Eater Chicago - Everything You Need to Know About the World’s Largest Starbucks The Chicago Restaurant, Bar, and Nightlife Bloghttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52682/favicon-32x32.png2020-01-06T14:45:00-06:00http://chicago.eater.com/rss/stream/207277012020-01-06T14:45:00-06:002020-01-06T14:45:00-06:00The Early Word on the World’s Largest Starbucks
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<img alt="Five clear canisters with bronze finishings hold roasted coffee beans" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JXVA9pJTEP3zz0MjZ-rGuaxgdLc=/116x0:1484x1026/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66033649/sbux.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chicago’s Reserve Roastery supplanted a Tokyo location as the world’s largest Starbucks. | <a class="ql-link" href="https://barrybrecheisen.com/" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</figcaption>
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<p>Customers have a lot to say about lines, lattes, and bathrooms</p> <p id="Zd1ped">Tourists, locals, and influencers descended en masse upon the world’s largest <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/64191/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago"><strong>Starbucks Reserve Roastery</strong></a><strong> </strong>when it <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/15/20966739/worlds-largest-starbucks-opening-chicago-reserve-roastery-line-crowd">first debuted</a> mid-November, when more than 1,000 fans lined up in freezing temperatures outside the Michigan Avenue store on opening day. The brand’s new flagship five-floor, 35,000 square-foot space offers locally made chocolates, baked goods, cocktails, retail (including a $6,500 espresso machine) and — what else? — coffee. The mammoth monument to consumption garnered a flurry of media attention, but what are customers who finally made it inside saying about the experience? Here are some early reactions:</p>
<p id="NdAevO"><strong>The lines</strong></p>
<p id="kwITsT">Nearly all visitors agree, a trip to the new Reserve Roastery takes commitment — wait times just to get in the door seem to range from 30 to 60 minutes during the day. Indulging in a little schadenfreude, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cafe217espresssobakeryshoppe/posts/2747738518597952?__xts__[0]=68.ARAK47k_abSjfW_uov8ddLt4uczozlQW0nTxXdeixkkq8vkSPrCevo9L0ztFmfw-uBK1Q35zQmtY7_2obSd9uWQyqniUnRn5YO1rP3GpwZMblUoYRpeznKWRtrrrdsywmhax5Co5rXhPi51wo_xxib4hj_IQif9c8zJQ66EJd4eIsLoFp_9azWHlxmxJvdwLSd-cMSxRv2jeO5u9tlSiz05lATe9y04Wx_N4aLN-hq2o3HMO4F-t_HvsWk82Rj4W2Hfj33VfWwis0GwmLXPEXtoGkz8kDIA2ggSAIzIU_tsD7_lrYXUo52aU26KJBrCHyhdZHLc2FRuAY2bf5gdqE1Q3aw&__tn__=-R">a Facebook poster</a> spotted a three-row-deep line that spanned half a block the next day, but mentioned there was no wait the prior evening.</p>
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<script async="1" defer crossorigin="anonymous" src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v5.0"></script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/cafe217espresssobakeryshoppe/photos/pcb.2747738518597952/2747738205264650/?type=3&theater" data-width="640"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/cafe217espresssobakeryshoppe/photos/a.534172029954623/2747738205264650/?type=3" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cafe217espresssobakeryshoppe/">Cafe 217 Espresso & Bakery Shoppe</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cafe217espresssobakeryshoppe/photos/a.534172029954623/2747738205264650/?type=3">Tuesday, December 31, 2019</a>
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<p id="ic2dm4">The lines are significant enough that some locals are rescheduling their coffee run around them. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Made it to the Starbucks Reserve in Chicago but the way line was wrrraaaaaappppppeeedddd around the corner means I’ll be back early in the morning. @ Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago <a href="https://t.co/TZCno2Yytp">https://t.co/TZCno2Yytp</a></p>— larryjmorris3 (@larryjmorris3) <a href="https://twitter.com/larryjmorris3/status/1203777190632013824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2019</a>
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<p id="IHzED7">Some felt the experience <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigGehrig/status/1213503955419971585">was worth</a> their <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B69guDklvCY/">half-hour</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/dalebartoszphot/status/1212577594782240768">45-minute</a> wait, but others found the experience frustrating, especially since they were greeted with <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-chicago%3Fhrid%3DpOxIsmEuymzrXh5Ld9kcRg%26utm_campaign%3Dwww_review_share_popup%26utm_medium%3Dcopy_link%26utm_source%3D%28direct%29&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fchicago.eater.com%2F2020%2F1%2F6%2F21051706%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-reviews-worlds-largest-mag-mile-coffee-bar" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">more lines</a> for each floor upon entering. <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-chicago%3Fhrid%3DkV7Z2lYso4O05TeVRiiw5g%26utm_campaign%3Dwww_review_share_popup%26utm_medium%3Dcopy_link%26utm_source%3D%28direct%29&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fchicago.eater.com%2F2020%2F1%2F6%2F21051706%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-reviews-worlds-largest-mag-mile-coffee-bar" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">One unhappy Yelper</a> gave a timestamped accounting of her visit, which was further stalled by problems with the reservation system and staff miscommunications.</p>
<p id="94We8i"><strong>The space</strong></p>
<p id="wqU7iP">This is another point on which most seem to align: it’s an impressive-looking operation. Instagram is <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B69a6G3H4A1/">flooded with photos</a> of the 56-foot-tall bronze-colored cask with eight copper tubes that shuttle beans from one floor to another, and customers seem to flock toward <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B682DcbHrpq/">enormous windows</a> overlooking the Mag Mile. Commenters tossed around words like “<a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-chicago%3Fhrid%3DwEARwoBoft0x_SR8nI3oQg%26utm_campaign%3Dwww_review_share_popup%26utm_medium%3Dcopy_link%26utm_source%3D%28direct%29&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fchicago.eater.com%2F2020%2F1%2F6%2F21051706%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-reviews-worlds-largest-mag-mile-coffee-bar" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">magnificent”</a> and “<a href="https://twitter.com/khayes06/status/1197916404881575936">beautiful</a>.” <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-chicago%3Fhrid%3DOpl-AHmDCM1bK3s-92BlNw%26utm_campaign%3Dwww_review_share_popup%26utm_medium%3Dcopy_link%26utm_source%3D%28direct%29&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fchicago.eater.com%2F2020%2F1%2F6%2F21051706%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-reviews-worlds-largest-mag-mile-coffee-bar" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">One Yelper</a> even took careful note of a third-floor restroom: “Inside, it is relatively dim, but from what I can see, clean and useable.” </p>
<p id="B2hPWr">Many <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-chicago%3Fhrid%3DQnR1q3upauv3Qv5GYMtAFQ%26utm_campaign%3Dwww_review_share_popup%26utm_medium%3Dcopy_link%26utm_source%3D%28direct%29&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fchicago.eater.com%2F2020%2F1%2F6%2F21051706%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-reviews-worlds-largest-mag-mile-coffee-bar" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">reacted well</a> to the visual stimulation: “The first floor is a feast for the eyes. There is so much going on with the retail area, wall art, mingling people, the clacker board and roasting coffee...it’s almost a sensory overload.” </p>
<p id="qrEDEP">Others, however, found it too chaotic for comfort. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Visited the Starbucks Reserve Chicago Roastery. I don’t know, there is something very overwhelming about both this and the one in NYC — it’s more than just the crowds. I’m not sure what to do or look at, or how to order or anything really. Maybe just me? <a href="https://t.co/PXyFMGMQsk">pic.twitter.com/PXyFMGMQsk</a></p>— Michael Steeber (@MichaelSteeber) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelSteeber/status/1205326792824897536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2019</a>
