Starbucks Reserve Opens First Store in Shenzhen

If you’ve ever wondered where to find the rarest, most carefully selected coffee in China — not just any blend, but truly distinct single-origin beans — the answer just arrived in Shenzhen. Starbucks Reserve has officially entered the Chinese mainland market, and with it comes a carefully curated collection of four unique coffees, available only in select cities.

In short: Starbucks Reserve now sells four limited-edition single-origin coffees in seven exclusive stores across Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen — including Shenzhen’s first-ever Reserve location in Royal Plaza. Each coffee tells a unique story from its origin farm and region.

What Is Starbucks Reserve?

Starbucks Reserve represents the pinnacle of Starbucks’ coffee passion. Since 1971, Starbucks has focused on sourcing, roasting, and serving high-quality Arabica coffee. But Reserve takes that commitment further: it’s designed for coffee enthusiasts who want more than a standard cup. Every Reserve coffee is selected from the top 3% of the world’s Arabica beans, often sourced from small farms or unique micro-lots with exceptional growing conditions.

The First Reserve Store in Shenzhen

Shenzhen’s Royal Plaza store is the first and only Starbucks Reserve location in the city. Here, expertly trained baristas craft each cup using rare beans, while the store’s design — featuring custom menu boards, latitude-marked furniture, and photo walls documenting the coffee journey — immerses customers in the story behind each coffee. It’s not just a place to buy coffee; it’s where coffee culture comes to life.

The Four Featured Single-Origin Coffees

The first four Reserve coffees launched in mainland China include:

• Malawi Zomba Farm Zetu: A rare peaberry coffee (only 10% of coffee cherries produce peaberries), grown in East Africa’s smallest coffee-producing nation. This hand-sorted, washed peaberry features spicy and citrus notes. It’s only the third time Starbucks has offered Malawi as a single origin.
• Hawaii Ka’u Coffee: Grown on small family farms on the southwestern slopes of Mauna Loa volcano. These farms use traditional hand-picking and small-batch processing, resulting in a tropical, smooth cup with limited annual yield. In 2011, Ka’u was named Best Coffee by the Specialty Coffee Association of America.
• Peru Chontali: Produced by a small farm in northern Peru’s valleys, this coffee offers hazelnut and toasted chocolate notes. Run by two passionate growers, the farm shares knowledge with other producers and uses advanced farming techniques to improve both quality and yield.
• Panama Finca Cantaros: Sourced from Panama’s remote volcanic highlands, this coffee has sweet orange and toffee flavors. Run for nearly 18 years by Maria Valeriano, the farm is known for its ethical labor practices and consistent awards from Panama’s coffee associations. The region’s fertile soil and shade-grown conditions contribute to its award-winning profile.

Why These Coffees Are Different

Unlike everyday blends, these four coffees were chosen not just for taste, but for their unique origin stories, farming methods, and limited availability. Each lot comes from small-scale producers or rare micro-lots. For example, peaberry beans occur naturally in only about 10% of coffee cherry harvests and are often separated and sold separately due to their distinct shape and flavor potential. The Ka’u region’s isolation and traditional techniques also limit supply, while Panama’s volcanic soil and shade conditions are ideal for developing complex sugars and acidity.

How the Reserve Experience Works

The Reserve experience isn’t self-service. Every cup is prepared by certified coffee masters trained to highlight the delicate characteristics of each origin. The stores themselves are designed to reflect the craft and culture of coffee. In Shenzhen’s Royal Plaza location, details like a documentary-style photo wall, carved coffee latitude markers on furniture, and hand-painted roast curve art guide customers through the journey from cherry to cup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I buy Starbucks Reserve coffee in China?

Starbucks Reserve is currently available in seven stores across four cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Shenzhen’s first Reserve store is located in Royal Plaza.

What makes Starbucks Reserve different from regular Starbucks coffee?

Reserve focuses exclusively on the top 3% of Arabica beans, often single origins from small farms or rare lots. The coffee is crafted by specially trained coffee masters and served in stores designed to showcase the coffee’s origin and craft.

Are the new coffees available year-round?

No. These four coffees are part of a limited release. Some Reserve offerings have sold out within 24 hours in other countries, so availability may be temporary or seasonal.

What is a coffee peaberry and why is it special?

A peaberry occurs when a coffee cherry produces a single round bean instead of two flat beans. This happens in about 10% of cherries. Peaberries often roast more evenly and develop unique flavor profiles, and are sometimes separated for sale as a distinct grade.

Which Starbucks Reserve store should I visit if I’m in Shenzhen?

Visit the Royal Plaza location, the city’s first and only Starbucks Reserve store. It features detailed design elements that explain the coffee journey and serves the four exclusive launch coffees.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Exploring Single Origins

For coffee lovers intrigued by the rare single origins now available at Starbucks Reserve, FrontStreet Coffee offers equally distinctive beans. Try Rwanda Red Bourbon for bright citrus, plum, and berry notes with a silky body; Ethiopia Humbera (Yirgacheffe) delivers intense floral and tropical fruit aromas; and Panama Sidra (Geisha) highlights jasmine, citrus, and honey-like sweetness. These beans showcase the kind of origin-specific complexity also found in Starbucks Reserve’s limited selection. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.