Ready or not, here it comes!

It is quite beautiful tho I think its sad that there'd be a Starbucks in a country so known for its coffee and coffee culture. That said, I've used a Starbucks a few times in Europe (Paris and Budapest) because it is a reliable source of a clean bathroom, tap water, and internet all for the price of a plain black coffee.

Wow! That’s gorgeous! We just left Milano last Sunday. Sorry I missed the chance to see this, althoughI am not a fan of their coffee. Might do un’aperitivo though.

Our native guide on the RS Sicily tour opined that Starbucks would not be successful in Italy because Italians are not used to paying the high prices. also, they are not accustomed to having such large portions.

People have been wrong about Starbucks in the past - look at the international presence of the chain.

Sylvia Poggioli did a report on NPR this morning. It was mentioned that prices are twice the going rate. I support local both home and abroad. In addition, I have never liked the taste of Fourbucks coffee.

I figured they'd posh up the joint a tad but they really took it to another level!

LOL, the positives or negatives of ⭐️bucks invading Italy has been flogged to death in past forum discussions but I've a hunch it'll do well with the younger folks. Guess we'll see?

I noticed in Barcelona that the only people in Starbucks were tourists. Plus their prices were almost 30% higher than in one of the multiple cafes.

That is a beautiful Starbucks, although it is not that different from the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle. These "Reserve Roastery" locations are upscale versions of regular Starbucks. I think there's one in (or coming soon to) New York City, and also Shanghai.

I imagine it will attract more tourists than locals, at least initially.

But here's the funny thing: most people I know in Seattle don't really like Starbucks coffee. And yet every Starbucks location (and there are a lot here -- and I mean a lot -- eight within a three-block radius of my office downtown) is crowded. If I go to a good local coffee house, there's one or maybe two baristas and rarely a line. If I go to Starbucks, there are probably 8 or 10 people working there and long lines. They opened a new location one block from my house two years ago, and every morning the drive-through window has a loooong line of cars waiting.

So don't write them out just yet. The Milanese may discover and become enamored of the mermaid.

Huh? No drive thru...

That's a spectacular building and Starbucks must feel the investment will pay off. I doubt that I'd patronize the place too often for a few reasons.....

• Milan is mostly a transit location for me so I don't spend a lot of time there.
• I don't particularly like Starbucks coffee. I'll stop there occasionally if I'm close to a store and there's nothing else.
• I really enjoy the small local Italian coffee places and would prefer to have coffee there.

One advantage of Starbucks is that they usually offer WiFi and there's no charge if one wants to sit for awhile.

And the battle begins.....

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1LM2NY

Starbucks may find that doing business in Italy isn't as easy as they might have thought.

@philip LOL
maybe by the time your next trip takes you there.
aloha

Pretty sure most of our gang here are not the target market for this outlet.

We've been to Starbucks in several foreign cities and none of them seemed to have had a shortage of locals. I recall that in the mornings, the one close to us in Paris looked a lot like home: younger Parisians all lined up for to-gos on their way to work. Laptop bangers? Yep, lots of those. Not much different in Antwerp. A very friendly barista at that one said the business was doing great. Anyway, I'm not a big fan of their coffee here in the states but for some reason it tasted better in Europe.

The plan for the Milan store is that it will be a similar level of offerings and ambiance as the more upscale Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle which I’ve enjoyed. It probably will attract the tourists in Milan, first.

Wow, that is nice!
I would definitely go in there if nearby.

They may not do well selling their regular coffee at inflated prices to the locals but I bet make out quite well selling the locals the various high priced specialty drinks where they probably have their best margins anyway.

I like Starbucks BUT to me it would be equalivent to asking for a California wine while in Italy.

Ken the article had me laughing out loud! Not fair to Italians who might want to go to Starbucks for the experience! If you cannot afford champagne...

I loathe the large so-called cappuccini foisted on us in North America and am relishing my little €1.30 cup here in Italy. (Although they do charge €2,80 at the mountain stations. Horror! 😱)

Looks neat, but yeah, unnecessary haha

I will own up to it though, when I lived in Italy for 2 years (and I moved there not liking coffee) and I SLOWLY dipped my toe into the coffee world with latte macchiati and such, I was probably a full on coffee drinker by the time we went to visit friends in Liverpool halfway through my first year.....and we went to Starbucks haha

But England felt so much like home (aka Subway restaurants-yes I LOVED my BMTs when I was visiting them haha, but mainly the language, though I know many things are very different) that popping into a Starbucks was relaxing (I had done their non coffee drinks in college)....

But I had to go into a Starbucks yesterday to buy a newspaper for someone, and I saw that the price of an espresso was something like $2?!?! I was like....that is such a ripoff haha

Laurel,

I'm sure there will be a great hue & cry from some Italians concerning the new "interloper", but most likely the market will sort it out. Those that want to pay the inflated Starbucks prices for coffee will continue to go there, but I suspect many will continue patronizing their favourite neighborhood Bar for the €1.30 Espresso. In my case, I'm not especially fond of Starbucks coffee so will continue going to the local Bars whenever I'm in Italy. We have about five Starbucks outlets here in a small city (pop. ~40,000) and I can't remember the last time I bought coffee there. I'm quite fortunate as if I want a great Espresso here, I get it at the Italian Deli where it's made by Italians, at a cost of C$1.95 or about €1.28.

I suspect this is only the first of a chain of Starbucks throughout Italy. As with McDonald's, Subway and others, many of these large corporations will flourish in Europe as they have all over the world.

Article from my brokers site-

Date September 07, 2018 Time 3:27 PM
Source MT Newswires

Starbucks' (SBUX) upmarket roastery in Milan, which marks the company's entry into the Italian market, saw queues of about 200 people even as prices at the lavish beverage outlet decorated with brass and marble were almost twice as high as what a typical expresso would cost in the European nation's fashion capital.

Reuters said in a report the patiently-waiting customers seemed unfazed by the steep prices, which have already attracted the ire of an Italian consumer association.

In a separate report, Euronews said the new outlet was no ordinary Starbucks, as the spiritual home of espresso has gotten an extra special store. Set in an old palazzo former post office, the roastery is 25,000 square feet in size and shows off a heated bartop of Tuscan marble as well as a hand-chiseled floor.