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<p id="9UATiR"><strong>The food and coffee </strong></p>
<p id="dUGAl1">Though one reviewer was <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-chicago%3Fhrid%3DYjByJknzwI_FIz82sDJziQ%26utm_campaign%3Dwww_review_share_popup%26utm_medium%3Dcopy_link%26utm_source%3D%28direct%29&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fchicago.eater.com%2F2020%2F1%2F6%2F21051706%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-reviews-worlds-largest-mag-mile-coffee-bar" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">devastated to discover</a> that the new Starbucks Reserve doesn’t serve Frappuccinos, many customers seemed relatively happy with the specialty offerings. Fans praised the “<a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-chicago%3Fhrid%3DwEARwoBoft0x_SR8nI3oQg%26utm_campaign%3Dwww_review_share_popup%26utm_medium%3Dcopy_link%26utm_source%3D%28direct%29&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fchicago.eater.com%2F2020%2F1%2F6%2F21051706%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-reviews-worlds-largest-mag-mile-coffee-bar" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">silky</a>” pistachio lattes, robust <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B69odJAlPpY/">cheese and charcuterie</a> plates, and “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B69S9qyJJ08/">pretty damn good</a>” pizzas. </p>
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</div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B69S9qyJJ08/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Starbucks Pizza = pretty damn good pizza #chicago #starbucks #food #foodphotography #foodphoto #pizzaphotography</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/152.4cmm/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Toya Vongphachanh</a> (@152.4cmm) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-01-06T00:16:29+00:00">Jan 5, 2020 at 4:16pm PST</time></p>
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<p id="RRb2Jn">Still, some found the quality control lacking, including <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-chicago%3Fhrid%3DbeoGPI9CzGUKXnkOy9mo2g%26utm_campaign%3Dwww_review_share_popup%26utm_medium%3Dcopy_link%26utm_source%3D%28direct%29&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fchicago.eater.com%2F2020%2F1%2F6%2F21051706%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-reviews-worlds-largest-mag-mile-coffee-bar" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">a reviewer</a> whose brioche was “cold and not super fresh,” even at 9 a.m. The main point of contention appears to be pricing, a sentiment that resonates across both positive and negative reviews. “The shakshuka was so-so and overpriced for what it is — namely, eggs in a not-so-spicy tomato sauce with a slice of rustic bread,” <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-chicago%3Fhrid%3D94ARMHAIdQqIh3TCWWueJA%26utm_campaign%3Dwww_review_share_popup%26utm_medium%3Dcopy_link%26utm_source%3D%28direct%29&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fchicago.eater.com%2F2020%2F1%2F6%2F21051706%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-reviews-worlds-largest-mag-mile-coffee-bar" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">wrote one visitor</a>, while another <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B69el5XldE9/">put it more simply</a>: “$$$ but definitely an experience.” </p>
<p id="O0t5uD"><strong>The bar and cocktails</strong></p>
<p id="zeducA">Starbucks wisely chose to <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/10/15/20915504/worlds-largest-starbucks-chicago-cocktail-details-bar-alcohol">work some of Chicago’s famous bar culture</a> into the enormous venture, and by early accounts to great effect. <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yelp.com%2Fbiz%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-chicago%3Fhrid%3DZe0hNjlHdGr5fkNBfgj5nQ%26utm_campaign%3Dwww_review_share_popup%26utm_medium%3Dcopy_link%26utm_source%3D%28direct%29&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fchicago.eater.com%2F2020%2F1%2F6%2F21051706%2Fstarbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-reviews-worlds-largest-mag-mile-coffee-bar" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">One reviewer</a> said the fourth floor Arriviamo Cocktail Bar was his “favorite experience” inside the Reserve Roastery, calling out drinks including the Roastery boilermaker, which is made with <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/10/15/20915504/worlds-largest-starbucks-chicago-cocktail-details-bar-alcohol">Jeppson’s Malört</a>, and the Lakeshore, garnished with a mango popsicle. Others favored <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6yxm2THUU1/">espresso martinis</a>, “perfect <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6uLWBmhDiq/">old fashioned[s]</a> with a dash of cold brew,” and a take on a classic green chartreuse called “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6trXivlvWE/">the Final Say</a>.”</p>
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</div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6uLWBmhDiq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Perfect old fashioned with a dash of cold brew</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/james_p_conway/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> James Conway</a> (@james_p_conway) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2019-12-31T03:21:18+00:00">Dec 30, 2019 at 7:21pm PST</time></p>
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<p id="EwWdMh"><strong>Overall</strong></p>
<p id="Y1Gp2U">Downtown denizens aren’t exactly lacking for Starbucks opportunities — the coffee giant operates seven other locations on the Mag Mile alone — but Chicago’s Reserve Roastery isn’t about grabbing a cup of joe on the run. Leaning into restaurant industry buzzwords like experiential and immersive, the <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/13/20961830/chicago-starbucks-reserve-roastery-photos-images-worlds-largest">new venue’s design</a>, bar, and cocktails seem to have hit home with most customers. Yet, a number of reviewers found that after the prices, wait times, and crowds, one trip was enough. As <a href="https://twitter.com/Michael_Aaron/status/1212403195743485953">one Twitter user wrote</a> on New Years Day:</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">It’s a goddamn shopping mall. (at <a href="https://twitter.com/Starbucks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Starbucks</a> Reserve Roastery in Chicago, IL) <a href="https://t.co/xpRmX9khmA">https://t.co/xpRmX9khmA</a></p>— JackMeat Singh (@Michael_Aaron) <a href="https://twitter.com/Michael_Aaron/status/1212403195743485953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2020</a>
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<aside id="R32oe3"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"chicago-eater"}'></div></aside>
https://chicago.eater.com/2020/1/6/21051706/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-reviews-worlds-largest-mag-mile-coffee-barNaomi Waxman2019-11-18T10:15:18-06:002019-11-18T10:15:18-06:00World’s Largest Starbucks Drew Nearly 10,000 Fans on Opening Day
<figure>
<img alt="Two bartenders work on drinks behind a bar with diners in the background." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/opDrXgHUlu0_6V9ovkeL2V5AtxU=/137x0:3364x2420/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65722939/49056828432_51cd9a3b5f_o.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Thousands of people visited the new Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Chicago on Friday. | <a class="ql-link" href="http://bbphoto.com/" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Plus, <em>Top Chef</em>’s Fabio Viviani has big restaurant plans for 2020, and more intel</p> <h2 id="yHQ6Fb">Thousands flock to the <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/64191/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago">world’s largest Starbucks</a> on opening day</h2>
