Starbucks Chicago opens today
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Global coffee chain Starbucks today unveils a giant 35,000sqft Reserve Roastery outlet in Chicago, its largest store in the world to date.
The five-story Starbucks Chicago store features a unique menu of Starbucks Reserve specialty coffee, boutique Milanese Princi bakery items, and an Arriviamo Bar featuring coffee cocktails Tributes to Chicago abound, including locally inspired craft cocktails, barrel aged coffee and collaborations with local artists and vendors.
The Starbucks Chicago Reserve Roastery marks the brand’s sixth global Roastery and third in the US. Visitors will be able to see, hear and learn about the journey of coffee through intentional design, while enjoying a menu featuring unique beverages exclusive to this location. The Chicago Roastery joins locations in Seattle, Shanghai, Milan, New York and Tokyo.
“Over the past five years, we have created the ultimate immersive experience around all-things-coffee in spectacular Starbucks Reserve Roasteries in flagship cities around the world,” said Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson. “This week we are delighted to open our doors on the sixth global Roastery in an iconic building located on Chicago’s renowned Magnificent Mile.
“These Roasteries amplify the Starbucks brand, serve as innovation hubs, and create experiences for millions of customers around the world.”
“The design of the Chicago Roastery was inspired by the iconic Chicago landmark, and the city itself,” said Roastery design & concept for Starbucks VP Jill Enomoto. “We embraced the building’s natural light, married it with shades of classic Starbucks greens and intentionally wove in design features to encourage customer exploration and highlight the love and respect we have for coffee.”
The Starbucks Chicago Reserve Roastery is a working coffee roastery where Starbucks roasters will be small-batch roasting Starbucks’ rarest single-origin coffees and blends called Starbucks Reserve. The coffee roasted in Chicago will be served exclusively to visitors of the location, available in handcrafted beverages as well as freshly scooped whole bean coffee.
In a nod to the city’s vibrant history, artwork from local Chicago artists that tell stories and encourage customers to explore can be found throughout the building’s five floors. Customers can also purchase limited-edition merchandise from Chicago-based visual artist Mac Blackout to take home with them.
“These Roasteries amplify the Starbucks brand, serve as innovation hubs, and create experiences for millions of customers around the world.”
There are three coffee bars at the Roastery, which in total offer seven brewing methods, including espresso, pour over, coffee press, siphon, Chemex, Clover and cold brewing:
Starbucks Reserve Coffee Bar: Upon entering the Roastery, visitors can visit the Reserve coffee bar on the main level, where baristas are crafting classic espresso beverages such as cappuccino, latte and cortado.
Experiential Coffee Bar: The third floor is home to the Experiential coffee bar which provides customers the opportunity to immerse in the art, science, and theatre of coffee. It features elevated brew methods and pairings, as well as specialty Roastery creations and brew comparison flights.
Barrel-Aged Coffee Bar: The barrel-aged coffee bar is found on the fourth floor and showcases a variety of spirit-free coffee beverages whose beans aged in barrels. Here, visitors can explore a menu of cocktail-inspired coffee creations exclusive to the Chicago Roastery, including the Smoked Cold Fashioned (a lightly sweetened whiskey barrel-aged cold brew with aromatic bitters, smoked tableside), Minted Cold Brew (whiskey barrel-aged cold brew, shaken with mint syrup and served over pebble ice) and more.
On-demand nitrogen gelato
The Starbucks Chicago Reserve Roastery is the only Starbucks location in the US to offer on-demand liquid nitrogen gelato. Designed to pair with Starbucks Reserve coffee, nitrogen gelato is mixed by hand, with every scoop made on the spot. Nitrogen gelato previously debuted at the Milan Roastery when it opened in September last year.
Arriviamo cocktail bar
The Chicago Roastery will feature a dedicated Arriviamo Bar, like the Starbucks Reserve Roastery locations in New York and Milan. Located on the fourth floor, the Arriviamo bar features traditional and unique cocktails, all designed by local mixologists Julia Momose, Annie Beebe-Tron and Rachel Miller. Some of the cocktails feature coffee and tea.
Questions & Answers
Q.What is the primary function of the Starbucks Chicago Reserve Roastery?
What is the primary function of the Starbucks Chicago Reserve Roastery?
It is a working coffee roastery where Starbucks roasters small-batch roast the brand's rarest single-origin coffees and blends, known as Starbucks Reserve. This coffee will be served exclusively to visitors of the location.
Q.Which other locations around the world have a Starbucks Reserve Roastery?
Which other locations around the world have a Starbucks Reserve Roastery?
The Chicago Roastery is the sixth global Roastery, joining existing locations in Seattle, Shanghai, Milan, New York, and Tokyo. It is the third such outlet in the United States.
Q.What unique food and drink offerings are available at the new Chicago Roastery?
What unique food and drink offerings are available at the new Chicago Roastery?
The Roastery features a unique menu of Starbucks Reserve specialty coffee, Milanese Princi bakery items, and an Arriviamo Bar with coffee cocktails. It also offers exclusive barrel-aged coffee creations and on-demand liquid nitrogen gelato.
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