In China it is/was.

Its very expensive for the average Chinese person and is considered fairly fancy or upscale. At least it was when I lived there.

Same rule applies to Pizza Hut.

You've clearly never gone to a Starbucks Roastery before. Its a night and day difference between the standard cafe and a roastery.

It's Starbucks Reserve, so yes, you're absolutely paying for the experience.

It's Starbucks Reserve, there's still no experience and the coffee still sucks.

Compared to what?

I can't think of a time I've been to a Starbucks Reserve location and felt that the difference amounted to more than slightly bougier interior decorating. Same as any other Starbucks otherwise, and generally the coffee isn't better

Their roastery in Seattle is quite different though and worth visiting since they do have good coffee, interesting merch, interesting architecture, etc.

"Slightly" bougier? It's worlds away:

https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us/locations/new-york

That photo doesn't look anything like your average Starbucks interior.

I mean, that's also a roastery, not just a "reserve" location, and that's the New York location which might as well be the Times Square Apple Store compared to some small town Apple Store.

Other reserve locations, such as this one in Tokyo https://maps.app.goo.gl/diFWHoByG3783V8u5 or this one in Vancouver https://maps.app.goo.gl/HGWsXsinAparQ7bGA are pretty much "slightly bougier" locations that as far as I know don't really have anything unique going on, with the exception that you can sometimes get shitty coffee made in a siphon brewer.

The roasteries always seem to get that special touch though.

kitsch is an experience. "good" is in the eye of the beholder.