Starbucks Corp., setting up shop in Italy for the first time, will open a Roastery location in Milan next year, turning to its upscale brand to gain a foothold in the country that birthed espresso.
The 2,370-square-meter retail space will open in a historic post office in the city’s center in late 2018, about a year later than Starbucks had planned to enter the Italian market. The store will feature small-batch coffees as well as products from Italian baker Rocco Princi, the exclusive food provider for new Roasteries globally. It will also serve alcohol.
“Coming to Italy—strategically, it’s not the biggest market in the world,” Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz said in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Francine…