<p id="FPOyg8">Nearly <strong>10,000 people</strong> visited<strong> the world’s largest Starbucks</strong> on Friday’s opening day, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/Starbucksnews/status/1195833348100222976?s=20">an official tweet</a>. More than 1,000 of those fans<a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/15/20966739/worlds-largest-starbucks-opening-chicago-reserve-roastery-line-crowd"> lined up in freezing temperatures</a> before the doors opened for a first crack inside the <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/13/20961830/chicago-starbucks-reserve-roastery-photos-images-worlds-largest">mammoth new Reserve Roastery</a> in the former longtime Crate & Barrel store at 646 N. Michigan Avenue. Many documented their experience <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/105392800848106/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago/">on social media</a>, some posing beside the 58-foot metal cask that shuttles coffee beans throughout the space. </p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Breaking News: Starbucks saw nearly 10,000 super fans come through our doors on day one. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/starbucksreserve?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#starbucksreserve</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/chicagoroastery?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#chicagoroastery</a></p>— Starbucks News (@Starbucksnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/Starbucksnews/status/1195833348100222976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2019</a>
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<h2 id="iJAzgU">
<em>Top Chef</em>’s Fabio Viviani plans to open at least 12 restaurants next year</h2>
<p id="XTVH2Y"><em>Top Chef </em>repeat contender <strong>Fabio Viviani </strong>plans to open at least a dozen restaurants in 2020, <a href="https://www.chicagobusiness.com/restaurants/fabio-viviani-building-restaurant-empire-chicago?_ptid=%7Bjcx%7DH4sIAAAAAAAAAI2RyU7DMBCG38XnWhrHjmP7VqChC5tQ1dKj47jBUeKELG0B8e6kZVNvzG30_d9oPH5H2qVIIT4r7vxic816NEK1zuzK2f3sSAIgEhOCicAgccAwibCMKNYmv3_o82uee-6vknJAQgtrE6qTRDNiI6plaAKjOXABkA6D7aG2jbPe2NPoyRPf3MzlPJo9xmd0crCm71zlTzEiIMzyCjLAMFTQ5DtaiCrvasrky5aTqi-zM39sfuX2udovbVkXurPxegpsccuDmId8EJ51-4OQ6prejlD33Z_c-2XIVutLOQnmEv2xlW6c9t13ZHXB4uktwDReDBmjy1q7zLdI-b4oRmjnWvcV3eHzUxKOhzakFK-X49Yk1at_2_i-TPV_Tunq499wICpgUgkKoOSWp0obsGpLKFEmIVSJgB5X71vbjDPru0FKS3N8TFcgRcKIkSiCUHx8AnfjqgAJAgAA&CSAuthResp=1%3A%3A931602%3A103%3A24%3Asuccess%3A8F33511988C47604B7C798E1DAB10FCA">according to <em>Crain’s</em></a>. He currently runs 35 restaurants around the country, including his River North flagship <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/8128/siena-tavern">Siena Tavern</a> and luxe Loop steakhouse <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/16293/prime-provisions">Prime & Provisions</a> with DineAmic Hospitality. Those two restaurants alone reportedly take in $14 million in revenue annually, and Viviani currently manages 2,500 employees. </p>
<h2 id="n3AiXD">Gotham Greens launches the Midwest’s largest urban greenhouse in Pullman</h2>
<p id="xhjqqb">Indoor <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=gotham+greens&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS874US875&oq=gotham&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j0l2j69i60l2.838j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8">greenhouse developer</a> <strong>Gotham Greens</strong> has opened the Midwest’s largest urban agriculture “campus” in the Pullman Historic District, representatives wrote in an email. The new 100,000 square-foot greenhouse is entirely dependent on renewable electricity and uses 95 percent less water and 97 percent less land than traditional farming. The company currently operates six greenhouses in the U.S., including another 75,000 square-foot Chicago location on the roof of Method Products in Pullman. </p>
<h2 id="rRN3ik">City to demolish would-be West Town Cloud Kitchens<strong> </strong>site</h2>
<p id="FQLNpx">And finally, construction crews will<strong> </strong>demolish the West Town warehouse that former Uber CEO <strong>Travis Kalanick</strong> once slated for a commercial delivery-only restaurant kitchen called <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516589&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cloudkitchens.com%2F&referrer=eater.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fchicago.eater.com%2F2019%2F11%2F18%2F20970480%2Fthousands-visit-first-day-worlds-largest-starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-intel" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Cloud Kitchens</strong></a>, <a href="https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/11/18/west-town-carpet-warehouse-once-considered-for-cloud-kitchens-site-being-demolished/">Block Club reported</a>. Vacant since 2016, the former carpet warehouse at 2041-2059 W. Race Street has several alleged building code violations. The company then shifted its attention to a North Center property, but those plans have stalled since the city denied a zoning change necessary to open a kitchen in the space. </p>
<aside id="mM0Zaw"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"chicago-eater"}'></div></aside>
https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/18/20970480/thousands-visit-first-day-worlds-largest-starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-intelNaomi Waxman2019-11-15T12:51:46-06:002019-11-15T12:51:46-06:00The World’s Largest Starbucks Opens With More Than 1,000 Superfans in Line
<figure>
<img alt="A large crowd of people waiting on the street outside the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Chicago." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9f5ywlSs0PjABgomLtt40eubxEI=/0x0:2016x1512/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65709007/IMG_8270.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>This is just the beginning of the line outside the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago on Friday morning. | Daniel Gerzina/Eater Chicago</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago is officially open on Michigan Avenue</p> <p id="LU23XF">The pre-opening hype of <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/64191/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago"><strong>the world’s largest Starbucks</strong></a> reached its apex on Friday morning as more than 1,000 people waited in freezing temperatures to be the first paying customers inside the <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/13/20961830/chicago-starbucks-reserve-roastery-photos-images-worlds-largest">massive new Reserve Roastery</a> on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Some superfans traveled from around the country and others began waiting outside the white downtown building as early as 4:30 a.m., reps say, to get inside the five-floor coffee theme park at its scheduled 9 a.m. public unveiling.</p>
<aside id="wTaGCR"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"What to Eat and Drink at the World’s Largest Starbucks ","url":"https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/14/20965236/worlds-largest-starbucks-food-drink-rundown-chicago"},{"title":"The World’s Largest Starbucks Will Roast 200,000 Pounds of Coffee Annually","url":"https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/14/20963517/worlds-largest-starbucks-chicago-by-the-numbers-stats"},{"title":"Tour the World’s Largest Starbucks, a Monument to the Coffee Chain’s Brand ","url":"https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/13/20961830/chicago-starbucks-reserve-roastery-photos-images-worlds-largest"},{"title":"The World’s Largest Starbucks Is a Coffee Theme Park on Michigan Avenue","url":"https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/12/20961718/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-michigan-avenue-information-worlds-largest"}]}'></div></aside><p id="GQaZvu">The line stretched for more than three blocks, beginning at the roastery’s Michigan Avenue entrance and continuing around Erie and Rush streets, for most of the morning. General manager Shauna McKenzie Lee opened its doors at 8:55 a.m. to loud and triumphant cheers from the masses outside as news cameras rolled. Lee, Italian chef and frequent collaborator Rocco Princi, CEO Kevin Johnson, and more clapping Starbucks luminaries greeted the chilly fans, some of whom were dressed in green clothing and one who dyed her hair green as a tribute to the chain’s branding, upon entering the monument to the world’s largest coffee chain. </p>
