Take a casual walk down Loop Street and you’ll see an endless stream of coffee shops, each offering their own unique experiences – from the homely to the hipster and even the franchise.

So why do we need Starbucks? No idea, but the one thing I can think of is that Johannesburg must have a coffee problem.

Although officially opening today, the media were treated to an exclusive coffee tasting and tour of the first Starbucks store open in South Africa yesterday.

Located in the heart of Rosebank – now it makes sense – the store provides the full Starbucks experience: food, handcrafted beverages, and coffee. The second store is set to open in Midrand.

And guess what, every piece of furniture in the store had been handcrafted by artisans – just like their beverages! Here’s a price listing of their most standard offers:

Now, in a country where we have some of the most sophisticated coffee shops and the most badass baristas, one would wonder why the chain has landed on our shores. However, if you think just a little more about it, the answer is money:

Taste Holdings announced in July 2015 that it had secured the rights to open full-format Starbucks stores in South Africa. 12 to 15 more stores will open over the next two years at a cost of R108 million. The group expects future store growth of 20 outlets per year. Taste’s research into the market opportunity for the brand – taking costs into account – is for 150 to 200 stores in South Africa.

Gag. I’m happy with my local, thank you.

[source: timeslive]