Take a look inside the world's biggest Starbucks — which is spread over 4 floors, has a roof terrace, and sells pizza, luxury coffees, and hot-honey cocktails
Starbucks' biggest store is its 35,000-square-foot Reserve Roastery on Chicago's Magnificent Mile.
There are four floors, each with a coffee bar with slightly different offerings, as well as a roof terrace.
You can get exclusive drinks and merchandise only available at its Reserve Roasteries.
The world's biggest Starbucks store is spread over four floors, has a roof terrace, roasts its own coffee, serves luxury coffees and cocktails, and sells a range of exclusive merchandise that you can't find elsewhere.
Starbucks' biggest store isn't in Seattle, where the coffee giant is based. Nor is it in New York City, where bleary-eyed office workers and enthusiastic tourists alike sip on its cold brews.
Instead, it's in Chicago, nestled partway down the Windy City's Magnificent Mile, a busy hub of shops, bars, and restaurants.
Source: Starbucks
It's not just a massive regular Starbucks store, though. The Chicago location is actually a Starbucks Reserve Roastery, one of just six in the world. They sell upscale coffees and cocktails as well as an extensive selection of Starbucks merchandise.
The store is spread over four main floors, each with a café or coffee bar, plus a roof terrace. It totals 35,000 square feet.
Source: Starbucks
The ground floor is stocked with merchandise specific to the store, including mugs, water bottles, and candles. You could also get a Chicago crewneck sweater for $80. Many of the items are exclusive to the Chicago Reserve Roastery and can't be bought online.
Some of the items were beautifully decorated, like these $35 bottles and packs of coffee beans.
There was even a Starbucks Reserve Roastery jigsaw puzzle and coloring book.
Of course, there's also a coffee bar on the ground floor, where you can get a range of coffees, teas, pastries, and desserts. Like the other coffee bars in the building, you can choose the type of coffee beans in your drink and also get exclusive Starbucks Reserve beverages not available elsewhere.
Starbucks uses the same color scheme — copper with teal ceilings — throughout the store. The result was a very sleek and upscale appearance.
Heading to the second floor, you'll find the Princi café and bakery. This is the main place to get food in the Reserve Roastery.
There's a selection of pizza flavors, including some seasonal ones, like zucchini and burrata and sausage and grilled pepper. They cost $9.50 per slice.
You can also get focaccia sandwiches, avocado on toast with a range of toppings, and croissants with prosciutto and fontina cheese.
They're all priced at around $9, but for $2 extra, you can drizzle hot honey on top.
Hot honey is EVERYWHERE right now.
There's a huge selection of desserts, too, with most selling for around $10.
The desserts vary seasonally, too. A member of staff told me that the most popular dessert is the tiramisu, followed by the cheesecake.
When I visited, there was a small menu by the counter listing the seasonal food and beverages, but other than that there was no full menu available without scanning the QR code.
On the third floor is the "Experiential Coffee Bar" where Starbucks says you can "immerse yourself in the art, science and theater of coffee." Options include a malted milkshake made with cold brew aged in a whiskey barrel and a range of coffee flights.
There are some hot honey cocktails on the menu, too. The affogato costs $10.50 and the espresso martini costs $18.
And on the fourth floor, Starbucks has its Arriviamo Bar. As well as wine, beer, and traditional cocktails, you can also choose from an extensive range of coffee cocktails, plus some featuring green, rooibos, and matcha tea.
There's also more Reserve-branded merchandise on this floor, like these Chemex coffeemakers.
The building is dominated by a 56-foot steel cask — the building's tallest — that spans all four floors. It's where coffee beans rest and de-gas after being roasted.
Source: Starbucks
Throughout the building you can spot artwork inspired by coffee or by the brand ...
... as well as informational displays, like this sign explaining how coffee cards are designed.
As well as large windows looking down onto Michigan Avenue, the building has skylights which make the spirit bottles at the top-floor bar twinkle.
Finally, on the top floor of the building is the pièce de résistance — the rooftop terrace with views of part of the Magnificent Mile. You have to buy your food and drinks on another floor and take them up via the stairs or elevator.
This was the view when I visited on a sunny day with a clear sky. The black building in the background is the Hancock Tower, one of the city's tallest buildings.
If you want to learn more about coffee making and tasting, or you'd like to recreate the Reserve Roastery's coffees and cocktails at home, you can sign up for one of its four sessions, which range from $45 to $95 per person.
Chicago has some fantastic restaurants, and I wouldn't advise anyone to miss out on sampling some of its iconic dishes like deep-dish pizza, Polish hot dogs, and jibaritos just to try Starbucks pizza. There are lots of great bars and coffee shops throughout the city, too.
But with its menu of coffee, cocktails, and pastries exclusive to Starbucks Reserve locations, as well as its extensive array of merchandise, I can see why true aficionados of the Siren would have the world's biggest Starbucks on their bucket lists.
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