Starbucks is to partner with developer Percassi to open stores across Italy for the first time in its 33-year history.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said that it was a trip to Milan and Verona which inspired him with the “theatre, romance, art and magic of experiencing espresso”.

The company opened in Britain in 1998 but it took 17 years to turn a profit.
“Starbucks history is directly linked to the way the Italians created and executed the perfect shot of espresso,” Mr Schultz commended.

“Our first store will be designed with painstaking detail and great respect for the Italian people and coffee culture. And, my hope is that we will create a sense of pride for our partners - so much so that every partner who sees our store or walks through the doors will say: 'We got it right.'"

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