In a city saturated with coffee shops, where coffee is big business, could there be room for a small, neighborhood-based, owner-operated shop? Could a space built around the relationship between customer and barista make a difference? These were the questions Rapt set out to answer with our design for the new Coffee Movement outpost in San Francisco’s historic Chinatown. On an unassuming city street with the distinction of hosting a cable car route, this café – just 30 square meters – is a small space that’s having a big impact. The space is minimal but engaging, and the details are soft and purposeful. The walls are finished with a white wash, showing the unique hand of the person who installed them; they turn upward gracefully to the ceiling as if forming an embrace. The bar is a nude terra cotta tile, and simple shelves hold plants, hand-thrown mugs, and packages of select beans. Copies of the daily newspaper hang from the counter, above which a curated selection of publications on coffee rests, awaiting perusal. Custom wooden bar-height tabletops sit under handcrafted alabaster sconces – a perfect place to perch. The owner’s values and personality guided every design decision, leading to an inviting, warm, and approachable environment. There’s no wall of espresso machines and pastry cases between barista and customer here, but instead an uncluttered area for meaningful personal interactions, where the barista can “spread happiness through coffee.”