Starbucks has decided to open its first coffee shop in Italy.

The coffee chain promised to enter the birthplace of the espresso “with humility and respect”.

The first Starbucks will open in Milan early next year, in partnership with Italian developer Percassi.

President Antonio Percassi said: “We know that we are going to face a unique challenge with the opening of the first Starbucks store in Italy.”

Starbucks chain has 22,000 outlets in 67 countries.

Despite Italy’s long cultural and historical links with coffee – the espresso machine was invented in Italy – it is only the seventh-largest consumer of the beverage in Europe.

According to the European Coffee Federation, Finland consumed the most coffee in Europe in the year to May 2014 – the most recent figures available – followed by Austria and Sweden.