Global brews with local twists

It was a not-so-hot, windy Tuesday morning. Inhaling the petrichor, I drive on traffic-free roads to Abhiramapuram. The familiar whir of the grinder, the comforting aroma of freshly roasted beans, and the quiet conversations in the corner guided me into Starbucks Indias new experiential store here. This space promises to be more than a coffee stop. It is a store where the citys vibrant culture meets the brands global coffee craftsmanship. Capturing a fragment of our culinary imagination, a glass of Tamarind Shikanji Cold Brew welcomes me. At first, one might dismiss it, but with the perfect balance of tanginess and rawness, when the coffee note hits later, one might crave another sip. We are able to deliver different flavours to customers because we buy coffee beans from different geographies, almost 40 countries around the world, says Vibhor Mishra, coffee ambassador - Starbucks China and Asia Pacific and regional director - operations, Starbucks India. Coffee starts here He highlights the blend of global coffee traditions with regional flavours. This is the USP of experiential stores. We offer Kanthari Chilli, Red Peru, Malabar Coconut Cream Latte, black palm jaggery from Konkan, and an exclusive international offering: Banoffee Latte and Banoffee Risotto. When you call it something experiential, you need to have something for everyone. That is why we got everything here and made this an experiential store, notes Vibhor. After launching experiential stores in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, the doors are finally opened to Chennaiites. Shri Bala, a chef and guest at the event, shares, Most people in the city are familiar only with black coffee or filter coffee. But this store launch and the offerings here will be open for them to try other varieties and flavours. This store is here to experiment and educate. Adding to the conversation, Mitali Maheshwari, head of product and marketing at Starbucks India, continues, The store brings to life the passion and love for coffee. A lot of innovation is happening here with the coffee belt of the world, with the flavours of India. The coconuts, chillies, and black palm jaggery are sourced from special parts of India that combine well with the meticulous brewing techniques followed here. Every option here blends local tastes with international brewing techniques. The Malabar Coconut Cream Latte and Kanthari Chilli are inspired by Southern India. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the major producers of coffee in India, notes Vibhor, adding, The local touch extends to food too. We also have on the menu pepper chicken wrap, which is again inspired by traditional Tamil Nadu-style pepper chicken. Starbucks connection with the community goes beyond its cafs and cups. We have a programme called Coffee and Farmer Equity, wherein we pay a premium price for premium coffee to our farmers. We buy coffee which is organically grown, following organically grown practices, he explains. This could also be a reason why people do not hesitate to try different offerings, as the taste is familiar to the palate of the consumer here. Out and about Vibhor talks about the purpose, provenance, and the process to be implemented at the store. The experiential store has many pillars. Firstly, we have offerings from around the world, we have fine brewing methods, and 40% of the menu is specially built inside the store. Then the state-of-the-art store dcor, ranging from Starbucks first official store in Seattle to the quality steps involved in acquiring the beans and roasting them using five different techniques coffee press, pour-over, Black Eagle, and more, he shares. A sleek, refined manual espresso machine, the Black Eagle, provides the baristas with full control over every stage of brewing and extraction. This machine is currently positioned only at the experiential store in Chennai. As we savour the seven new introductions from different partners, Vibhor has his suggestions for customers: I would recommend them to try one of our cold brews with the regional flavour. My personal favourite is Red Peru and Kanthari Chilli Cold Brew. But beyond just giving you your caffeine fix, the store will also host workshops under the Starbucks Master Brewer programme where customers can get certified on Starbucks coffee credentials. From Banoffee Lattes to Pepper Chicken Wraps, Chennais first experiential Starbucks is brewing a sip of the world, with a hint of home.