<p id="XzdWfh">“We’ve been waiting for this moment and we’re very excited to be here in Chicago,” Lee said. “This is epic.”</p>
<p id="t0zSJy"><a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/13/20961830/chicago-starbucks-reserve-roastery-photos-images-worlds-largest">The massive 35,000-square-foot space</a> reached its 1,000-person capacity just 20 minutes after opening, an employee working the door said, leaving hundreds more to continue to wait in line while others joined the queue. The first thousand who made it inside celebrated with cheering, wide-eyed wonder, selfie sticks, and plenty of coffee, of course.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="A line of people on the street on the other side of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/brC1tmN8nL7pC9Lo9a9UdcZ78iY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19379964/IMG_8274.jpg">
<cite>Daniel Gerzina/Eater Chicago</cite>
<figcaption>The line continued down Erie Street on the side of the building.</figcaption>
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<p id="L9HjhC">The world’s largest Starbucks takes over the longtime Crate & Barrel store inside one of downtown Chicago’s most interesting buildings. A cocktail bar with Chicago-exclusive drinks, barrel-aged coffee, <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/14/20965236/worlds-largest-starbucks-food-drink-rundown-chicago">Princi’s savory and sweet Italian food</a>, a seasonal rooftop patio, liquid nitrogen gelato, a 56-foot tall cask that distributes beans, the Midwest’s first curved escalator, and <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/14/20963517/worlds-largest-starbucks-chicago-by-the-numbers-stats">its ability to roast 200,000 pounds of coffee</a> annually are among the reasons so many fans have been eagerly awaiting its unveiling.</p>
<p id="p48Y3V"><a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2018/8/8/17664332/mcdonalds-future-restaurant-experience-chicago-river-north-flagship">McDonald’s</a>, and <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/7/11/20688222/lululemon-restaurant-chicago-fuel-lincoln-park-open-photos-images">Lululemon</a> are examples of a national chains that have made splashes in Chicago with flagship restaurants. Now the wait is over for Starbucks’ superfans, coffee enthusiasts in Chicago, and the company. The world’s largest Starbucks is now open.</p>
<p id="g7fqqY"><a href="https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us/locations/chicago"><em>Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago</em></a><em>, 646 N. Michigan Avenue, Open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday, 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday.</em></p>
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https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/15/20966739/worlds-largest-starbucks-opening-chicago-reserve-roastery-line-crowdDaniel Gerzina2019-11-14T16:59:50-06:002019-11-14T16:59:50-06:00What to Eat and Drink at the World’s Largest Starbucks
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<img alt="A woman holding a tray of truffles and coffee pots." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-lJ8zyqs6mCykAgeHjeffQNvDlI=/16x0:1561x1159/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65703923/49056827027_a721fd2ce5_h.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Uzma Sharif is Starbucks’s chocolatier. | <a class="ql-link" href="http://bbphoto.com" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</figcaption>
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<p>Starbucks Reserve Roastery serves pizza, barrel-aged coffee, and more in Chicago</p> <p id="nJpYTC"><a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/13/20961830/chicago-starbucks-reserve-roastery-photos-images-worlds-largest">Starbucks fans have no doubt already</a> heard about the coffee giant’s 35,000-square-foot location along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. It debuts Friday to the general public. But what about the food and beverage inside the Starbucks Reserve Roastery? Customers who have visited <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2018/9/18/17874912/starbucks-princi-chicago-randolph-west-loop-open">Princi</a>, the West Loop bakery Starbucks opened in 2018, somewhat know what to expect. </p>
<p id="rxUzws">In some ways, the roastery’s food selections rival <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/8211/eataly">Eataly</a>, the sprawling Italian market and food hall a few blocks west. Food is available on all four floors, ranging from gelato to breakfast sandwiches to pizza. Tourists and weekenders will have more time to access the fancier drinks residing on the upper floors. </p>
<p id="UwgcFZ">Locals who patrol the Mag Mile on a regular basis will probably be content to hang out on the ground floor. Starbucks serves its standard drinks there, charging $4.50 for an espresso, which is more than what customers will pay at garden-variety Starbucks locations. Customers can also find a rotating supply of well-made Princi pastries, including fresh croissants (<em>cornetti</em>) and other laminated goods. Cannoli, cheesecakes, and other tarts are available for sweet teeth. </p>
<aside id="6e8suI"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"chicago-eater"}'></div></aside><p id="ZLMaHc">Princi pizza, panini, and pastas are found on the second floor. The pizza compares well to the square cuts found at acclaimed Roman import <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/34793/bonci-pizzeria">Bonci Pizzeria</a>. The bufala mozzarella on the panino caprese almost makes up for the soggy arugula. Meanwhile, a prosciutto sandwich on olive brioche was overly salty. The combo didn’t work.</p>
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<img alt="A tray with three Italian sandwiches." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9TDzpGa7j-aQx5iPGdnOLquK4VU=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19377636/49056097358_eb42743665_h.jpg">
<figcaption>Italian breakfast sandwiches and other goods are available on the first and second floors.</figcaption>
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<img alt="A display of round tarts and cakes." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZdcHCN6sma7oQlGOwLFCyc4xrFQ=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19377749/49056832792_441e7f8287_h.jpg">
<figcaption>Princi baked goods are good for sweet teeth.</figcaption>
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<p id="7QQwlg">The chain features barrel-aged coffee on the third floor. There’s only one flavor, a cold brew made with Guatemalan coffee. The vanilla notes would be at home at Chicago’s Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers that took place last weekend. The cold brew looks like a barrel-aged stout without the head. Starbucks ages the coffee in Knob Creek bourbon barrels. Reps wouldn’t say for how long: “It’s proprietary,” said Shiami Ranasinghe, a Starbucks Reserve brand manager and barrel-aged coffee expert.</p>
<p id="a8e7MW">The barrel-aged coffee might be a solid base for a spirit-free drink, adding ginger ale and lime. One of the biggest proponents of spirit-free drinks has been Chicago bartender Julia Momose of Oriole and Kumiko in the West Loop, who is a drinks consultant for Starbucks and worked on the beverage menu for the new Chicago roastery. Two non-alcoholic cocktails live on the drink list, including the “All Day Spritz,” which is supposedly a tribute to Chicago’s lively brunch scene. It’s made with Starbucks’s Teavana brand Mandarin mimosa tea, strawberry and honey shrubs, elderflower tonic water, and orange peel. The exclusive elixir looks like a non-boozy Aperol spritz. Momose worked with a pair of Chicago bartenders, Annie Beebe-Tron (Fat Rice) and Rachel Miller (Community Tavern) on the Starbucks project.</p>
<p id="LLUI87">The bartenders aren’t the only local talent Starbucks hired. Uzma Sharif of <a href="https://www.chocolat-uzma.com/about-us">Chocolat Uzma</a>, a confections store in Pilsen, is Starbucks’s official chocolatier. Sharif uses Pakistani flavors in her unique chocolates. Customers will find spices like cardamom, black salt, and turmeric in Uzma’s sweets. They can pair truffle tastings with two or three cups of coffee. One pairing, which comes with Starbucks Reserve Christmas coffee, stars a truffle that starts smooth and then hits with flashes of ginger at the end. These tastings — and visiting the roastery in general — could be a popular activity to escape holiday shopping off Michigan Avenue.</p>
