“Starbucks Reserve is a selection of the rarest, most extraordinary coffees Starbucks has to offer,” Starbucks said on its Chicago Reserve Roastery website. “It’s where we push our own boundaries of craft, developing a unique roast for each individual lot before experimenting with coffee as an art form—brewing, aging, infusing and blending it into imaginative and often surprising creations. Through our Roasteries and bars, we share our discoveries and the enjoyment of exceptional coffee with the world.”
The Starbucks Roastery Reserve will feature an assortment of Starbucks Reserve specialty coffee, boutique Milanses Princi bakery and Arriviamo Bar that features coffee cocktails. Additionally the reserve will pay tribute to Chicago artists and feature locally inspired cocktails available for purchase. This is the sixth reserve roastery the company has opened with other locations in Seattle, Shanghai, Milan, New York and Tokyo.
The Starbucks Reserve Roastery opened its doors to the public officially Friday, Nov. 15 at its new location on North Michigan Avenue and Erie Street.
“Over the past five years, we have created the ultimate immersive experience around all-things-coffee in spectacular Starbucks Reserve Roasteries in flagship cities around the world. This week we are delighted to open our doors on the sixth global Roastery in an iconic building located on Chicago’s renowned Magnificent Mile,” said Kevin Johnson, Starbucks CEO, said in a press release. “These Roasteries amplify the Starbucks brand, serve as innovation hubs, and create experiences for millions of customers around the world.”
This new roastery employs nearly 200 people and calls back to Starbucks’ history.
“The design of the Chicago Roastery was inspired by the iconic Chicago landmark, and the city itself,” said Jill Enomoto, vice president of Roastery Design & Concept for Starbucks, in a press release. “We embraced the building’s natural light, married it with shades of classic Starbucks greens and intentionally wove in design features to encourage customer exploration and highlight the love and respect we have for coffee.”
The roastery features a reserve coffee bar where customers can purchase classic Starbucks drinks. Customers willing to try something new can head over to the reserve’s experimental bar or the Barrel-Aged Coffee Bar.
For those wanting a sweeter treat, the new reserve offers customers a chance to try Starbucks’ nitrogen gelato, which debuted at the company’s Milan Roastery in September 2018. The gelato is made in-house by hand and designed to be consumed with Starbucks Reserve coffee.
The Princi bakery allows anyone to enjoy fresh baked goods from breads to pizza, salads to cornetti, and cakes to tarts.
The new roastery is located at 646 N Michigan Ave Chicago, IL 60611. It’s open from 7:00 AM to 12:00 AM during the week, 8:00 AM to 12:00 AM Saturday and 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Sundays.
