Did you know that each week, roughly 90 million people pass through a Starbucks somewhere on earth? According to Howard Schultz, it’s true.
What’s even more amazing is that although Starbucks operates in 70 countries worldwide, not one of those people is in Italy.
Mr. Schultz dropped by Milan during Fashion Week to announce that Starbucks will open its first coffee shop in Italy early next year. Given that the company is opening 500 stores a year in China, this Milan venture might seem like a nice touch. For Mr. Schultz, coming to Italy is personal, delicate, and a bit of a risk:
“There are very few markets and stores that I’m as intimately involved in as this. We’re going to come here with great humility,” he said in an interview.
In general, Starbucks has always been careful expanding in Europe because of the amount of good coffee shops that exist everywhere. Some people might take offense at the idea that an American company is needed for better espresso, however, Starbucks expanded successfully into Britain, France, Germany, and Vienna. Italy will be a different story because people worship it.
To read more about Starbucks, head on over to read their full profile.