Tag Archives: Starbucks

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Fast Company names Starbucks as one 2018’s Most Innovative Companies

Fast Company names Starbucks as one 2018’s Most Innovative Companies

 

Seattle, 2018-Feb-21 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks has been chosen as one 2018’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company, which released its annual rankings on Tuesday. In recognition of the Starbucks FoodShare program, Starbucks is included among the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Social Good.

In 2016, Starbucks entered into a unique partnership with Feeding America to create the innovative Starbucks FoodShare program – a leading a national effort to provide nourishing, ready to eat meals to people in need. To-date, Starbucks has rescued and donated more than 3 million meals. The program has also diverted 1.1 million pounds of food from landfills.

No traditional brick-and-mortar retailer is better positioned than Starbucks to continue leading the fight against hunger, by driving awareness, encouraging customers and partners to be advocates and creating a playbook for other companies to step up and help make a difference.

Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies List honors leading enterprises and rising newcomers that exemplify the best in business and innovation. More than three dozen Fast Company editors, reporters, and contributors identified the most notable innovations of the year among submissions from thousands of pioneering companies.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Alshaya brands Starbucks and Babel recognised for their world-class customer service in Kuwait’s Public Relations Association’s annual awards

Alshaya brands Starbucks and Babel recognised for their world-class customer service in Kuwait’s Public Relations Association’s annual awards

Shuwaikh, Kuwait, 2018-Feb-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — Two brands operated by retail franchise operator M.H. Alshaya, Starbucks and Babel, have been recognised for their commitment to providing world-class customer service in Kuwait’s Public Relations Association’s annual awards.

The awards, under the patronage of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, saw Starbucks win awards for ‘Excellence in Customer Service’, for best practices in providing customer service in the café category; and ‘Excellence in Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility’. Babel won an award for ‘Excellence in Website Services.’ The awards highlight the brands’ ability to follow up on customer feedback in a quick and effective way.

An Alshaya representative received the award from Her Excellency Hind Al-Sabih, Minister of Social Affairs and Labour and Minister of State for Economic Affairs, at a ceremony also attended by Sheikh Khalid Al Abdullah Al Sabah, Head of Amiri Protocols, and Jamal Al Nasrullah, Head of Kuwait’s Public Relations Association.

Kuwait’s Public Relations Association aims to recognise excellent customer service across the public and private sectors.

Mona Dabbah, Alshaya’s Customer Service Director, said: “We’re proud and delighted that our efforts to put our customer at the heart of our business have been recognised in this way. Our culture at Alshaya is built on listening to our customers and ensuring their satisfaction. Delivering the highest levels of customer service at every touchpoint is our top priority.”

Alshaya operates more than 3,900 stores for nearly 90 of the world’s best-known and best-loved brands, including Starbucks, H&M, Mothercare, Debenhams, The Cheesecake Factory, Victoria’s Secret, and Boots, and Pottery Barn across the Middle East, North Africa, Russia, Turkey and Europe. The company’s Contact Centre manages a broader customer service offering that builds connections with the customers of all the brands that the company operates, 365 days a year.

SOURCE: M.H. Alshaya Co.

Media

If you are a journalist and want some information about Alshaya or one of our brands, please contact our Corporate Communications team:

+965 2224 2475
+965 2224 3626
communications@alshaya.com

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Starbucks and Chase make earning rewards easy for customers with the launch of Starbucks Rewards™ Visa® Card

Starbucks and Chase make earning rewards easy for customers with the launch of Starbucks Rewards™ Visa® Card

 

  • Seamless integration with Starbucks Rewards™ loyalty program brings customers fast, frequent Rewards earned through everyday spending
  • Starting today, the card unlocks the ability to earn Stars both in and out of Starbucks® stores wherever Visa is accepted worldwide

SEATTLE, 2018-Feb-06 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (February 1, 2018), Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) and Chase (NYSE: JPM) announce the availability of the Starbucks Rewards™ Visa® Card, a co-brand credit card integrated directly into the Starbucks Rewards™ loyalty program. Customers using the card earn Stars with every purchase both in and out of Starbucks stores wherever Visa is accepted worldwide, and can be redeemed for food and beverage items at more than 8,000 participating* Starbucks locations. Card members will also become members of the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program, receiving exclusive perks and benefits already enjoyed by more than 14 million members daily.

