New concepts
The foundation for the sale of higher-end products will be the development of more Starbucks Reserve Roastery stores, the caffeine cathedrals that outgoing CEO Howard Schultz has likened to a magic carpet ride. But only four more locations are in the works (just one, in Seattle, is currently open).
The vehicles for the upmarket blitz will be the previously revealed Starbucks Reserve stores—the cafelike sales outlets for what’s roasted (and worshipped) in the Roastery units. The concept fills a gap between street-front cafes and the shrinelike Roasteries, with a more ambitious food menu than either. The Reserve units will feature sweet and savory Italian items from Princi, the upstart bakery-cafe that Starbucks is developing in the United States.
Stand-alone Princi cafes will be developed in Seattle, New York City and Chicago during the second half of 2017, Starbucks said.