For most people, the Starbucks Roastery remains an enigma. Located in the company's hometown, Seattle, it's the only Starbucks store of its kind. So what exactly goes on there? And what are all of its obscure, exclusive drinks like the Undertow? Well, the company wants to answer all your burning questions by opening a bigger and—dare we say—better roastery in New York.
Coming to Manhattan's Meatpacking District in 2018, the East Coast equivalent will not only showcase the brand's roasting process but will also do double and triple time as a megawatt retail store and tasting room. The enormous 20,000-square-foot public space is just a small portion of the overall roastery building, which will stretch over 170,000 square feet over nine floors. This makes it Starbucks' biggest store ever.
Wondering what exactly is so special about it? Well, start by thinking of it as a shrine to coffee. The new roastery will showcase the crafts of roasting and brewing coffee, highlight coffees from around the world, and immerse customers in the tasting process much like you might with a wine sommellier. Plus, you'll be able to sip more upscale and exclusive Reserve coffees not available in Starbucks' standard shops.
"Our Seattle Roastery experience created something that had never been done before, transforming a retail environment into something far beyond just a coffee shop and into the single-best retail experience of any kind," Howard Schultz, chairman and chief executive officer of Starbucks, said in a press release. "In New York, we want to take elements from what we originally created and build something even bigger and bolder, celebrating coffee and craft in a completely unique and differentiated way. We want this experience to tell our customers that we're coming to Broadway."
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