Starbucks Coffee Company will open Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago on Friday, November 15. Located in the former Crate and Barrel flagship at North Michigan Avenue and Erie Street on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, the location will be the coffee giant’s sixth and largest-ever immersive coffee experience.
Spanning five floors and 35,000 square feet of retail space, the Chicago Roastery joins locations in Seattle, Shanghai, Milan, New York and Tokyo. The store will roast, brew and package the Seattle-based firm’s small-batch, single-origin coffees and blends called Starbucks Reserve. The company plans to open 20-30 Roastery locations globally in the next few years, including one in the West Loop.
“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. 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,” said Kevin Johnson, Starbucks CEO. “These Roasteries amplify the Starbucks brand, serve as innovation hubs and create experiences for millions of customers around the world.”
Starbucks has a rich history with the Windy City, dating back to 1987 when the company opened its first store outside of the Pacific Northwest and had a total of 11 retail stores and served as the foundation for the company’s national growth strategy. Nearly 32 years later, there are 796 company-operated stores in the region where Starbucks employs more than 18,100; The Roastery employs nearly 200 people, including roasters, baristas, commessas, bakers and mixologists.
“The design of the Chicago Roastery was inspired by the iconic Chicago landmark, and the city itself,” said Jill Enomoto, vice president of roastery design and concept for Starbucks. “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.”
