Kong’s nostalgic retro style begins with the entrance’s “Great show upstairs!” mahjong sign. The wall covered in old-style hand-painted posters presents a unique “old Hong Kong” vibe. The seating features vintage theater chairs, along with a retro record player, a movie-style notice board, and even the Chinese characters for “Star, Bach, Ke” on the storefront sign.




▲Vintage movie theater chairs paired with a wall covered in classic posters create a highly nostalgic feel. (Photo provided by Hong Kong Tourism Board)

The store’s retro creativity not only involves collaboration with local lifestyle brand Live Good Ur, artist Anothermountainman, and the Hong Kong Film Archive under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to present a vintage cinematic style, but also uses photographs of street life in Hong Kong as decoration. Every three months, the space opens to local art enthusiasts to showcase their photos expressing emotions about Hong Kong.

Inside the store, there is also a small film exhibition room equipped with sound and projection equipment for both visual and auditory enjoyment. For the first time, Starbucks Hong Kong has collaborated with the Hong Kong Film Archive to bring its exhibition “Time Wheel – A Century of Cinematic Love in Hong Kong,” originally held at the Archive, to the branch for a one-year display. In addition to the exhibition, regular sharing lectures are held and open to the public free of charge, aiming to become a unique platform for cultural exchange.

This platform allows young people and local artists to express their creativity and represents the special creative culture of the Mong Kok district. It is also a third space where locals and creative groups can find common ground. Live Good Ur, collaborating with Starbucks for the second time, not only revisits the 1960s–70s Hong Kong traditional cha chaan teng (tea restaurant) creativity used in the Duddell Street branch in 2009, but also expands on it by incorporating local cultural and artistic elements in the Ki Lung Street branch.


▲The extensive incorporation of local cultural and artistic features fills the entire store with a strong sense of Hong Kong identity. (Photo provided by Hong Kong Tourism Board)