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<figcaption>Starbucks’s barrel-aged coffee is strong with vanilla and aged in Knob Creek bourbon barrels.</figcaption>
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<figcaption>Truffle and coffee pairings could be popular during holiday shopping season.</figcaption>
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<p id="Gs5A7v"></p>
https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/14/20965236/worlds-largest-starbucks-food-drink-rundown-chicagoAshok Selvam2019-11-14T11:45:34-06:002019-11-14T11:45:34-06:00The World’s Largest Starbucks Will Roast 200,000 Pounds of Coffee Annually
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<img alt="Five glass jugs with copper tubing." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/L-8JtVdnnOCr2tvpO9EY8TxXcgs=/116x0:1484x1026/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65700850/49056609711_20748f5aca_h.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago offers “a selection of extraordinary and sought-after coffees from around the world.” | <a class="ql-link" href="https://barrybrecheisen.com/" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</figcaption>
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<p>A by-the-numbers look at Starbucks’s epic new Chicago flagship</p> <p id="vs7Zd1"><a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/64191/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago">Starbucks’s giant flagship</a> opens on Friday morning in downtown Chicago as the world’s largest coffee company <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/13/20961830/chicago-starbucks-reserve-roastery-photos-images-worlds-largest">officially unveils its largest location to date</a>. According to Eater Chicago reporting and research from Starbucks’s reps, here’s how the world’s largest Starbucks measures up by the numbers:</p>
<p id="Hq646U"><strong>35,000 square feet</strong>: The size of the world’s largest Starbucks. It beats out a 32,200-square-foot Tokyo location.</p>
<p id="pY3ujX"><strong>5</strong>: The number of levels, which includes a not-yet-open roof deck on the fifth floor.</p>
<p id="CuyPST"><strong>6</strong>: The number of cities with Starbucks Reserve Roasteries: Chicago, Seattle, Shanghai, Milan, New York, and Tokyo.</p>
<p id="yt618b"><strong>8,000</strong>: The number of visitors other Starbucks Reserve Roasteries see on a daily basis.</p>
<p id="KP8gHS"><strong>56 feet</strong>: The height of the bronze-colored metal cask that stands in the center of the shop. The cask stores and distributes coffee beans throughout the roastery.</p>
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<img alt="A tower of bronze-colored metal tubes filled with coffee beans." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/36aH3sa8oJ2XrWsqymFwtK1xTfU=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19373118/49056615966_8f1b0e3f96_h.jpg">
<figcaption>This cask filled with coffee beans is 56 feet tall.</figcaption>
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<p id="PreovK"><strong>188</strong>: The number of employees — Starbucks refers to them as “partners” — who will work at the shop.</p>
<p id="GYYs4d"><strong>8,075</strong>: The number of Starbucks employees in Chicago.</p>
<p id="SJdC9x"><strong>$4.50</strong>: The price of an espresso at the giant Chicago location.</p>
<p id="P4H3sj"><strong>25 years</strong>: The length of Starbucks’s lease on the Michigan Avenue property that Crate & Barrel previously occupied.</p>
<p id="EBrLUE"><strong>2 months</strong>: The time it took artist <a href="http://www.chicagomuralist.com/">Eulogio Ortega</a> to paint the four-story mural next to the fire escape stairs. Before he started painting, Ortega said it took him a month to think of his idea, “the story of coffee.”</p>
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<img alt="A painted green-and-brown mural of a man tending to coffee bean fields." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VjKKMFUaU3hV8VtJNWvbG3Jt2Yk=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19376693/49056830932_0606bef28e_o.jpg">
<cite><a class="ql-link" href="https://barrybrecheisen.com/" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</cite>
<figcaption>This mural spans a four-story staircase.</figcaption>
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<p id="imgrzr"><strong>796</strong>: The number of Starbucks locations in Chicago.</p>
<p id="RcDdr9"><strong>8</strong>: The number of Starbucks locations on Michigan Avenue after this one opens on Friday.</p>
<p id="GLS4FF"><strong>200,000 pounds</strong>: The estimated amount of coffee beans the new Chicago location will roast annually.</p>
<p id="0wsXzP"><strong>12-15 minutes</strong>: How long it takes to roast that coffee.</p>
<p id="UvH66w"><strong>20</strong>: The number of Starbucks Reserve coffees offered each year. These coffees aren’t available at typical Starbucks. The company said they are “a selection of extraordinary and sought-after coffees from around the world that Starbucks has to offer.”</p>
<p id="HZ6APe"><strong>3</strong>: <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/10/15/20915504/worlds-largest-starbucks-chicago-cocktail-details-bar-alcohol">The number of Chicago bartenders Starbucks</a> hired to develop the cocktail program for its Roasteries: Annie Beebe-Tron (<a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/8120/fat-rice">Fat Rice</a>), Julia Momose (<a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/45007/kumiko">Kumiko</a>, <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/23084/oriole">Oriole</a>), and Rachel Miller (<a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/14615/community-tavern">Community Tavern</a>).</p>
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<img alt="Two bartenders make drinks behind a bar." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zRhEoWPVmSoLylwDw5YGG0GXRIY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19376502/49056828077_3b0bb600ec_h.jpg">
<cite><a class="ql-link" href="http://bbphoto.com" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</cite>
<figcaption>The world’s largest Starbucks serves exclusive cocktails.</figcaption>
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<p id="V0cOi8"><strong>2</strong>: The number of spirit-free cocktails sold at the roastery.</p>
<p id="JnerGc"><strong>5</strong>: The number of exclusive cocktails available at the Chicago location. </p>
<p id="ptDcaN"><strong>1</strong>: The number of those cocktails that <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/10/15/20915504/worlds-largest-starbucks-chicago-cocktail-details-bar-alcohol">contain Jeppson’s Malört</a>.</p>
<p id="rfrCdw"><strong>2</strong>: The number of fireplaces inside the roastery.</p>
<p id="gH7LGU"><strong>18</strong>: The number of curved escalators in America. The one inside the Chicago Starbucks Reserve Roastery is the first in the Midwest, according to reps.</p>
<p id="GqFZjd"><strong>1987</strong>: The year the first Starbucks opened in Chicago. The company eagerly shares how founder Howard Schultz enjoys a special relationship with the city, opening his first Starbucks outside of the Pacific Northwest in Chicago.</p>
<p id="9Crc9d"><strong>$6,500</strong>: The price of a La Marcozzo Linea mini espresso machine sold at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Chicago. It’s painted by local artist <a href="http://www.macblackout.com">Mac Blackout</a>.</p>
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https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/14/20963517/worlds-largest-starbucks-chicago-by-the-numbers-statsAshok Selvam2019-11-13T12:09:19-06:002019-11-13T12:09:19-06:00Tour the World’s Largest Starbucks, a Monument to the Coffee Chain’s Brand
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<img alt="Large brass tubes filled with coffee beans and surrounded by a circular escalator." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7tR0IrbCdgsgdZsAihtGh-z0gto=/89x0:1512x1067/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65693589/49056835722_01762d78b0_h.8.jpg" />
<figcaption>A cask filled with coffee beans runs through the entire building and distributes them through the space. | <a class="ql-link" href="https://barrybrecheisen.com/" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</figcaption>
