OREANDA-NEWS. The twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, just north of South America’s northern coast, is known for its peach sand, lush rainforests, and natural beauty. The steelpan drum was invented there in the 1930s, and its calypso sounds still fill the air. Gathering with friends to relax is a national pastime, known as “liming” in local slang.

Now Starbucks is opening its doors for the first time in the country, with a new store in San Fernando on the island of Trinidad. The Starbucks® store in SouthPark offers customers an inviting destination to relax, unwind and connect in one of the area’s most popular neighborhoods.

Starbucks opened its first store in the Caribbean in 2002 in Puerto Rico’s Old San Juan and now operates in five Caribbean markets including a the Bahamas, Aruba and Curacao. Prestige Holdings Ltd., Trinidad’s leading restaurant management company, will exclusively own and operate Starbucks stores across the country. The company plans to open two additional locations this year. The opening in Trinidad and Tobago marks Starbucks 74th global market.

Designers created Starbucks first store in Trinidad to showcase the Starbucks brand and celebrate the Trini people and their culture. Unique artwork from local artists is featured throughout the 2,500 square-foot space. Artist Beverley Fitzwilliam Harries created a large painting using only coffee pigment. Her composition features a rich tropical landscape with people in the corner liming and enjoying coffee, with coffee plants dotting the foreground and framing the view.

A steel column was used as a canvas for artist Gabriella D’Abreu, where she hand-drew the four fundamentals of brewing coffee. She artfully painted the words “The tireless pursuit of all things coffee” above the condiment area.