“It’s important to us to make earning Rewards as easy for our customers as possible, and the Starbucks Rewards Visa Card is a powerful tool for us to do that because of how easily it fits into their daily lives,” said Matt Ryan, executive vice president and chief strategy officer for Starbucks. “This credit card also makes every day more rewarding for Starbucks and Chase customers through the ability to quickly earn Stars and benefits – including more food and beverage Rewards for any occasion.”

“We want to give cardmembers who can’t live without their Starbucks beverage an easy way to earn more Rewards,” said Jennifer Roberts, head of Digital Products for Chase. “The Starbucks Rewards Visa Card lets them earn Stars on every purchase they make so their next cup is that much more rewarding.”

Cardmembers will receive a physical card within 7-10 days of their application being approved, and a digital card will be immediately loaded into the Starbucks® mobile app for customers to start earning Stars right away.

New cardmembers can enjoy the following benefits:

  • New Cardmember Offer: 2,500 Stars after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening (equal to 20 food or beverage items)
  • Bonus Stars: 250 Stars when using their Starbucks Rewards™ Visa® Card to load their registered Starbucks Card within the Starbucks® mobile app for the first time
  • More Stars:
    • 1 Star for every $4 spent outside of Starbucks stores
    • 1 Star for every $1 digitally loaded to their registered Starbucks Card in the Starbucks® mobile app, using their Starbucks Rewards™ Visa® Card, in addition to the 2 stars per $1 earned when paying with their registered Starbucks Card as a member of the Starbucks Rewards™ loyalty program
  • Instant Gold Status: Cardmembers will automatically receive Gold Status within the Starbucks Rewards™ program
  • 8 Barista Picks: Curated food or beverage Rewards selected by baristas and automatically loaded to the cardmembers Starbucks Rewards account

Starbucks Rewards™ Visa® Card has an annual fee of $49. To apply for the Starbucks Rewards Visa credit card, visit starbucks.com/visacard.

The new credit card is an expansion of the ongoing relationship between the two companies. Chase Merchant Services is the payment processing partner for Starbucks stores in the U.S. and Canada, and Chase Pay is accepted at participating Starbucks stores in the U.S., as well as through the Starbucks mobile app. A second co-branded product, the Starbucks Rewards™ Visa® Prepaid Card will launch later this year.

For more information about the Starbucks Rewards™ Visa® Card, including pricing, terms and conditions, click here.

About Starbucks Coffee Company

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 28,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit our stores or visit news.starbucks.com and Starbucks.com.

About Chase

Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.5 trillion and operations worldwide. Chase serves nearly half of America’s households with a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, credit cards, mortgages, auto financing, investment advice, small business loans and payment processing. Customers can choose how and where they want to bank: 5,100 branches, 16,000 ATMs, mobile, online and by phone.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks announces the arrival of Blonde Espresso in the United States

Starbucks announces the arrival of Blonde Espresso in the United States
  • Starbucks Blonde Espresso – a light roast that’s smooth and subtly sweet– is a permanent menu item complementing the boldness of Starbucks Signature Espresso Roast originally introduced more than 40 years ago
  • For the first time ever, Starbucks customers in the U.S. will be able to customize their espresso with every order in more than 8,000 locations

SEATTLE, 2018-Jan-10 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (Jan. 9,2018 ), Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) announced the arrival of Starbucks® Blonde Espresso, marking the first time the company has introduced a new core espresso option in the United States in more than 40 years. Customers across the U.S. will now be able to order any handcrafted espresso beverage with their choice of “Starbucks® Signature” or “Starbucks® Blonde” espresso, including Starbucks Caffe Latte, Cappuccino, Flat White, Macchiato and Americano beverages.

“Our partners are so passionate about their craft and now they get to help our customers discover and personalize the foundation of the beverage – an espresso that is either bold and rich or smooth and bright. We want every experience our customers have with us to be perfect for them” said Kris Engskov, president U.S. Retail for Starbucks.

