Here's What Italians Really Think Of Starbucks

Starbucks opened its first Italian location in 2018, nearly five decades after and more than 5,000 miles away from its iconic Pike Place Seattle store. The cafe would, then, be the chain's fifth Reserve location, opening in a historic 25,000-square-foot post office building near the Milan Cathedral — the very city where Starbucks' former CEO, Howard Schultz, had his first cappuccino 35 years prior, inspiring his vision to take Starbucks from a regional coffee company to one of the world's most recognized brand names. 

When news of the location was announced on Starbucks' website, Schultz promised to enter the country "with great humility and respect." Italians, on the other hand, were skeptical — but also undeniably curious. Prior to the Milan Starbucks Reserve's opening, a Facebook poll conducted by the Italian news publication, The Local Italy, asked its readers whether or not they'd welcome Starbucks there. An overwhelming 87% of respondents said "no," claiming Starbucks would only erode the already established, and very much prized, Italian coffee culture, which was the basis for American coffeehouses to begin with. 

"It's like opening Taco Bell in Mexico," said one reader, "taking tulips to Amsterdam," or, as a Redditor said, "opening a Dominoes in Naples" — which did happen and failed, by the way. But many Italians did admit it'd be popular with tourists and young people, and, judging by the line of people who waited an hour just to get inside on the opening day, the skepticism wasn't enough to kill their curiosity. Now, in 2025, the local opinion on Starbucks remains mixed — but the Italian coffee culture is still strong.

With 36 locations as of early 2024, Italy remains one of the European countries with the fewest Starbucks locations — which is surprising for a country that loves coffee. But, as noted in the responses from The Local Italy's Facebook poll, Italy's love for its coffee is precisely why most locals have been hesitant to embrace Starbucks — and it's comforting to learn that the chain has not impacted nor replaced the majority of Italians' coffee consumption.

Italy has its own rich and respected coffee culture — one that's built off a set of very different customs. Italians tend to drink their coffee quickly, often while standing up, with small drinks like espressos and cappuccinos being common. There's also no work or study coffee culture in Italy. Starbucks, therefore, doesn't fit into the everyday Italian's coffee ritual. And at up to three times the average price, it doesn't fit into the everyday Italian's budget, either.

One Italian summed it up in a Reddit thread: "I tried Starbucks for the first time when I was [in] summer school in London ... I did the same both in Dublin and in Edinburgh ... But I didn't go there for the coffee. If I wanted a real caffè I'd resort to any baretto around the corner. But, you know, there's something about overpriced caramel-coated sugary drinks ... They're special as long as you drink them once a year or less. I'd go broke if I made a habit out of it."

That, then, brings up another point: Italians have many better options nearby, and many for a fraction of the price. As expressed by locals and visitors on Reddit, the coffee at any random booth in Italy tastes better than what you get from a chain like Starbucks. Plus, it won't cost more than four euros. With the exception of teenagers, most Italians you see lining up at Starbucks are doing so out of curiosity — and not necessarily for the coffee.

"Now, if you see Italians in line at a Starbucks, it's usually that they're from somewhere else in Italy without one and they want to try," wrote one Redditor. Generally speaking, most of the Starbucks locations in Italy are located in major cities. However, this is especially true for the Starbucks Reserve in Milan given its historic location, with another Redditor writing "... the Starbucks in Piazza Cordusio (Milan) is huge and beautifully designed, worth checking out not because of, but in spite of, the coffee." 

Even some tourists agree, with many citing the clean restrooms as their primary reason for visiting any Italian Starbucks while sight-seeing. So, while the majority of Italians — and some tourists — are sticking to their very Italian coffee routines, Starbucks Italy does serve its own purpose as a place where Italians and tourists can get a taste of the American way of drinking coffee — and use the restroom, of course. Here are eight ways Starbucks locations in Italy differ from those in the U.S.