Will American-Style Coffee Work... Starbucks Opens First Store in Rome City

Entered Italy in 2018... Currently 25 Stores
Plans to Open New Store in Naples Soon

The American coffee chain Starbucks has opened its first store in the heart of Rome, the capital city of Italy.

According to The Times of London on the 11th (local time), Starbucks opened its first Rome store on Via della Giulio near the city council building in downtown Rome. Since entering Italy in 2018, Starbucks has steadily increased the number of its stores in Italy, the traditional "espresso" sanctuary. Currently, there are 25 Starbucks stores in Italy.

Italy's coffee culture is characterized by drinking espresso quickly while standing at the bar without sitting down, making it a challenging market for Starbucks to penetrate. Additionally, the price of a single espresso is generally only about 1 euro (1,400 won), giving it price competitiveness. Moreover, Italy's coffee market is mainly composed of individually operated cafes, such as family-run businesses rather than large chains, so when Starbucks entered, some Italians even launched a "Starbucks boycott" movement.

Starbucks Milano store. Photo by Yonhap News

However, the number of Starbucks stores is expected to increase further. In particular, Starbucks will soon enter Naples, known as the "city of cafes" even within Italy.

Vincenzo Catrambone, the general manager of Starbucks Italy, said, "Italy is not an easy region for Starbucks, but people like Starbucks coffee," adding, "Italians were initially skeptical about Starbucks espresso, but not anymore." He continued, "Although the schedule has not yet been set, we will open in Naples as well," and added, "Just as people in Milan started drinking other Starbucks beverages, people in Naples will gradually open their hearts to espresso too."

When news of Starbucks opening in Rome was announced, Alessio Santori, the manager of Rome's cafe "Tazza d'Oro," which opened in 1944, responded cynically, saying, "When they make drinks, we make real Italian espresso. It's different from us." The espresso price at Tazza d'Oro is 1.2 euros (1,700 won), slightly cheaper than Starbucks espresso at 1.4 euros (2,000 won). However, if customers sit inside the cafe to drink coffee, they must pay 2.2 euros (3,200 won).

Starbucks general manager Catrambone said, "If Romans get used to sitting down to drink coffee, they might prefer Starbucks," adding, "At Starbucks, you can sit down to drink coffee and use Wi-Fi and restrooms."

Until now, the closest Starbucks store to Rome was the Castel Romano Designer Outlet store, which opened in April last year.