After 45 years, Starbucks is finally coming to italy. But looks like some Italians are not liking it.
After taking a trip to Italy 30 years ago, Starbucks CEO Howard Schults, then marketing director, has always wanted to open the world's largest coffee chain in the country, but failed to do so until today.
Starbucks announced Wednesday that they will be expanding in to Europe through its first store in Italy early next year.
"The Italians had created the theater, romance, art and magic of experiencing espresso," Schultz recalled. "I was overwhelmed with a gut instinct that this is what we should be doing."
But, rough waves are expected as Starbucks sail towards the coffee sea of Italy. Time reports that the coffee culture in Italy is completely different from that of America. "Italians simply drink their coffee differently from the rest of the world. In Italy, a cup of coffee is not something to be lingered over. It's something close to a cigarette break - a ten-minute pause in the middle of the workday," Stephan Paris, a reporter based in Rome said.
Also, Italians always opt for simple coffee concoctions. An espresso shot is enough. Lattes and cappuccinos are only drunk in the morning, and sometimes as an afternoon snack. "Never after lunch or dinner". Only a small percentage of the Italian population also like Americanos.
Aside from the time dedicated to coffee drinking, the cup sizing is also foreseen to be a bump in the road. A 10 oz cup is too big for an average Italian's taste, but too small for Starbucks and the rest of America. A local café owner told time, "[Tourists] want it big, always everything big."
Then there comes cost. A shot of espresso usually costs around 0.90 Euros, or around a buck when converted to USD. Italians drink numerous shots per day but shy from paying more. This is probably why they drink their coffee standing up-to save more money and time.
One coffee lover tweeted: "I prefer my bar." Another one takes it to a deeper scale: "The arrival of #StarbucksItalia could destroy the country!", wary of the possibility of cultural imperialism and American take over.
Still, the giant coffee company keeps its hopes up. "Habits are changing in Italy," Faris concluded.
