Starbucks Is Launching An Italian Bakery Chain And It Looks Magical
Move over, egg bites and cake pops. Starbucks is launching an Italian café chain in the U.S., marking the first time in the brand’s history it will feature food baked onsite.
Called Princi, the eatery has more than 100 menu items including Italian-style pastries, focaccia sandwiches, salads and pizzas, with all breads and baked items made in the store’s centerpiece oven. The first Princi location opened Tuesday at the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle, and the company has plans to expand shortly.
Princi is a bakery chain with existing locations in Milan and London. In 2016, Starbucks announced it had struck a deal to bring it to the U.S., and will open Princi bakeries along with five more of its upscale Reserve locations around the world starting next month. The company said it plans to open standalone Princi bakeries around the U.S. in 2018.
That means ’Bucks fiends will soon be able to enjoy wood-fired pizza, buffalo mozzarella and berry-filled tarts along with their coffee. Items are priced between $3 and $11.
A couple of food bloggers who reviewed Princi’s offerings say the pizza is “beautiful” and the pastries are “flaky and buttery” in a way that makes your mouth “do a happy dance.” The spot has yet to see any Yelp feedback, though it’s surely coming.
Earlier this year, Starbucks ended its “Starbucks Evenings” program, which featured beer, wine and appetizer-like bites served after 4 p.m. in some locations. The company is now starting to focus on lunch, USA Today reported in September. They’re currently offering new items like a hearty Cubano sandwich and cauliflower tabbouleh salad in select Chicago and Seattle stores, with plans to expand the menu across the U.S. in the future.
This beats an egg bite any day.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
