If you already thought paying $3 or more for a cup of coffee was exorbitant, think again. A Starbucks latte may get even pricier.
The coffee chain just launched its new Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle on Dec. 5. In this "Willy Wonka factory of coffee," as Starbucks founder and CEO Howard Schultz calls it, customers are able to see their coffee roasted right in front of them, learn about the brewing process and snack on locally sourced food.
With all of this close-up brewing, a latte made at the Roastery and Tasting Room can cost you more than $6. Since many people already think Starbucks coffee is overpriced (even if they still willingly purchase it), I'm not sure many people will want to shell out basically twice the regular price for a latte that is not made out of gold.
However, the Roastery and Tasting Room is about much more than coffee. With a restaurant, library and theater, this new kind of Starbucks spot is all about the experience. People may be swayed to give up the dough if they feel like they're getting more than just a cup of joe. You also can't deny the loyalty of Starbucks customers.
This new flagship location is all a part of Starbucks' efforts to reposition the brand. Schultz outlined his vision for the coffee chain at the biannual investor conference this week. He spoke about the two directions the company will move in going forward, as reported by TIME. One is a more upscale and luxurious direction spearheaded by the Roastery and Tasting Room, making a visit to Starbucks more experiential and less dependent on foot traffic. At the other end of the spectrum, Starbucks also wants to cater more to the consumer on the go with services like mobile pre-ordering.
If you're a diehard Starbucks drinker but don't live anywhere near Seattle, you too will be able to experience the luxury of the Reserve experience. The Reserve line of coffee, made from small-batch arabica coffees, has been available online and in select stores since 2010. Starbucks will roast, bag and ship more than 1 million pounds of the Reserve line from the Roastery and Tasting Room to locations around the world. The company also plans on launching at least 100 locations similar to the Roastery and Tasting Room within the next five years. The first batch will unsurprisingly be in other major cities, such as New York, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco.
This just goes to show that it is indeed a Starbucks world, and we're all just living in it.
