National Post (National Edition)
ARRIVEDERCI, COFFEE CULTURE
Drawn by the promise of being among the first to taste Starbucks’s inaugural Italian brew, hundreds of Milanese waited in a line that wrapped the length of the historic Palazzo delle Poste last Friday.
The sleek 2,300-squaremetre Starbucks Reserve Roastery is the first Italian outpost of the chain and the third of its kind in the world (after Seattle, Wash. and Shanghai, China). Outfitted in bronze and Tuscan marble, the café is a far cry from your neighbourhood Starbucks.
The Milan Roastery offers more than 115 different drinks, an affogato station (where ice cream is made to order using liquid nitrogen) and an on-site bakery. It sits in the heart of the city, steps away from the Milan Cathedral, Royal Palace and Sforza Castle. “Every coffee we served brought us here,” is emblazoned on the wall (in Italian).
Italy, considered by many to be coffee’s spiritual home, was also apparently the impetus for a brand that has become synonymous with American food imperialism. Howard Schultz, founder and chairman emeritus of Starbucks, has long proclaimed Milan in particular to be the cradle of his global coffee empire.
“During my first trip to Milan in 1983, I was captivated by the sense of community I found in the city’s espresso bars — the moments of human connection that passed so freely and genuinely between baristas and their customers,” Schultz said in a statement.
According to Reuters, analysts say that Starbucks’ Italian entry could have an impact on local café culture. With plans to open four more stores in Milan by the end of 2018, the chain could prove to be serious competition.
“Our research shows younger Italians, 16-34 year olds, are much more open to American coffee-style concepts such as flavoured Frappuccinos, cold brew and more lightly roasted coffee,” Jonny Forsyth, global drinks analyst at market research group Mintel, told Reuters.
Naturally, reactions to the Starbucks invasion are divided. “It’s offensive to Italian coffee culture,” Neapolitan graduate student Daniele Amodio told Eater, criticizing “the pretentiousness of these Americans, who want to bring their own idea of coffee here, where the beverage was in fact created, sponsored, and promoted.”
While Federico Caligaris, a Milanese financial advisor reportedly said: “I am a loyal Starbucks customer when I travel abroad. I think it guarantees service and products of a certain level, in contexts where it’s usually hard to come by a high-quality beverage.”