Starbucks Planning To Open “Reserve” Coffee Bars In Up To 1,000 Cafes By End Of 2017

It seems Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has been busy after he tucked himself away to work on the company’s upscale line of Reserve coffee bars: the head honcho says the chain is now planning to open up to 1,000 of those mini cafes within Starbucks cafes by the end of 2017.

Most of those bars — serving solely Reserve coffee — will be in the United States, Schulz told Reuters, while some have already opened up in New York City.

It makes sense that Starbucks is unveiling plans now, what with upscale brands like Blue Bottle and Intelligentsia expanding their footprints and opening up shops in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Starbucks opened its first Reserve coffee and roasting room in Seattle in 2014, a place that Schultz has described as a “magical coffee ride,” where you can buy roasted limited-supply Reserve coffees that sell for up to $50 per eight-ounce bag.

The company’s second roastery is slated for Shanhgai next year, with NYC and Tokyo following in 2018.

Starbucks plans new ‘Reserve’ targets in super-premium battle [Reuters]

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