Starbucks last year opened its sixth Reserve Roastery, in Chicago, offering customers a variety of coffee experiences to suit their preferences. A highlight is the concept’s experiential coffee bar, where guests can order a flight of specialty coffees, request a coffee and chocolate pairing or sip the same roast prepared using four different brewing styles. Reserve Roastery baristas also double as mixologists at a full bar that features coffee cocktails.
While Starbucks may have the most elaborate setup, small Chicago-based chain Fairgrounds also offers “an adventure in coffee and tea.” In addition to coffee cocktails at some locations, swings are used for seating and carnival games line the perimeter. Even IHOP has installed coffee bars in some units, providing customers a comfy place to linger over an espresso or latte outside of the bustling dining room.