Starbucks Corp., the world’s largest coffee-shop chain has a new objective – to double food revenue to more than US$4 billion (£2.5 billion; RM13.8 billion) in the next 5-years. And how does it plan to do it? Interestingly, it plans to expand its lunch offerings with new menu – beer, wine and more stores. The additional alcohol offerings are estimated to add about US$1 billion in revenue to an estimated 2,000 stores in the U.S. by end of 2019.
Starbucks has been testing new lunch sandwiches in the U.S. and adding more bakery items and breakfast fare. This is exactly the opposite of what its rivals are doing. McDonald’s Corp. and Burger King Worldwide Inc., have been trimming their menus and offering simpler items for consumers. Starbucks projects annual revenue of almost US$30 billion by 2019. Presently, it posted 2014 fiscal revenue of US$16.4 billion, up 10.6% from 2013.
The story doesn’t end here. If you think by sipping latte at one of 21,000 Starbucks stores worldwide is the best you can do to show off your social status, think again. Today, “Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room”, a gigantic facility opens in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighbourhood. CEO Howard Schultz called it the “Willy Wonka of coffee.” Just what the heck is this factory-looking laboratory?
The just opened first Starbucks Reserve Roastery is a 15,000-square-foot space decked out in rich woods and copper accents. In fact, this facility is a former car showroom. Here, you can witness how Starbucks roasts all the coffee it serves in store. The experience will be exactly like Japanese cuisine Teppanyaki, where the chef does all the cooking in front of you. From pouring green coffee beans into a giant vat, roasted brown till the final drinks, you get to see everything.
Besides replacing cramped tables with barstools and a view of brew paraphernalia, the “Coffee Masters” will prepare your order accordingly. Yeap, there won’t be anymore “Barista” as these new “Coffee Masters” will also act as Starbucks ambassadors, holding coffee information session for curious customers. Sounds like a tour guides, aren’t they? Something will be gone too – the classic green mermaid logo.
As a replacement, Starbucks Reserve Roastery has a new logo – a letter “R” and a star, perhaps inspired by superhero “Captain America”. The company hopes to open 100 of such “Reserve” cafes around the world, which will also double as the centre to package coffee and sell it at other locations in 2015. Asia will see such facility in 2016. For now, Starbucks targets “hip urban areas” like Washington D.C., New York, and Los Angeles.
Needless to say, the new Starbucks “intoxication” concept comes at a premium price tag – from US$3 (£1.90; RM10.40) to US$6.50 (£4.10; RM22.50) per cup – roughly 40% to 50% more than what you’re paying now. Depending on whom you speak to, the premium price could be worthwhile because instead of the typical barista barking out your name and handling over a cup, the new coffee masters are expected to socialize more with you.
However, such ambitious project is super expensive hence it’s safe to predict CEO Howard Schultz is here to test water, although he would tell at your face that such beauty and romance experience couldn’t possibly fail. But with coffee chains rivals such as Blue Bottle, Intelligentsia, Stumptown and Oldtown White Coffee constantly pinching coffee-drinking customers away, such upscale coffee emporium is desperately needed.
Other Articles That May Interest You …
- Sweet Revenge – Scammer Jover Chew Closes Business At Sim Lim Square
- From $7,000 To $16,000 / Month – That’s How Much Internships Are Paid
- These 50 Graphs Are Funny But Freaking True About Life
- Another Reason To Eat More Chocolate – It Can Reverse Memory Loss
- 20 Awesome Fast Facts About McDonald’s That You May Not Know
- Exposed! Food Scandal – Hong Kong, Macau & Taiwan Use “Gutter Oil”
- McDonald’s New Buying Experience – Touch-Screen Kiosk
|
|
December 5th, 2014 by financetwitter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comments
Add your comment now.
Leave a Reply