Hospitality Business publisher Dale Spencer travelled to China to take a look at the country’s booming hospitality sector courtesy of Alibaba and discovered Starbucks has invested in its own Reserve Roastery in Shanghai – one of only two in the world – and the largest at more than 30,000 square feet.
Only a few months old, the venue has become a tourist destination in itself and is taking this traditionally tea drinking country by storm – with over 7000 visitors a day making the Starbucks Roastery high priority. Situated in Jingan District it is reminiscent of LA’s famous Rodeo Drive with manicured lawns, gardens, shopping for the rich and famous – and now international coffee!
Equipped with advanced payments systems by Alipay plus augmented reality games and ordering platforms, this is a futuristic look at the way hospitality retail has evolved.
