Starbucks just opened its first upscale store with a full bar - and it reveals the future of the brand
- Starbucks just opened its first upscale Reserve store to compete with brands like Blue Bottle Coffee and Intelligentsia.
- Starbucks said that it plans to open 1,000 Reserve stores around the world, in addition to the Reserve bars that are already open in some existing Starbucks locations.
- The Reserve store is four times the size of a traditional Starbucks and features a full bar that serves alcohol and small plates.
Starbucks just opened the first of its 1,000 planned Reserve stores on the ground floor of the chain's headquarters in Seattle, Washington.
The Reserve store - seen as a competitor of more upscale coffee shops like Blue Bottle and Intelligentsia - includes a high-end Princi bakery, full liquor bar, coffee bar, lounge areas, and two fireplaces. The Reserve stores plan to showcase the specialty, small-lot Starbucks Reserve coffee.
According to the Seattle Times, the Reserve store is 8,100 square feet - four times the size of a typical Starbucks. It's a more high-end experience from Starbucks, with a full bar and bakery that serve breakfast, lunch, cocktails, and appetizers.
Take a look inside the first upscale Reserve store from Starbucks: