The Windy City may soon be renamed the Jittery City, once the largest Starbucks in the world makes its debut. Plans for the massive roastery on Chicago's Magnificent Mile were first announced back in 2017, when then-CEO Howard Schultz described it as, "Not a coffee store. The essence of it is the theater and romance and something so experiential."
The four-story, 43,000-square-foot space will be the sixth Starbucks Reserve Roastery, the brand's high-end concept for coffee snobs which also has outposts in Milan, New York, Seattle, Shanghai, and Tokyo. The self-proclaimed "shrines to coffee passion" feature on-site roasting of rare beans, small-batch coffee, and a decidedly elevated environment. And - lest we forget the most important perk - alcohol. According to the Chicago Tribune, the flagship will offer specialty cocktails developed by local mixologists that "customers can enjoy late into the evening."
In addition to a bar (!!!), there will also be a full kitchen for making desserts, bread, and (again, !!!) pizza. Finally, a Starbucks we'd actually want to go to on a date. (Seriously boys, do not ever bring me to a regular Starbucks again.)
If you're not in the Chicago area, book your flight now; the coffee, cocktail, and pizza emporium is set to open its doors on November 15th!
[Photo courtesy Starbucks]