Demand for espresso beverages is on the rise with the National Coffee Association reporting in 2017 that nearly 25 percent of past-day daily coffee drinkers choose espresso*. Starbucks has offered a second espresso option in select international markets since 2013, including the debut of Starbucks® Blonde Espresso in Canada last year to an overwhelmingly positive response from partners (employees) and customers. Building on that success, this is the first new addition to the company’s U.S. core espresso menu and, as a permanent addition will be available year-round. Starbucks® Blonde Espresso is also available in pods for the Verismo® System by Starbucks and, joins Starbucks portfolio of lighter roast offerings including Starbucks® Blonde Roast coffees, which were introduced as whole bean packaged coffee and brewed options in 2012.

Created by a team of master blenders and roasters, Starbucks® Blonde Espresso brings together beans from Latin America and East Africa, roasted to the peak of their flavor to showcase the coffee’s balanced, subtle sweetness.

“We set the standard for a dark, boldly roasted coffee and in this case, we broke a few of our own rules by taking a lighter approach to espresso which created a bright taste with sweet citrus notes and a smooth body,” said Andrew Linnemann, vice president of Global Coffee for Starbucks. “We are really proud of the roast and think customers are going to love experimenting with it”

All of Starbucks coffee, including Starbucks® Blonde Espresso, is sourced through its Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E) Practices, the company’s comprehensive approach to sourcing that meets its social, economic, environmental and quality standards. Starbucks is also a founding member of the Sustainable Coffee Challenge, a growing coalition of more than 80 industry and conservation leaders led by Conservation International. The challenge is convening the sector to sustain the future supply of coffee while helping to ensure the prosperity and wellbeing of farmers and workers.

*National Coffee Drinking Trends 2017

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 25,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit our stores or online at news.starbucks.com and Starbucks.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE:  Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks launches its biggest giveaway ever with Project Give Good

Starbucks launches its biggest giveaway ever with Project Give Good

 

Starbucks is giving a little extra good to its customers this holiday with its biggest surprise giveaway ever, handing out $1 million in Starbucks Cards, giving the gift of Starbucks Rewards® Gold status, and offering a chance to win Starbucks for Life

SEATTLE, 2017-Dec-05 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) is giving a little extra good to its customers this holiday. Starting Monday, Dec 4, Starbucks is launching its biggest giveaway ever with Project Give Good. Starbucks will surprise customers by handing out $1 million worth of Starbucks Cards throughout the month of December, grant instant Gold status in Starbucks Rewards to anyone who makes a purchase using their mobile app or a registered Starbucks Card, and launch its fourth annual Starbucks For Life Sweepstakes.

Starbucks “Give Good” squads deliver $1 million in Starbucks Cards

Good is happening everywhere, from tree lighting ceremonies and local caroling to recognizing community heroes like volunteers, Veterans and teachers for the good they do year-round.

Starbucks “Give Good” squads will be out and about in their red and green aprons to deliver surprise gifts of $20 Starbucks Cards during community celebrations across the United States during the month of December.

“The inspiration behind Project Give Good is simple, we want to brighten the holidays and delight our customers,” said Kris Engskov, executive vice president of U.S. Retail for Starbucks. “We hope the gift of a Starbucks Card will give customers the opportunity to take a break or catch up with a loved one over coffee.”

Throughout the month of December, Starbucks baristas across the country will be giving away a total of 50,000 $20 Starbucks Cards at community celebrations such as tree lighting ceremonies to local caroling events. The locations and dates of the Starbucks Card giveaways will vary.

Want a Give Good squad to visit your community event? Visit your local store between Dec 4 – 8 to share ideas with our baristas. Give Good Squads will be out in the community from Dec 11 – 23 delivering Starbucks Cards. Follow  along on Starbucks.com/givegood or #GiveGood on social media to see Project Give Good in action.

“The holidays are here and good is in the air. We hope Project Give Good will continue all the good in our communities and keep it going and growing, because good is contagious and giving is too,” Engskov said.

Give the Gift of Gold

Anyone who makes a purchase at Starbucks using their mobile app or a registered Starbucks Card in December will automatically earn Gold status in Starbucks Rewards for a year.* This gift is the fastest way to earn free food and drinks at participating Starbucks® stores. Gold members earn rewards by collecting Stars, that are redeemable for free food and drinks. To learn more visit Starbucks.com/givegood.

