Italy’s First Starbucks Opens in Milan - AFAR

"Housed in the historic Palazzo Delle Poste on Piazza Cordusio, this 25,000-square-foot roastery opened to the public on September 7 and has been billed by the company as "the most beautiful in the world." The interior emphasizes locally sourced craftsmanship and materials—Tuscan marble bar tops (a first for the brand), a bright green Scolari roaster made by a family firm near Milan, and a hand-laid mosaic floor using marble from the same quarry as the Duomo. The menu focuses on Italian classics rather than typical U.S. items: a full espresso offering, an affogato station with made-to-order ice cream, and an afternoon cocktail bar on the mezzanine, with frappuccinos and muffins notably absent. Local reaction has been mixed, from curiosity to outrage, and an earlier poll showed strong opposition; prices are substantially higher than typical Milan coffee bars (for example, espresso listed at about €1.80 vs. a local average of €1, and cappuccinos around €4.50 vs. €1.34). The company says it will open a small number of additional carefully curated cafés with its Italian licensee Percassi, creating hundreds of jobs while attempting to respect Milanese context." - Lyndsey Matthews