星巴克将在意大利开设首家店铺

The coffee chain said Sunday that the first Starbucks will open in Milan in early 2017, in partnership with Italian developer Percassi.

星巴克咖啡连锁店在周日声明：意大利第一家星巴克门店将在2017年年初于米兰开幕。意大利零售巨头兼房地产开发商佩尔卡西（Percassi）作为星巴克在意大利的合作伙伴，将拥有并负责经营星巴克门店。

It’s a symbolic move for the 45-year-old company and its CEO, Howard Schultz. On a business trip in the 1980s, Schultz visited Milan and Verona and decided to bring espresso drinks to the U.S. The concept took off, and Starbucks became the beverage giant it is today.

对于拥有四十五年历史的星巴克公司以及星巴克董事长兼首席执行官霍华德·舒尔茨(Howard Schultz)来说，进军意大利市场可谓是一个历史性的突破。上个世纪八十年代，舒尔茨到米兰和维罗纳出差，之后他决定将意式浓缩咖啡饮品宣传给美国。后来，这个创意一举成功，成就了当今饮品界的巨头——星巴克品牌。

Starbucks already has a presence in Europe, but it has not been as successful there as in other markets. The company entered the U.K. in 1998 and there are now about 2,400 stores in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, making up about 10 percent of stores globally.

事实上星巴克在欧洲一些国家设有分店，然而其经营情况却并不像在其他市场那样尽如人意。星巴克于1998年进军英国，现如今在欧洲、中东以及非洲地区共设有2400家店面，占全球各地区总店面数量的10%。

Italy is expected to prove a challenge. Coffee is a deep part of the culture, with myriad local shops competing to sell espresso and cappuccinos. Most shops operate as places where Italians can get a quick espresso and go about their way, in contrast to Starbucks’ stores which are designed for customers to sit and work or talk with friends.

进军意大利无疑是一项重大的挑战。意大利原本就是咖啡大国，大街小巷到处都是销售浓缩咖啡和卡布奇诺等饮品的店面，竞争相当激烈。顾客一般都在这些街边的咖啡店随手买一杯快饮，然后匆匆上路。相比较而言，星巴克则是一个供顾客工作或者与朋友聊天的休闲地点。

Starbucks alluded to the challenge the company is expected to face, saying it was entering Italy "with humility and respect."

提到即将到来的挑战与困难，星巴克表示将本着谦逊与尊重的态度进军意大利市场。

Starbucks’ store in Italy will be owned and run by Percassi, the licensee. Other stores are expected to follow.

意大利零售巨头兼房地产开发商Percassi将拥有并负责经营星巴克在意大利的首家门店。其他门店的开业也在筹备当中。

"We know that we are going to face a unique challenge with the opening of the first Starbucks store in Italy," said Percassi President Antonio Percassi, in a prepared statement.

星巴克的意大利合作伙伴Percassi公司总裁安东尼奥·佩尔卡西(Antonio Percassi)也表示，“必赢也明白，在咖啡王国意大利开张首家星巴克门店，将会使必赢面临严峻的挑战。”