Starbucks launches fancy new Reserve outlet at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore
Starbucks continues its march against hipster coffee outlets with another fancy Reserve store in Singapore -- its seventh in the small island state.
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The new store, which opened on Monday at the Marina Bay Sands, brings the siphon brewing method to a Starbucks outlet here for the first time, adding to the other three specialty brewing methods: pour over, Chemex and Starbucks' own Clover machine.
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The Seattle-headquartered chain launched the Starbucks Reserve branding in 2011, gathering many elements seen in "third wave" coffee shops, such as beans from small roasters and hand brewing methods.
The first Reserve store was launched in Singapore at the Resorts World Sentosa in 2013.
On the shelves at the Marina Bay Sands fancier versions of Starbucks' merch are on display.
Besides offering the staple Frappuccinos, baristas are ready at the bar to demonstrate a hand poured coffee and discuss tasting notes with customers.
Hitting the rest of the market with tea
This outlet launches soon after Starbucks recently launched its premium Teavana tea line in Asia, in hopes of reaching the other half of the caffeinated market. Teavana was an upscale tea company that Starbucks acquired for $620 million in 2012.
But rather than compete with traditional Asian tea houses, Starbucks' Teavana line consists of mixed tea cocktails, which include more "bubble tea"-like concoctions such as shaken teas with pomegranate pearls that burst in the mouth.
Its offerings will also replace the older Tazo tea that Starbucks used to offer, and stores here are depleting their Tazo stock, a barista at the Marina Bay Sands told us.
Vera Wang, director, product line innovation, Starbucks China and Asia Pacific, told Mashable: "We recognise there is a $125 billion global category for tea as the second most consumed beverage in the world, second only to water. Nowhere is this opportunity more clear than in Asia."
While tea is often drunk plain without sugar or milk in the region, the Teavana creations are positioned as a "modern" offering, she added.
Victoria Ho is Mashable's Asia Editor, based in Singapore. She previously reported on news and tech at The Business Times, TechCrunch and ZDNet. When she isn't writing, she's making music with her band