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<p>The epic five-floor store will sell coffee, cocktails, pizzas, and more</p> <p class="p--has-dropcap" id="0RYdjQ">Starbucks isn’t new to Chicago’s Mag Mile — there are already seven of the chain’s coffee shops on Michigan Avenue, but <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/12/20961718/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-michigan-avenue-information-worlds-largest">none have generated as much buzz as</a> Howard Schultz and company’s newest entry. At 35,000 square-feet, the new <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/64191/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago"><strong>Starbucks Reserve Roastery</strong></a> that opens Friday at the corner of Michigan and Huron ranks as the world’s largest, edging out a Tokyo location that opened in March 2019. </p>
<p id="IS3Cus">This new flagship location sports a 56-foot-tall metal and bronze-colored cask with eight copper tubes threaded throughout the space. Those tubes zip roasted coffee beans <em>Jetsons</em> style throughout the shop’s five floors. </p>
<aside id="1z7jdv"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The World’s Largest Starbucks Is a Coffee Theme Park in Downtown Chicago","url":"https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/12/20961718/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-michigan-avenue-information-worlds-largest"},{"title":"The World’s Largest Starbucks Will Serve Malört Cocktails","url":"https://chicago.eater.com/2019/10/15/20915504/worlds-largest-starbucks-chicago-cocktail-details-bar-alcohol"}]}'></div></aside><p id="P9ZvwH">Milan, New York, Seattle, and Shanghai have similar roasteries designed to inject brand excitement into local markets. It’s a symbolic passing of the retail torch as Crate & Barrel erected the building at 646 N. Michigan Avenue that houses the Chicago Starbucks. Crate used the building from 1990 until it closed last year. Don’t worry about Crate — the company’s dipped its own toes into experiential retail. <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/6/28/18761350/crate-and-barrel-bill-kim-restaurant-oak-brook-center-table-for-crate">The company opened a new restaurant</a> earlier this year inside a suburban store.</p>
<p id="d8VrnI">Starbucks designers have removed all traces of the previous occupant. There are signs bearing the coffee giant’s familiar green-and-white color scheme on the ceiling, which is what designers use at other Reserve Roasteries. The space is part shopping mall and part amusement park. It’s a temple to salesmanship and consumption where customers can pick up a $6,500 espresso machine or grab a cocktail made with <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/10/15/20915504/worlds-largest-starbucks-chicago-cocktail-details-bar-alcohol">Chicago’s patron liquor, Jeppson’s Malört</a>. The windows were covered for Tuesday’s sneak preview, but once the vinyl strips come off, there will be plenty of light for Instagram photography. </p>
<p class="p-large-text" id="0u3S1d">Here’s the floor directory:</p>
<p id="L03Bdd">Floor 1, Reserve Coffee Bar: Find coffees to go, beans, breakfast pastries, and merchandise.</p>
<p id="55dqMk">Floor 2, <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/princi">Princi</a> Bakery & Café: Find croissants, breads, pastries, pizza, and sandwiches along with gelato and coffees.</p>
<p id="bMjDpu">Floor 3, Experiential Coffee Bar: This is where Starbucks serves its rare coffees. Pour overs take more of a theatrical aspect here.</p>
<p id="Th2U3D">Floor 4, Arriviamo Cocktail Bar: Starbucks teamed with a trio of well-known Chicago cocktail builders to develop its drinks. Most of the space is open seating, but the spots along Michigan Avenue are available only after checking in with a host. There’s also barrel-aged coffee.</p>
<p id="jR7Yzw">Floor 5, Roof Terrace: Starbucks officials wouldn’t let anyone get a peek of the space, which will open during spring and summer.</p>
<p id="udF2Sk">Walk through the space below. Starbucks Reserve Roastery opens on Friday in downtown Chicago.</p>
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<img alt="Five glass jars with coffee near a gigantic roaster." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RvQijkgegfeJeJje0tDnhSDclII=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19373098/49056826442_514f69aa89_h.jpg">
<figcaption>This is what will greet customers as they enter off Michigan Avenue.</figcaption>
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<figcaption>Starbucks preaches transparency and customers will see how its coffee beans are roasted. </figcaption>
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<img alt="A flip board listing coffee that’s being roasted." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OyRfI7vlltyH2KvdwOLWNTZyWwc=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19373079/49056097808_801ac4bd30_h.jpg">
<figcaption>This sign flips and shows visitors what coffee is currently roasting.</figcaption>
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<figcaption>No, this isn’t a normal espresso machine, it’s a Reserve machine.</figcaption>
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<img alt="Five glass jugs with copper tubing." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/h311fVvKG9uQtqyUs8vJJcUl4as=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19373093/49056609711_20748f5aca_h.jpg">
<cite><a class="ql-link" href="https://barrybrecheisen.com/" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</cite>
<figcaption>More theatrics when customers pick up their beans to go</figcaption>
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<figcaption>There’s a lot of merchandise inside, just like a museum gift shop.</figcaption>
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<figcaption>These bronze-colored tubes transport coffee beans throughout the roastery.</figcaption>
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<figcaption>Artist Eulogio Oretega spent two months painting this mural on what was a fire escape: It shows a Costa Rican coffee farm.</figcaption>
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<figcaption>Starbucks teams with popular Italian bakery Princi to bring its baked goods stateside.</figcaption>
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<figcaption>A variety of breads are available to take home, just like the Starbucks Reserve/Princi location in the West Loop.</figcaption>
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<figcaption>This 56-foot cask goes from ground floor to the fourth floor and stores coffee beans.</figcaption>
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<p class="caption">Yes, everything here is for sale.</p>
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<figcaption>One of two fireplaces in the coffee shop</figcaption>
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<figcaption>The fourth-floor cocktail bar stocks Jeppson’s Malört and also has spirit-free drinks.</figcaption>
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<img alt="Large brass tubes filled with coffee beans and surrounded by a circular escalator." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eiGNk8VhUJW4pjhmf3j8-kfcWM8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19373110/49056835722_01762d78b0_h.jpg">
<cite><a class="ql-link" href="http://bbphoto.com" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</cite>
<figcaption>This is one of 18 curved escalators in America.</figcaption>
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<aside id="8tGqkn"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"chicago-eater"}'></div></aside><p id="DiHDoM"></p>
https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/13/20961830/chicago-starbucks-reserve-roastery-photos-images-worlds-largestAshok Selvam2019-11-12T18:00:00-06:002019-11-12T18:00:00-06:00The World’s Largest Starbucks Is a Coffee Theme Park on Michigan Avenue
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<figcaption>Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago is the chain’s largest location in the world. | <a class="ql-link" href="https://barrybrecheisen.com/" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</figcaption>
