It has taken more than two years to build, but on Friday, Starbucks will open its first Italian outlet. The company's Milan "roastery" goes far beyond the usual latte production line. The marble-floored store will offer a "theatre of coffee roasting, brewing and mixology", as well as cocktails, pizza, bread and ice cream. Local businesses said they were "not afraid" of the competition, and emphasised that high-quality coffee was already widely available in the region. Traditional Italian coffee shops are designed for a quick pit-stop, where customers can knock-back a mouthful of espresso without even stopping to sit down. Starbucks is hoping to offer something different. Mintel's research, which estimates the Italian coffee market was worth €19.4bn (£17.4bn) last year, suggests 16-to-35 year-olds are open to American coffee-style concepts such as flavoured Frappuccino's and cold brew, which are less common in Italy.
