Starbucks to open at Termini Station in coming days.

A queue of tourists and Italians on Thursday waited to enter Italy's newest Starbucks, located on a small side street opposite the Italian parliament in the historic centre of Rome.

The bar was busy at the refurbished two-storey building on Via della Guglia as customers chose between Frappuccino, Salted Caramel Cool and Oleato, Starbucks' new olive oil-infused coffee drinks.

A sign over the bar invites customers to "create the Frappuccino of your dreams", with the option of choosing extra cookies or toppings to sprinkle on the whipped cream-topped iced coffee drink.

The cheapest coffee on the menu is an espresso which, depending on size, is offered at €1.40 or €2.80, significantly more than the usual retail price in Rome of between €1 and €1.10.

Cappuccino and Americano coffee ranges from €2.50 to €3.50 while a Chai Tea Latte will set you back between €4.50 and €5.50.

Starbucks opened in the heart of Rome today, just steps away from the Italian parliament. pic.twitter.com/zk4caIY8Md

— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) May 11, 2023

There is also a selection of chocolate-covered doughnuts, croissants and cookies on offer, along with Starbucks merchandise including colourful mugs and water bottles.

The marble-floored venue is just off the landmark Piazza Montecitorio where the chamber of deputies or lower house of the Italian parliament is located.

The new Starbucks in the heart of Rome comes as the American multinational coffee chain continues to expand in Italy, with two new outlets scheduled to open next week in the capital's central train station Termini (one upstairs and the other on the ground floor).

The "Starbucks Montecitorio" venue is the first in the Italian capital and opens just over a year after the launch of an outlet at the Castel Romano shopping mall in the greater Rome area.

During the inauguration on Wednesday it was announced that in addition to the two new Termini outlets, a Starbucks is set to open at a later date in Rome's central Piazza di S. Silvestro, according to news agency Dire.

• The history of coffee culture in Italy

“In Rome the goal is to open many outlets, one for each district of the capital" - said Vincenzo Catrambone, general manager of Starbucks for Percassi, the coffee giant's licensee partner in Italy - "We truly believe that many outlets will open in Rome.”

Since launching in Italy in 2018, at Piazza Cordusio in Milan, Starbucks has continued to open new stores around the country, although its expansion plans were delayed by the covid pandemic.

After Rome the coffee giant plans to head further south, launching in Naples and Bari, reports Dire.

The coffee chain is also set to open a new outlet in Genoa very soon, with 13 new Starbucks in Italy by the end of this year, bringing the total number in the country to 36.

Announcing the opening on the new store in Rome, newspaper La Repubblica writes: "The American coffee giant will try to challenge the habits of Romans." Time will tell.