Starbucks will open 'express stores' with shorter lines

Starbucks will open &#039;express stores&#039; with shorter lines

(Image credit: Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

Despite its mega-chain status, Starbucks wants to lure in millennials by promoting its higher-end, small-batch coffee products in new locations.

Starbucks announced Friday its plans to open at least 100 new stores dedicated to its small-batch "Starbucks Reserve" line, because its production requires more "integrated coffee roasting, education, and retail space" than is available at many Starbucks locations. The first higher-end location, the "Starbucks Roastery and Tasting Room," will open this December in the company's native Seattle. Including the 100 proposed stores, Starbucks Reserve will eventually be available in 1,500 locations across the globe.

And if you're perfectly content with Starbucks' regular roasting options, Starbucks also announced plans to test "express stores" in New York next year, which will offer fewer options but will boast shorter wait times and a "mobile ordering" option. The company reported that drive-through stores currently boast higher sales growth than non-drive-through locations, so the express option may be beneficial to customers on the go.