Starbucks is celebrating the opening of its first store in Italy and the most beautiful Starbucks in the world: the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan.
The highly anticipated Milan Roastery is the crown jewel of Starbucks global retail footprint – a place where Italian customers can come to discover the art and science of coffee in a breath-taking environment that is both an homage to the city of Milan and a celebration of everything Starbucks has learned about coffee in its 47-year history.
Milan marks the first time Starbucks has established its retail presence in a new country with the Roastery format, of which only two others exist in the world: the Seattle Roastery, which opened in 2014, and the Roastery in Shanghai, which debuted in 2017.
Starbucks opened its first store in Europe 20 years ago in London. Since then, it has grown in partnership with strategic licensees to more than 3,100 stores in 40 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The introduction of the 2,300 sq m (25,000 sq ft) company-operated Reserve Roastery in Milan reinforces the company’s investment in its premium brand.
Following the opening of the Roastery, Starbucks will bring additional cafes to Milan with licensed partner Percassi beginning late 2018. These stores will reflect the unique coffee culture of the Italian market, while also offering Starbucks iconic beverage and food offerings.
At the centre of the new site s a fully-functioning Scolari coffee roaster, manufactured just miles outside of the center of Milan. Customers will find the main bar, where classic espresso beverages mingle with cutting-edge coffee innovation.
The coffee bar serves as the stage where hundreds of baristas will handcraft a menu of more than 115 beverages across multiple brewing methods: ModBar Pour Over, Chemex, Coffee Press, Siphon, Espresso, Cold Brew and the proprietary Clover Brewed coffee. The main bar also features a first-for-Starbucks affogato station, where ice cream is hand-crafted, made-to-order, using a unique and theatrical liquid nitrogen finish to create the perfect ice cream to be paired with a delicious shot of espresso.
Upstairs on the mezzanine, customers can discover Arriviamo Bar - the first of its kind. A eam of mixologists create beverages from a bespoke menu that draws on both the Italian palate and Starbucks coffee heritage. From classic Italian favorites such as the Spritz and Negroni to cold-brewed coffee cocktails that infuse flavor and craft,
Then there is the Princi Bakery, complete with a wood-fired oven, built brick by brick, onsite by hand using a crew of masons and artisans. In 2016, Starbucks announced a strategic partnership with Italian baker Rocco Princi, making his artisanal, freshly baked food the exclusive pairing to the company’s premium Reserve brand.
And for customers wishing to take a piece of the Roastery experience home, is the Scooping Bar, where guests purchase specially-packaged, freshly-roasted coffee beans from Starbucks Reserve coffees, including some that are exclusive to the Milan Roastery.