It’s too soon to know if the rest of the world is ready for what several reviewers described as the Disneyland of coffee, where single cups brewed from rare beans can top $10 and baristas lead groups through “flights” of small-lot coffees, much like a wine tasting. But he said results had exceeded expectations and the company plans to roll out Roasteries in a few major markets, with New York high on its list.

Starbucks locations like Williamsburg feature the Roastery’s “reserve” coffees, and the company is looking to open as many as 1,000 of these reserve cafes over the next few years. My cup of Nicaraguan was $4 for a 12-ounce cup, and Mr. Maxwell hand-brewed it using Starbucks’s trademarked Clover brewing system, featuring “innovative vacuum-press technology.” I don’t claim to be a connoisseur, but it was remarkably good. And for $4, it should be.“They have to invest and stay ahead of these trends and remind people they were there first,” said Ms. Senatore, who pointed out that Starbucks’s size gives it an edge in securing the best beans. “They can do what the smaller competitors can’t.”

The luxury coffee market has become crowded, as a stroll through the Brooklyn neighborhood makes clear. But Mr. Schultz said Starbucks could happily coexist with other high-end roasters. “Williamsburg is emblematic of some of our most successful locations,” Mr. Schultz said. “Typically there’s some mild protest that people don’t want us to come in until after we get there and exceed expectations. The higher the quality coffee in any area, the better for us, because people get educated. New York City is competitive. London is competitive. Those are some of our best markets.”

Starbucks has also been a pioneer in mobile payments, something that many retailers are just beginning to adopt. With 16 million users and a generous rewards-loyalty program, the company’s phone app — which was unveiled just two years ago in some test markets — accounts for about 21 percent of all transactions at company-owned stores in the United States.

Starbucks has begun enabling its app users to order and pay in advance, and will also start offering delivery service. “For a company where people are put off by long lines or don’t have time to wait, this is a game changer,” said Ms. Senatore.

(McDonald’s, by comparison, introduced its mobile app just this summer. And notably, Starbucks’s stock market value is fast approaching that of McDonald’s — the burger giant’s market capitalization is $105 billion; Starbucks’s is $91 billion.)