Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

ROME

Starbucks set to open first coffee shop in central Rome

American coffee chain Starbucks is set to open a three-storey outlet in Rome’s historic centre in April as it continues its expansion across Italy.

Published: 24 March 2023 10:54 CET
Starbucks set to open first coffee shop in central Rome
A Starbucks cafe in Milan. The US multinational continues to expand in Italy and is now preparing to open its first outlet in central Rome. (Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP)

A new Starbucks cafe will open its doors in downtown Rome at Piazza Montecitorio, opposite the Italian parliament building, Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper reported on Thursday.

A Starbucks ‘coming soon’ sign appeared this week on the facade of a former restaurant close to Palazzo Montecitorio, the seat of the Italy’s lower house of parliament.

Renovation work is currently underway and the new branch is expected to open by the end of April, Repubblica reported.

The US-based multinational has long been rumoured to be opening an outlet at an unknown location in Rome’s city centre following its success in Milan and elsewhere.

Starbucks has 25 outlets in Italy so far, despite predictions that it would not last long in the country famed as Europe’s coffee capital and the home of espresso shots drunk standing at the counter at family-owned bars.

READ ALSO: ‘Unexpected flavour’: Starbucks launches olive oil coffee in Italy

So far, only one of these outlets is in the south of Italy – a branch opened at the Castel Romano shopping mall on the outskirts of Rome in April 2022.

Starbucks’ locations in Italy are mainly in and around Milan and other parts of northern Italy, which is more affluent and has a higher ratio of international residents than the south.

But local media has frequently speculated about the opening of more branches in Rome as part of Starbucks’ plans to expand in Italy throughout 2023.

Starbucks also planned to open an outlet near Rome’s central Termini train station, La Repubblica reported in September 2022, though there’s no sign of it yet.

READ ALSO: Where, when and how to drink coffee like an Italian

Starbucks has been in Italy since 2018, when it opened a branch at Piazza Cordusio in Milan, saying it was entering the Italian market with “humility and respect”.

The multinational caused a stir in February when it launched a range of olive-oil infused coffee-based drinks at its Italian stores.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

TRANSPORT

The tram and metro closures to expect in Rome in July 2024

With preparations underway for the 2025 Jubilee, a number of Rome's tram lines are slated to be replaced by buses this summer, while some metro stops will remain closed altogether.

Published: 2 July 2024 10:48 CEST
The tram and metro closures to expect in Rome in July 2024

As Rome prepares for an influx of tens of millions of additional tourists for the 2025 Jubilee year, the city is carrying out extensive works on its public transport network.

In particular, the historic Porta Maggiore depot, first constructed over a century ago, will be upgraded to accommodate the city’s new 33-metre trams, according to Roma Today.

All 27 stops on the city’s Metro Line A are also undergoing renovations thanks to a €55 million investment that will see some of the stations fitted with new LED lights, a ‘vertical forest’ wall and overhead mirrors.

Rome’s Transport Councillor Eugenio Patanè said the interventions are “fundamental to allow public transport to return to its full efficiency”.

Here’s what to look out for this month:

Trams

From July 1st to August 4th, tram lines 2 (Flaminio-Mancini) and 8 (Casaletto-Piazza Venezia) will be entirely replaced by bus services, according to a schedule published by Rome’s public transport operator ATAC.

Line 3 will remain active as a tram service between Porta Maggiore and Trastevere, but will be replaced by buses between Porta Maggiore and Valle Giulia.

READ ALSO: Key dates: The transport strikes to expect in Italy in summer 2024

Line 19 will remain in service between Porta Maggiore and Gerani, but replaced by buses between Porta Maggiore and Viale Giulio Cesare/Metro A Ottaviano.

Lines 5 (Gerano-Termini Station) and 14 (Termini Station-Togliatti) are due to remain in service as normal.

Metro

Rome’s Line A Spagna metro is scheduled to be closed from July 15th to October 3rd.

The Ottaviano metro stop on the same line will be shut from July 22nd to September 9th.

The Vittorio Emanuele stop, which had been closed for three months, reopened on July 1st.

Strikes

A local strike was announced last week by transport workers union Orsa trasporti for Sunday, July 7th.

If it goes ahead, the walkout is set to affect Rome’s entire public transport network including tram, bus, metro, urban and extra-urban railway services from 8.30pm to 12.30am.

For more information on Rome’s public transport closures, check the ATAC website when planning your journey.

SHOW COMMENTS