Starbucks has confirmed that it will open its first store in Italy in early 2017.
Starbucks had previously declined to comment on rumours that it was planning on opening stores in Italy.
The expansion is being guided by Italian shopping mall entrepreneur Antonio Percassi, who oversaw the expansion of Zara and Victoria's Secret in Italy.
Starbucks is hoping it can draw Milanese coffee drinkers away from their tazzina, a strong black espresso, and their morning cappuccino with the promise of free wifi and space for young professionals to meet in person and talk in confidence.
Disrupting centuries of coffee-drinking tradition will be no easy feat for the Seattle-based chain better known for its giant sugary drinks.
Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO, seems to be aware of the delicate nature of their plans.
"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," Schultz said.
When the Italy expansion was first rumoured Christian Barbujani, a Milan-native, told the Independent that coffee purists were unlikely to embrace Starbucks.
“It will certainly be very good for tourists, especially if they open one near the central station or Milan’s cathedral. The free Wifi strategy makes a lot of sense and I’m sure it would be very popular with teenagers. But it doesn’t fit in the Italian espresso culture, and coffee purist will not go there,” Barbujani said.