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<p>The massive Mag Mile Starbucks Reserve Roastery opens Friday</p> <p id="FdkfMF">The world’s largest coffee chain is putting its stamp on the Midwest’s largest city with the imminent opening of <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/9/5/20851388/starbucks-roastery-michigan-avenue-mag-mile-worlds-largest-opening-date">its largest location</a> to date. <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/64191/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago"><strong>Starbucks</strong><strong> Reserve Roastery </strong><strong>Chicago</strong></a>, slated to open to the public on Friday morning, jams nearly every product and experience the chain can offer into five floors and 35,000 square feet on the most prominent stretch of real estate in the city. </p>
<p id="Wx4EZ7">In essence, the Chicago roastery on Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile — the brand’s sixth and largest in the world — is a Starbucks theme park. The themed floors showcase its roasting process and nearly every type of the chain’s drinks and food. The offerings <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/10/15/20915504/worlds-largest-starbucks-chicago-cocktail-details-bar-alcohol">include alcoholic beverages</a>, retail items, and coffee education, all while incorporating some love for the city.</p>
<p id="wYkYEZ">“We wanted to create an immersive customer journey around roasting, brewing, and small-batch coffee — the pinnacle of customer experiences for all things coffee,” CEO Kevin Johnson says.</p>
<p id="esJEtV">“Experiential” was representatives’ most uttered buzzword during a media preview on Tuesday morning. Here’s what customers will be able to experience when it opens to the public on Friday at 9 a.m.</p>
<h3 id="ybBsks">First Floor: Reserve Coffee Bar</h3>
<p id="JuoDeo">Customers enter the glassy white-washed building on Michigan Avenue into an area for greeting, meeting, and taking a peek at the roasting process, as well as a reserve coffee bar. Patrons can order pour-over coffees and espresso drinks, sandwiches, pastries, and other quick-serve food items, and consume them at standing tables. There’s also a retail space and gift shop here that offers coffee-making equipment, cups, bags of Starbucks’s “rarest coffees,” and clothing. Signage similar to what one finds at a mall dictates what’s on the other levels, which are accessible via elevators, a staircase decorated with a mural of a man harvesting coffee beans, and what designers say is “the first curved escalator in the Midwest.”</p>
<p id="SLgupY">Coffee-themed design is constant throughout the space, most prominently in its focal point that begins on the first floor. A tower made of eight bronze-colored tubes which management call a “cask” and designer Jill Enomoto describes as a “coffee hourglass” starts on this level and runs through every floor. It audibly distributes all of the coffee beans the roastery uses every day throughout the space via pipes, as the escalator circles around it. </p>
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<img alt="Large bronze tubes filled with coffee beans." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4x5wfKF1DYoXhrvIoKUr7iSWOa4=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19371279/BLB25601.jpg">
<cite><a class="ql-link" href="https://barrybrecheisen.com/" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</cite>
<figcaption>The “cask” transports coffee beans from the first floor throughout the space.</figcaption>
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<h3 id="5ax0NL">Second Floor: <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/princi">Princi</a> Bakery & Cafe</h3>
<p id="HhbSFT">While food items are available on every floor, the largest selection is available here. Acclaimed Italian baker and frequent Starbucks collaborator Rocco Princi’s food is the focus on this level, which is served at a large counter that showcases a daily-changing selection of pastries, breads, sandwiches, pizzas, salads, and more. An open kitchen and its ovens are on display, plenty of seating is available at both the counter and tables, and a conveyor transports food to the other floors. The rarest food item in the roastery is gelato made with liquid nitrogen — this location is the only Starbucks in the country to offer it.</p>
<p id="hCXS9k">While another Princi location has been open on Randolph Restaurant Row in the West Loop <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2018/9/18/17874912/starbucks-princi-chicago-randolph-west-loop-open">for more than a year</a>, this one is much larger with a more distinct design. “The experience here is completely different [than the West Loop location],” Princi says. </p>
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<img alt="A selection of golden croissants, muffins, pastries, and more." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XBcdyunb-oLozFo-HnXzUPCv9Wo=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19371296/BLB25683.jpg">
<cite><a class="ql-link" href="https://barrybrecheisen.com/" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</cite>
<figcaption>The Chicago roastery offers many baked goods.</figcaption>
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<h3 id="81Q0e3">Third Floor: Experiential Coffee Bar</h3>
<p id="1Dy8ya">This is where Starbucks offers its most interesting and sophisticated coffee drinks while showcasing “the art, science, and theater of coffee.” Customers can sit at long counters in the center of the room, watch staff make more unusual drinks and talk to baristas, while learning about the brewing methods and process, beans, tasting notes, and more. In addition to the education aspect, there’s also a social component here with the coffee providing a conversation starter. This level could be a destination for people with interest in outside-the box coffee drinks, expanding their palates, and gaining coffee knowledge to nerd out. </p>
<h3 id="YhGrDp">Fourth Floor: Arriviamo Cocktail Bar</h3>
<p id="DQeh0W">The fourth floor is the early bet for the most popular aspect of the Chicago roastery. The ability to drink cocktails at a Starbucks is a rarity, especially off a menu that <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/10/15/20915504/worlds-largest-starbucks-chicago-cocktail-details-bar-alcohol">includes exclusive Chicago-themed drinks from three of the city’s top bartenders</a>. In addition to those “Chicago Exclusives” that include the “Roastery Boilermaker,” the menu includes nine signature cocktails that all incorporate a type of coffee as an ingredient, a seasonal holiday cocktail that’s currently a pistachio buttered rum, classic cocktails, plus a selection of wines and local beers. </p>
<p id="6M0wHL">A large horseshoe-shaped bar sits at the center of the room underneath skylights. Tables provide more seating and more retail is available for purchase on this level. The space seats around 175 people, making this floor alone one of the larger cocktail bars in Chicago. A barrel-aged coffee bar also exists on this floor, offering non-alcoholic drinks made with coffees aged in whiskey barrels.</p>
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<img alt="Two bartenders in tuzedos pouring cocktails behind a bar." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JKg0vEYZ2kl9UTkGo5IlqJKwHZY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19371292/BLB25485.jpg">
<cite><a class="ql-link" href="https://barrybrecheisen.com/" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</cite>
<figcaption>Bartenders mix and serve cocktails at the fourth-floor bar.</figcaption>
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<p id="3208a0">There’s also a fifth-floor rooftop space that’s open seasonally and for private events. It’s closed on this frigid, snowy November day.</p>
<p id="KSPoMb">All in all, the size, breadth of coffee drinks, availability of quality cocktails, and prominent Magnificent Mile location make this Starbucks Reserve Roastery one of downtown Chicago’s most noteworthy new businesses in years. Stay tuned for more coverage before its opening on Friday morning at 646 N. Michigan Avenue.</p>
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https://chicago.eater.com/2019/11/12/20961718/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago-michigan-avenue-information-worlds-largestDaniel Gerzina2019-10-15T15:00:00-05:002019-10-15T15:00:00-05:00The World’s Largest Starbucks Will Serve Malört Cocktails
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<figcaption>A rendering of the world’s-largest Starbucks. | Starbucks [Official Rendering]</figcaption>
