Coffee giant to open massive location in Chicago

Starbucks Coffee Company is going big in the Windy City — in a space that is currently to home to one of the city’s iconic retail flagships.



The coffee retailer will open a four-level, 43,000-sq.-ft. Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Michigan Avenue in Chicago in 2019, in the building currently occupied by Crate & Barrel. The home goods chain, which has operated a store on the site for 27 years, is expected to close its door in early 2018.



The Chicago Roastery will be the company’s third Roastery location in the United States. The concept, which debuted in late 2014 in Seattle, will open in Manhattan in 2018. International locations are in the works for Shanghai, opening late 2017, and Milan and Tokyo, slated to open in 2018.



Similar to the Seattle location, the Chicago Roastery will be dedicated to roasting, brewing and packaging rare, small-batch Starbucks Roastery Reserve coffees from around the world. The interactive space will be tailored to the Chicago customer and designed to bring coffee craft to life by offering multiple brewing methods, specialty Reserve beverages and mixology.



Chicago’s Roastery will also offer foods and fresh baking on-site in courtesy of Italian baker Rocco Princi, known for his artisan breads created from traditional family recipes.



“Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, so we took our time to find an incredible space to match the unprecedented coffee experience our premium Roastery will offer,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks executive chairman. “To be located on one of the best-known retail streets in the world is a proud moment for all of us and we can’t wait to bring Chicago and the world a coffee experience worthy of their most premier real estate.”



The Chicago building is owned by a venture of Crate & Barrel founder Gordon Segal. Segal sold his majority stake in the company in 1998.(CBRE’s Robert Wislow, Camille Julmy and Todd Siegel represented the landlord, Segal, in the transaction.)



“Howard and I share the same passion for the companies we created, each centered around the customer experience and a relentless attention to detail,” Segal stated. “This building has a unique way of becoming a beacon for a brand, and I can’t think of a better retailer than Starbucks to offer Chicago something new and exciting with its Reserve Roastery.”