What Each Floor Is For At The World's Largest Starbucks Location

Chicago is a densely populated metropolis, packed with hot dogs between poppy seed buns, two baseball teams with unique histories, a 110-story building called Willis Tower (once the tallest in the country), and the largest Starbucks in the entire world. In 2019, Starbucks Reserve Roastery opened on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Erie Street, inside the town's Magnificent Mile shopping district. As of 2026, there are five total Starbucks Reserve locations. In addition to this Chicago location, you'll find one in Shanghai, Milan, New York, and Tokyo.

When you approach the building for the first time, you'll notice the missing green and white Starbucks logo. That's because the first thing you should know is that while this is technically a Starbucks, Reserve Roasteries are not your typical Starbucks location. Starbucks Reserve Roastery is not about a quick caffeine fix or grabbing coffee for the breakroom on the way to work. Starbucks Reserve is for coffee lovers looking for a truly unique experience, one that in Chicago is built vertically across five floors, where each floor offers a spectacular experience for every type of coffee lover who steps inside. Here's how this ode to coffee breaks down across each floor.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery attracts tourists, average coffee fans, and brew enthusiasts alike. But what grabs your attention as you enter the first floor of the Chicago location is the centerpiece. Your nose picks up the aromas of roasting coffee almost immediately, thanks to the roaster located on this floor. Your eyes are drawn to the 56-foot copper cask in the center of the place. And if you pay attention, your ears may hear freshly roasted beans as they traverse the tubes along the cask up to their destination. The process does more than just delight the senses, as the journey from roastery to destination likely helps de-gas the beans quickly so the coffee isn't too fresh. (This process is crucial to allow complex flavors in the beans to develop). Every single station in this mini city of coffee uses the beans roasted on the first floor that are sent up through the cask.

Explore various merchandise tables and stations, and you'll likely spot some items you can only get here. While you're walking around the first floor, you can grab coffee from the to-go bar. You can then make your way to the scooping station to buy beans by the pound to make the freshest cup of coffee at home. Finally, before heading upstairs, swing by the coffee card wall to explore the coffees Starbucks Reserve has used since opening day. 

Once the astonishment of the first floor wears off, you'll be ready for that delightful Starbucks Reserve Roastery cafe experience. Hop on the circular escalator to reach a dining room on the second floor with tables and chairs, including prime seats right at the window so you can take in the views while sipping on your favorite drink. Good luck finding those window chairs available, though it's certainly worth trying. This floor is home to the Starbucks Reserve Café, where you can order your drinks along with something to eat, like a sandwich or fresh pastry.

Even if you have a favorite Starbucks drink, Starbucks Reserve is a prime opportunity to try something new, like the Blooming Yuzu Espresso. This drink was created by Nobuki Shimode, the company's first Starbucks Global Barista Champion. The first-floor coffee bar is meant for to-go orders so your food options are limited there as well — you can't get the focaccia options you can on the second floor or full egg dishes like the Eggs in Purgatory plate. This floor is about relaxation, conversation, and people watching — you'll see a big slice of the Windy City on any given day, like tourists, locals, and everything in between, all while sipping your favorite latte. The bottom floor is the hook that brings you up while this floor begs you to slow down, take a rest, and enjoy coffee as it's meant to be rather than as a forgettable pick-me-up.

You might think you love coffee, but can you explain the difference between a French press and drip brew? Have you ever heard of a buna? If you're serious about coffee knowledge, you're going to want to hit the third floor's experiential coffee bar at Starbucks Reserve Roastery. Here, you'll find baristas testing different ways of brewing its roasted coffee. You'll also find a replica flavor wheel along the wall, so you can understand the tool baristas use as they learn how coffee achieves different aromas, tastes, and acidity levels. Your at-home coffee bar is likely to expand after spending time on this floor.

Among other brewing methods, you can taste a pour-over cup or siphon-filtered coffee, which is a 200-year-old process that uses pressure and gravity to make a silky-smooth brew. And while you won't find a Frappuccino in sight, you can get creamy affogatos or cold brew malts. If ice cream with coffee is not for you, your best bet may be the cold brew flight, where you can delight yourself in the classic cold brew, nitro cold brew, and whiskey barrel-aged cold brew. And if whiskey and coffee are easily combined in your life, the next floor is the one for you.

There's an art to the best cup of coffee. There's an art to the perfect espresso martini. If you think both of these statements are true, the fourth floor of Starbucks Reserve has a seat waiting for you. And while sitting at the Arriviamo Cocktail Bar, you'll enjoy coffee-inspired cocktails, like the aforementioned espresso martini and Roastery old fashioned, made with cold brew and Woodinville bourbon.

It's a good idea for you to already know your spirits of choice before sitting down at this bar, as the menu is extensive enough you won't be able to try everything. If you can't make a decision, there are a few flights available to you. As of this writing, the seasonal flight includes an ube espresso martini, double matcha margarita, and espresso martini. But if you prefer to taste your coffee and spirit separately, the cold brew and whiskey comparison flight serves two low ball glasses with a large ice cube. One glass is filled with whiskey barrel-aged cold brew coffee and the other with Knob Creek bourbon for you to sip individually at your leisure. But don't think everything served here has a coffee twist. You can choose a classic Manhattan, glass of wine, or even seasonal beer.

There is one more floor inside the five-story homage to coffee at Starbucks Reserve Roastery. On the right day, you'll have access to the rooftop, where you can hang out and observe the goings-on of Chicago from high above. Whether it's a desire for fresh air or respite from the crowds on the other floors, this floor can give you that. Of course, this being Chicago, a rooftop terrace is not always a good idea. Don't expect access to it during frigid winter months, but on a clear spring or summer day, it's a pleasant way to enjoy your brew above the streets of the city.

Getting the full experience of each floor in just one visit can be daunting. Take some time to understand your interests and come prepared knowing what areas deserve most of your time. If you like your coffee at home, spend more time on the first and third floors, and grab some freshly roasted beans from the scooping station to close out the visit. If you want to know what an espresso martini made by an espresso expert might taste like, explore upward and forget time exists at Arriviamo. Remember this is not the green twin-tailed mermaid Starbucks. This place is about a coffee experience that touches all your senses and leaves you wanting more.