8 Ways Starbucks In Italy Differs From U.S. Locations

Italian coffee culture is defined by simple pleasures, quality over quantity, and swiftness over languor. In other words, it's all about the quick, good espresso shot free of frilly additives like pumpkin spice, or large cups like the Starbucks Trenta, which holds a whopping 30 fluid ounces in one portion. That is, Italian coffee culture is everything that Starbucks is not, yet somehow, against all odds, Starbucks seems to be doing just fine for itself in Italy.

Part of the reason for this is that the company seems to have adapted, at least somewhat, to the rigid Italian coffee culture. It must have known it was futile to expect Italians to compromise on their age-old traditions, especially surrounding coffee, so it did most of the work to bridge the gap, and rightly so. So while Starbucks locations in Italy do serve the chain's most basic offerings, such as cappuccinos and macchiatos, don't expect them to have the same variety or levels of customization you might find at your local shop in New York or Los Angeles. As someone who has lived and drunk coffee in both the U.S. and Italy, I would know. Portions will also differ, with Italian coffees coming in smaller sizes than their American counterparts. The same goes for the food menu, which is also less varied and delivers smaller portions. So, to avoid any shocks to the system when you enter your first Starbucks in Italy, let's take a more in-depth look at the ways these coffee shops differ from those in U.S. locations.

One of Starbucks' main draws, for many people, is that it is a recognizable brand that will provide a more or less consistent experience in terms of products and atmosphere no matter where you go, at least within the U.S. You know what to expect from a Starbucks, including that you will never be too far from one at any given time, whether you're in a city or in suburbia.

This is not the case in Italy. If you want to find a Starbucks there, you will have to head to a large city, and even then, you won't see one on every corner. Milan proper, a city of 1.3 million, only counts seven Starbucks locations while Rome, a city of more than 2 million, counts only six, one of which is at a shopping center on the outskirts of the city. Luckily, you didn't go to Italy because of Starbucks.

The Italians seem to be a stubborn people, at least when it comes to coffee. Despite the many temptations thrown at them by Starbucks, such as various drink customization options and seasonal coffee selections, most people still prefer to stick to the single shot of espresso, which they drink while standing at the bar, and not sitting at their laptop in a comfy chair (although such behavior is not completely unheard of).

So it should come as no surprise that in general, coffee portions tend to be smaller at Italian Starbucks locations despite the names of the sizes being the same. For instance, Insider Food found that when measuring out a Venti (which in Italian means "twenty" and which is equivalent to a large in common parlance), Italian Starbucks drinks were only 18 ounces, while American drinks clocked in at 22 ounces. Incidentally, neither of them came in at 20 ounces, as the name of the size suggests, but that's besides the point here.

By and large, Italians have different coffee preferences than Americans do, and not just in terms of the ritual of drinking coffee itself. They tend to prefer drinks that are not as sweet, and few would be caught dead ordering a coffee with milk after 11 a.m. Milk is strictly a breakfast item, and by late morning, a huge lunch, like a plate of pasta or a multi-course meal, is fast approaching. Milk in coffee is summarily off the table at that point.

So it stands to reason that Starbucks locations in Italy would have different coffee options on the menu. For instance, you will see more espresso options throughout the day and fewer lattes as the hours wile away. Another example is the American shaken espresso versus the Italian "shakerato." The latter does not contain milk, and achieves its frothy texture through strategic use of ice. This way, the drink can be comfortably ordered throughout the day, even by Italians.

You may have noticed when you walk into a Starbucks in America, you're often greeted by young folks behind the counter. These may be high school students in their first job or college students trying to pay tuition. Either way, the vibe is often distinctly youthful.

This is not the case in Italy. The people behind the bar there, or baristas, are professional coffee pourers and they take their jobs very seriously. As with other cafes in Italy, baristas have usually been working in that job for years, either at Starbucks or somewhere else, and are not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. In part, this is due to the seriousness of coffee culture, but the labor force in Italy is also older and more established, and students don't typically go for barista jobs as they do in the U.S. High school students tend to have heavier school workloads, while college students don't have enormous tuition rates to contend with.

As with coffee tastes, Italians have very different expectations when it comes to food, which may not come as much of a surprise. While some of the basic items Starbucks offers in Italy remain the same –- you will never struggle to find a plain croissant or a muffin at a Starbucks in America or in Italy –- other menu items may surprise you. For instance, an Italian Starbucks may carry a Sicilian cannolo, a fried pastry wrapped around a filling of ricotta, pistachios, and candied fruit, or those braided puff-pastries topped with pecans that are common in many Italian cafes. Strangely, there are also more donut options in Italian Starbucks than in American ones, but this may be due to the current donut trend shaking up the country and the fact that they're not available in typical Italian bakeries.

The Italian sandwich selection is also not to be outdone. Since Italians tend to spend a great deal of time and effort on lunch, it's likely that Starbucks felt the need to provide a worthy alternative. The shop therefore offers 13 warm sandwich choices in Italy, compared to four in America, and most include prime Italian ingredients like fresh mozzarella, pesto, and cured meat.

Because Italian coffee culture was already so ingrained when Starbucks made its entrance in 2018, the company needed to make a splash, or it would be sure to flop. And so it opened the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan, which is unlike any Starbucks you've seen in the U.S. First of all, the building was not something plucked out of a strip mall but designed by a real life architect, Roberto Baciocchi, known for designing Prada stores and other luxurious constructions. Second, the site of this coffee shop is a former post office with high ceilings, bronze machinery, mosaic flooring, and a heated marble bar top.

As if that weren't enough, this Starbucks that makes all other locations look bad also serves ice cream, pizza, and even cocktails. This may not be the type of place you go to with your laptop to get work done, but we're sure you'll find something else to occupy your time.

Starbucks in the U.S. has long been a haven for digital nomads and anyone who might work from home and wants to get out of the house. With its cozy nooks and comfy chairs (and Starbucks free Wi-Fi, of course), Starbucks provides an ideal location for focusing on your work. Not to mention the fact that you'll have plenty of coffee to keep you going until the end of the workday.

And if you're traveling to Italy and hoping to pop into a Starbucks to get a bit of work done while on the road, you won't be disappointed. Most Starbucks in Italy are equipped with similar decor to what you'd find in the U.S., and it's a pretty reliable place, in terms of ambiance, to post up with your laptop for the day — much better than any non-Starbucks coffee shop in Italy, where people might frown at you for bringing a computer. But don't expect the Italians to follow suit, at least not in droves. The work culture is not quite as itinerant, and the quick and breezy ritual of consuming coffee makes the idea of hanging back to do work at a coffee shop somewhat outlandish.

There is a thing called "oleato," which is a coffee made with a dash of olive oil. When former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz realized some people in Italy consume a shot of extra virgin olive oil a day, on its own, he decided to combine it with one of Italy's other great assets, espresso, to create a signature Starbucks espresso and olive oil drink called the oleato.

But too much of a good thing can be a mistake, and that may have been the case with the oleato. Although it remains on the menu at Italian Starbucks locations, the company decided to remove it from U.S. and Canadian stores last November, less than a year after it had been rolled out across North America and a year and half after it had debuted in Italy. But perhaps it's for the best. The drinks received a mixed reception in both Italy and the U.S., with many calling it overpowering or simply bad.