When $4 coffee is no longer enough, Starbucks brings out the Reserve
People used to think we were crazy for paying $3-$4 for a cup of Starbucks coffee, but it soon became what we call an Affordable Luxury/Guilty Pleasure. Now in order to perk up growth and recapture some of the company’s early magic it intends to roll out both a Reserve line and Reserve coffee bars. Hopefully, the fancy brewing techniques and upscale environment soften the blow of what is likely to be high-end coffee prices. If it’s more bitter tasting coffee (you know what we’re talking about — coffee, not the espresso based drinks), we’ll continue to go to Pete’s Coffee & Tea and Blue Bottle when we’re in Manhattan
Starbucks, which was instrumental in shifting U.S. consumers to higher-quality coffee and espresso-based drinks, will have Reserve coffee “bars” in up to 1,000 Starbucks cafes by the end of 2017 in a bid to one day dominate the so-called “third wave” coffee movement.
Over time, Starbucks expects to open as many as 1,000 cafes that exclusively sell Reserve coffees, Schultz said. Starbucks opened its first Reserve coffee roastery and tasting room in Seattle in late 2014. It roasts limited-supply Reserve coffees that sell for up to $50 per 8-ounce package. Roastery baristas prepare coffee using a variety of uncommon methods, such as siphon brewing, which was popularized by Blue Bottle and other super-premium cafe operators.
Source: Starbucks plans new ‘Reserve’ targets in super-premium battle | Reuters
