The world’s most beautiful Starbucks is born！The century-old post office building hosts its first flagship store

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family, compiled and reported

Italy’s first Starbucks opened on September 7 this year, located in a former 19th-century Milan post office. According to official Starbucks statements, the Milan location was chosen as the birthplace of espresso, near Milan Cathedral and Piazza Cordusio, aiming to pay tribute to the passion, love, and craftsmanship for coffee found in every corner of Italian cities.

Italians consider espresso a part of their daily life, enjoying a cup at any time. Coffee bars can be found on every street corner, fostering their unique habit of “standing while drinking.” For the American coffee giant Starbucks to enter Italy is not only a challenge to the local standing-drinking coffee culture but also to Italians’ deeply rooted perception of what coffee truly is.

Although Starbucks was founded in 1971 and has nearly 50 years of history, Italians—who have a long-standing coffee culture and strong attachment to espresso—still do not consider American-style coffee or popular drinks like Frappuccinos as real coffee. For various reasons, Italy’s first Starbucks only debuted in this century-old building in 2018.

The overall space features high ceilings, with the interior styled in refined industrial design. The marble bar counter allows customers to clearly observe the baristas crafting coffee, and also enables interaction and conversation just like in traditional Italian coffee bars, adding a personal touch. This approach hopes to help Italians better accept this foreign coffee brand.

The store houses large coffee bean roasting equipment, allowing customers to witness the coffee bean production process. This Milan branch is the third “Reserve Roastery” established globally by Starbucks after Seattle in the United States and Shanghai in China, representing the highest-tier category of Starbucks stores.