Italians might soon swapping their espressos for triple- shot skinny soy mochas when Starbucks opens its first outlet in Italy.
The Seattle coffee giant is hoping to unveil its first café in Milan as early as next year according to Italian newspaper Corriera della Sera.
Although Starbucks has declined to comment, a source confirmed to Reuters that talks were underway.
Italian shopping mall entrepreneur Antonio Percassi, who has overseen the expansion of Zara and Victoria’s Secret in Italy, is reportedly advising Starbucks founder Howard Schultz on the creation of a unique formula to seduce reluctant Italian customers.
For Italians, coffee drinking is a religious sport. A recent survey found that an impressive 70 million cups are consumed in the country each year.
Coffee is typically enjoyed as a strong black espresso in a ‘tazzina’ (tiny ceramic cup) or a creamy cappuccino at breakfast, a very different ritual from the Starbucks’ Frappuccino in a take-away paper cup.
Starbucks is hoping to capture its news customers by offering free wi-fi.
Although Milan offers quality coffee, it lacks places where bankers, lawyers and young professional can meet and talk in confidence and still be able to get a connection, according to Corriera della Sera.
If Starbucks does venture into Italy, it would be the second major US brand to try to take on the locals at their own game this year. Earlier this month the American pizza chain Domino's opened a restaurant in Milan, taking advantage of the city’s lack of delivery service.
The news generated hundreds of comments and sparked debated on the Corriera della Sera website.
“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,” Christian Barbujani, a Milan-native, told the Independent.
