Starbucks Brings Experiential Reserve Concept to NYC’s Empire State Building

With its Nov. 16 opening, Starbucks will bring its Starbucks Reserve concept to three floors of the iconic Empire State Building. Customers visiting the 23,000-square-foot New York City space will find their favorite beverages on the menu, but the location also is focused on the art and experience of making coffee, with features including:

  • Several brewing methods, including the coffee company’s patented Cold Pressed Espresso technology, which will only be available at the Empire State Building shop;
  • A full cocktail menu, including coffee-inspired libations exclusive to this store;
  • Small, interactive ticketed group classes covering coffee, beverage making and mixology;
  • Tasting flights and food pairings; and
  • A culinary menu offered exclusively by bakery and café brand Princi.

New York City’s Meatpacking district already hosts a Starbucks Reserve Roastery, with other locations in Seattle, Shanghai, Milan, Tokyo and Chicago.

“For almost three decades we have grown alongside the city of New York, where people from around the world gather to connect, explore, and share ideas,” said Mark Ring, SVP of U.S. Retail at Starbucks in a statement. “The Starbucks Reserve Empire State Building store will bring people together in this diverse and dynamic city over incredible coffee and food experiences that celebrate human connection, which is at the heart of the Starbucks experience.”

The company has been exploring new approaches to selling its coffee; in November 2021, it tested a new store concept, Starbucks Pickup + Amazon Go, on 59th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues in New York City. The design concept reflects the coffee maker’s typical store style but features Amazon’s Just Walk Out cashierless checkout technology, which allows customers to place orders through the coffee retailer’s app and shop an integrated Amazon Go market. Starbucks Pickup + Amazon Go later expanded to include another New York City location at 40th Street and 8th Avenue.

retailtouchpoints.com

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