Starbucks Is Opening Its Very First Store In Italy

Joanna Fantozzi|

Starbucks is finally coming to the birthplace of espresso and cappuccinos.The international coffee chain just announced its expansion to Italy, where it will open several stores in the next few years — the first being a Milan location coming in 2017.

"Starbucks history is directly linked to the way the Italians created and executed the perfect shot of espresso," said Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. "Now we're going to try, with great humility and respect, to share what we've been doing and what we've learned through our first retail presence in Italy. Our first store will be designed with painstaking detail and great respect for the Italian people and coffee culture."

The Starbucks stores in Italy will each be owned by Percassi, a well-known and established Italian brand marketing group.

This is big news for Italy, but will the appearances of Starbucks among the cafes with a rich history of espresso be welcomed or shunned?

"I think young people will try it out, for curiosity," said Orlando Chiari, the 82-year-old owner of Camparino, a century-old coffee bar in central Milan, told The New York Times. "But I doubt it will become a major player in Italy."

become a major player in Italy."

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