9 Reasons To Visit The New Upscale Starbucks Reserve Roastery Shanghai

Starbucks has pulled out all the stops for its behemoth of a store that opened in Shanghai.

Calling it a mere “store” is probably a disservice, since it clearly sets itself apart from the other 600+ Starbucks venues in Shanghai.

Liz Muller, senior vice president, Creative, Global Design & Innovation at Starbucks says “The Roastery engages all five senses – what you hear, see, smell, taste and feel. My favorite part of the design process is creating a layering effect in a space, where the more time you spend in the store, the more you discover.”

Here are 9 good reasons to visit the new Starbucks Reserve Roastery Shanghai, the next time you head to China.

OFFICIALLY THE LARGEST STARBUCKS IN THE WORLD

At nearly 30,000 square feet (2,700 square meters), the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Shanghai is twice the size of the flagship Reserve Roastery in Seattle and the equivalent of 40 average NYC apartments. It is also arguable the most beautiful Starbucks location in the world.

LONGEST STARBUCKS COFFEE BAR IN THE WORLD

Known as the main engine of the Roastery, the 88 feet (26.9 meters) long coffee bar was handcrafted by premiere Chinese artisans and references the unique roasting curve of individual coffee beans. The new venue also features two other, albeit shorter, coffee experience bars.

TWO-STOREY, 40-TON COPPER CASK ADORNED WITH OVER 1,000 TRADITIONAL CHINESE STAMP

Once inside the new location, customers will be greeted by the huge copper cask that was hand-engraved to narrate the story of Starbucks and its Reserve coffee. Mirroring the signature copper cask at the inaugural Reserve Roastery in Seattle, at entry, the iconic cask connects to the three coffee bars with pneumatic copper piping, replenishing all the roasted Starbucks Reserve coffee silos.

UNIQUE BEVERAGE ITEMS NOT FOUND AT ANY OTHER STARBUCKS IN CHINA

Over 100 beverages are on the Roastery menu including Teavana tea infused with nitrogen as well as a new take on tea brewing with the Steampunk, which uses steam to extract unique flavors from each tea leaf.

OVERALL DESIGN CREATED EXCLUSIVELY IN CHINA FOR CHINA, WILL NEVER BE REPEATED

Some of the key design features include a ceiling consisting of 10,000 handmade wooden hexagon-shaped tiles inspired by the locking of an espresso shot on an espresso machine.

FIRST PRINCI BAKERY AND CAFÉ LOCATION IN ASIA

With more than 30 skilled Chinese bakers and chefs on staff, in excess of 80 menu items will be baked fresh onsite daily, bringing acclaimed Italian baker Rocco Princi’s artisanal Italian recipes to customers in China for the first time.

CHINA’S FIRST STARBUCKS TEAVANA BAR

The re-imagined tea experience is supported by the world’s only tea bar made entirely from 3-D printed recycled materials. The light jade colouring of the Teavana Bar was inspired by ancient green clay teapots and the stains formed by brewing over time. Starbucks will continue China’s rich brewing tradition alongside tea curators as they practice mixology with the help of the Steampunk system’s nitrogen flavor extraction.

FIRST STARBUCKS RESERVE ROASTERY OUTSIDE THE U.S.; ONLY SECOND RESERVE ROASTERY TO DATE

Additional Roasteries are slated to open in Milan and New York in 2018, and Tokyo and Chicago in 2019.

STARBUCKS FIRST-EVER IN-STORE AUGMENTED REALITY EXPERIENCE

Designed by Starbucks, and powered by Alibaba, the Shanghai Roastery will become the first Starbucks location, and the first-of-its kind in China, to seamlessly integrate a real-time, in-store and online customer experience. Roastery customers are invited to immerse themselves in the first Starbucks augmented reality (AR) experience by simply pointing their phones at key features around the Roastery to bring to life information about the Starbucks bean-to-cup story. Guided through the space by a custom-designed AR “tour-guide,” customers can unlock virtual badges and a unique Roastery filter to commemorate their visit.

By luxury-insider