When Starbucks kingpin Howard Schultz traveled to Italy in 1983, he was so enamored with the coffee bars in Milan, that he convinced the founders of the (not quite yet) coffee giant to test the concept in downtown Seattle. Named Il Giornale, the coffee shop served their very first latte in 1984, using Starbucks beans, of course. Il Giornale went on to purchase Starbucks in 1987 and the rest is history.
Thirty-five years after that life-changing trip, Schultz, who plans to step down as CEO in April to focus on retail innovation, announced that the company will be opening their first Italy store — a giant 25-thousand square foot roastery in Milan — in 2018.
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Schultz told the Associated Press that he thinks Italy is a special place.
I am so respectful of the Italian coffee heritage and the Italian culture, and I think we had to earn that respect, opportunity, and I think over the years we got to the point that we are now ready to come.
The news will certainly ruffle a few feathers. Milan is already home to one of America’s most iconic chains: McDonald’s. Will golden arches and a green siren be too much for the urban fashion hub? If not, will the sugary drinks, paper cups and endemic laptop camping do the laid-back Italian coffee culture in?
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The roastery will be located in an old post office building in Piazza Cordusio, the heart of Milan, next door to the city’s cathedral. The roastery won’t be the only Starbucks opening in Milan next year. The company says they also plan to open a handful of cafes throughout the remainder of 2018.
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