Abstract

The opening of the first Starbucks coffee shop in Italy was announced, precisely in Milan. The Starbucks approach to the market in the US and worldwide is very distinctive and quite different from the Italians' way of having coffee outside their home. How will Italians react to this new offer? Will the coffee shop leader «export» its standard model or will it adapt its offer to the specific Italian demand? This study aims to reflect on the differences in coffee consumption practices in Italy and in the US; this can be accomplished by assessing the different behaviours with the means used for analyzing and comparing the different cultures.