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<p>Chicago’s Starbucks Reserve Roastery will honor the city’s dive bar culture when it opens in November</p> <p id="tOEjVa"><a href="https://chicago.eater.com/2019/9/5/20851388/starbucks-roastery-michigan-avenue-mag-mile-worlds-largest-opening-date">The countdown continues for Starbucks</a>, as the coffee company prepares to open its largest store ever along downtown Chicago’s famous Mag Mile. Chicago’s <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/64191/starbucks-reserve-roastery-chicago"><strong>Starbucks Reserve Roastery</strong></a> should open on November 15 and servers will pour much more than coffee. Starbucks has assembled three of Chicago’s top bartenders to create exclusive cocktails, including one featuring the city’s most infamous spirit: Jeppson’s Malört. </p>
<p id="bnuzed">The 35,000-square foot and five-level building at Michigan and Erie will be the world’s-largest Starbucks. It’ll sell pizza and baked goods from <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/princi">Princi</a>, the bakery Starbucks brought over from Italy. The first Princi location in America opened last year in Seattle and another debuted later in 2018 in the West Loop.</p>
<p id="8psH2C">Starbucks has opened similar flagship locations in five cities (Seattle, Shanghai, Milan, New York, Tokyo) giving the coffee giant a place to showcase its products in a high-end setting. As brick and mortar retail dwindles thanks to online sales, companies need to find more creative ways to invest in real estate.</p>
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<img alt="A tall glass filled with a brownish cocktail with orange slice and flanked by a shot of yellow-ish alcohol." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sX5TVoIEukQx1VNWxGZoorvfqq8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19289512/48883221011_4444d65986_h.jpg">
<cite><a class="ql-link" href="http://bbphoto.com" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</cite>
<figcaption>Starbucks’s “Roastery Boilermaker” is exclusive to Chicago.</figcaption>
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<p id="d41FDk">This isn’t the first time Starbucks has dove into cocktails. Fans will remember Starbucks Evenings, <a href="https://www.eater.com/2017/1/6/14193228/starbucks-evenings-ending-wine-tapas">the chain’s defunct attempt</a> to bring customers into stores after sunset. Management is taking a different approach at the new roasteries, bringing in Chicago’s <a href="https://www.menucollective.com">Menu Collective</a> to create their drinks. Menu Collective is a cocktail consultant that employs some of Chicago’s better-known bartenders.</p>
<p id="T3iY7U">With that local flavor, Starbucks will continue to normalize malört with a riff on a boilermaker. It’s an ode to Chicago’s dive bar culture where shots and beers reign. This might feel out of place along Michigan Avenue but the trio of bartenders involved in the project — Annie Beebe-Tron (<a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/fat-rice">Fat Rice</a>), Julia Momose (<a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/kumiko">Kumiko</a>, <a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/oriole">Oriole</a>), and Rachel Miller (<a href="https://chicago.eater.com/venue/community-tavern">Community Tavern</a>) — felt they needed to represent as much of the city’s drink culture as possible. Chicago is a city where drinkers will pay for both $15 fancy drinks or $2 canned beers without batting an eyelash. They haven’t released pricing for Chicago, but drinks at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in New York top at $20.</p>
<p id="xlBlLK">The setting allows bartenders to introduce tourists and downtown workers to new ingredients. Momose spoke about how there’s still an unfamiliarity with matcha for some Americans. Using it in a Starbucks drink has a chance to unlock a gateway.</p>
<p id="ztzQca">Enter the “Roastery Boilermaker” ($16): an innocent mix of malört, Starbucks’s Veranda Blonde Cold Brew, Koval Four Grain Whiskey, bitters, club soda, and grapefruit juice. The drink quenches like a Steigl Radler and served with an orange slice. The bartenders wanted it to also appeal to IPA and shandy drinkers. This boilermaker comes with a shot of Rhine Hall bierschnaps that can be gently poured into the main cocktail. </p>
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<img alt="A cocktail served in a glass." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KlsFTTCFdktkp1V_OUsNLjb-SlY=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19289523/48883222096_343c51b384_h.jpg">
<cite><a class="ql-link" href="http://bbphoto.com" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</cite>
<figcaption>Starbucks’s “Pour over Bijou” is exclusive to Chicago.</figcaption>
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<p id="g1NVFe">The three bartenders have worked on past Starbucks’s bars, called Arriviamo, in places including New York, Milan, and Tokyo. Momose, who grew up in Japan, especially took to the latter location. Starbucks gave them a rare chance to collaborate and learn from each other. </p>
<p id="AfhgH5">“I think a lot of people who run creative programs don’t actually get a chance to work with other people who run creative programs very often,” said Beebe-Tron. “It’s really exciting to see each other’s development process.”</p>
<p id="530SNr">The malört cocktail is akin to a drink Momose formulated for the Starbucks Roastery in New York. The “Black and White Manhattan” combines New York’s iconic classic cocktail with the black and white cookies Bavarian immigrants brought over in the early 1900s. That drink isn’t available in Chicago. A Starbucks rep said each bar will be tailored, in a way, to its market.</p>
<p id="eiGTID">Miller grew up in Old Irving Park, not too far from Community Tavern. She’s beaming with hometown pride and was “super hyped” when she learned of Starbucks’s plans for Chicago.</p>
<p id="JcEYBa">Besides malört, the cocktails include many local distillers like Koval. That’s something CH Distillery found Tremaine Atkinson appreciates. CH produces Jeppson’s Malört. </p>
<p id="AaAMrc">“We are stoked that Starbucks is supporting local spirits with their new concept and particularly happy they’re embracing our dark side!” Atkinson texted.</p>
<p id="2jP6V3">Working with Starbucks obviously gives the bartenders access to plenty of coffee. Another Chicago exclusive involves pour over coffee. The presentation is meant to pique curiosity. Perhaps there’s a tourist walking by that hasn’t seen a barista pour over.</p>
<p id="PFYHIm">Before adding coffee, the “Pour over Bijou” ($16) is the kind of cocktail to slowly sip at a dimly lit bar. Bitter and herbaceous, it’s made with Nikka Coffey Gin, Carpano Bianco, Green Chartreuse, and Liqueur Strega. When the bartender pours over Indonesia West Java Coffee, it adds a new richness and makes the drink smoother and a little sweeter.</p>
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<img alt="A short glass filled with a dark brown cocktail with a single spherical cube of ice." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mh9A_2zLgZ0mPTlKjeAVXSALpbU=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19289545/48882690873_d07bbae4dc_h.jpg">
<cite><a class="ql-link" href="http://bbphoto.com" target="_blank">Barry Brecheisen</a>/Eater Chicago</cite>
<figcaption>The Roastery Old Fashioned could be Starbucks Reserve Roastery’s signature drink and it’s already available in Seattle and New York.</figcaption>
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<p id="vRGe2C">There are other drinks not exclusive to Chicago and more that Starbucks wasn’t prepared to talk about. Momose is a big proponent of spirit-free beverages, and she’s made alcohol-free drinks for other roastery locations. It’s a good bet to expect a few to make their ways to Chicago. The “Roastery Old Fashioned” ($14) is available in New York and Seattle. It’s made with Starbucks Reserve Cold Brew, Iwai Tradition Whisky, Amaro del Capo, New York maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar of Modena. The drink’s a mix of cultures served in a glass tumbler with lines that remind Momose of the spires from an Italian cathedral. </p>
<p id="RL9MNF">The world’s-largest Starbucks opens in a month. Stay tuned for additional coverage.</p>
<aside id="PQ9b4c"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"chicago-eater"}'></div></aside>
https://chicago.eater.com/2019/10/15/20915504/worlds-largest-starbucks-chicago-cocktail-details-bar-alcoholAshok Selvam