The opening of the sprawling, two-storey outlet in a busy central shopping district was thronged by hundreds of customers, some waiting more than an hour in long lines stretching outside for a block in scenes reminiscent of a hyped-up new iPhone release.
The cafe spans 2,700 square metres (30,000 square feet) - nearly half the area of a soccer field - and is the company's second Starbucks Reserve Roastery, a larger type of store featuring premium coffees, teas, and coffee-infused beer along with a personalised barista service.
Starbucks already has more than 3,000 of its standard cafes in 136 Chinese cities, including more than 600 in Shanghai alone, the largest number of stores in any city in the world.
A new Starbucks opens every 15 hours in China, the company says.
Also Read
Chairman Howard Schultz told Bloomberg News yesterday ahead of the store's opening that China was on course to become the company's largest market in less than a decade.
"It's obvious to us that the holding power of China for Starbucks is going to be much more significant than the holding power of the US," he said.
Zhao Fei, a paper trader, said drink prices running up to 78 yuan (USD 11.80) for some coffees would scare off many Chinese customers.
"But many people in China are really starting to appreciate expensive coffees, especially young people in big cities," said Zhao, who nonetheless opted for a nitrogen- infused fruit tea.
"And it looks so wonderful here, many people will come just to look.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content