Used by engineers and designers in nearly every corner of the product design and development industry, the humble Moleskine notebook is often the starting point for hatching the next great product idea. But while sketching in the iconic notebooks happens anywhere at any time, it is often when sketching over a cup of coffee at the local café where many feel the most at home.

Aiming to tap into this unique product experience, Moleskine yesterday opened their very own coffee-centric hub for artists, illustrators, writers, designers and other creative types in the form of the Moleskine Café.

Located in the Brera Design District in Milan – the hometown of Moleskine – the two-story café aims to be just as much of a gallery and workshop space devoted to all things Moleskine as it is a central meeting point for grabbing a bite to eat and a macchiato while busting out some concept sketches. Of course, when you’ve filled every last page of your sketchbook there is also a Moleskine retail space for starting anew all over again.

“This is an important new step in our journey to realize the full potential of Moleskine as the lifestyle brand of the Creative Class”, said Arrigo Berni, CEO of Moleskine. “Our vision for the Moleskine Café is exciting and unique. We will provide our guests with an innovative retail experience, bringing the socializing dimensions of food, creativity and shopping to a single space designed to reflect the distinctive, clean aesthetics of Moleskine. I believe this vision fully reflects the growing interest people show for retail formats that go beyond the sheer act of shopping and I look forward to validating this concept for global expansion.”