Starbucks for Life

There are a few more surprises in store this holiday with Starbucks favorite sweepstakes, Starbucks for Life**. Starting tomorrow (Dec. 5), Starbucks Rewards members have an opportunity to win prizes, including Starbucks for Life, Starbucks for a Year, Starbucks for a Month, Starbucks for a Week, and millions of Bonus Stars. This year, there are new ways to earn bonus game plays with new challenges and ways to instantly win prizes such as food, beverages and select merchandise. Also new this is year, Starbucks customers who are not Starbucks Rewards members can enter their email for a chance at one Starbucks for Life prize.  For more information about Starbucks for Life visit starbucksforlife.com.

*Some restrictions apply. See Starbucks.com/terms for details. Make a purchase with your registered Starbucks Card/app from 12/4/17 to 12/31/17 at a participating Starbucks® store and attain Gold level for one year. Offer excludes members already at Gold level. Excludes alcohol and Starbucks Card purchases.

** NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES (D.C.) 18 AND OLDER AND WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE STARBUCKS REWARDS™ LOYALTY PROGRAM AT THE TIME OF ENTRY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Starbucks Partners are not eligible to win prizes. Participating stores only. Promotion ends 1/8/18. For Official Rules, how to enter without purchase, prizes, and odds, visit https://www.starbucksforlife.com. Sponsor: Starbucks Corporation, 2401 Utah Ave. S, Seattle, WA 98134.

“Starbucks for Life” means the winner will receive a daily credit for 30 years for one free food or beverage item redeemable at participating Starbucks® stores in the U.S. Alcoholic beverages excluded. Winner must present a registered Starbucks Card. Credits are non-transferable and expire within 24 hours.

Entrants can receive a maximum of 2 plays per day, plus, other bonus opportunities to earn additional plays.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Shanghai opens Dec. 6

Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Shanghai opens Dec. 6

 

New multi-sensory retail experience offers customers an immersive:

•   manufacturing and cafe environment including roasting, packaging and brewing;
•   integrated offline and online augmented reality (AR) digital experience; and
•   debut of food freshly baked onsite by Italian food purveyor, Rocco Princi for the first time ever in China

China is Starbucks fastest growing market with a store opening every 15 hours, marking immense opportunity across the country which is unparalleled for any other global consumer brand

The Starbucks Foundation and Starbucks China reaffirms commitment to the China market announcing a social impact commitment of $20 million USD (RMB 132 million) over the next five years

SHANGHAI, 2017-Dec-05 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Shanghai, the first fully immersive coffee experience in Asia, will celebrate its historic opening tomorrow, Dec. 6, culminating in Starbucks most ambitious project ever. When the doors open to the world’s second Starbucks Roastery, created three years after the inaugural Seattle Roastery, customers will be greeted by a multi-sensory coffee experience in an interactive coffee and retail destination like no other.

The Roastery is the epitome of coffee and retail innovation for Starbucks in China, the company’s fastest-growing market with more than 3,000 stores across 136 cities, unprecedented for any global consumer brand and with immense growth opportunity. Starbucks already has more than 600 stores in Shanghai – the largest number of stores in any city where Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) has a presence.

As customers enter the Roastery and step through the front doors of the 2,700-square-meter (30,000-square-foot) building, they’ll be greeted by the stunning sight of a two-story copper cask, adorned with more than 1,000 traditional Chinese chops, or stamps, hand-engraved to narrate the story of Starbucks and coffee. As part of their experience, customers can visit many attractions including one of three coffee bars offering multiple brewing methods, explore specially-crafted teas at the 3-D printed tea bar, enjoy freshly baked Italian artisanal food by Princi, and marvel at the ceiling made of 10,000 handmade wooden hexagon-shaped tiles, inspired by the locking of an espresso shot on an espresso machine.

And, all along the way, customers can point their mobile devices around the Roastery for even more moments of discovery as they immerse themselves in the augmented reality (AR) experience.  Integrating this technology into the store, located at 789 Nanjing Road W., in one of the world’s busiest shopping destinations, makes it one of the most advanced digital locations for Starbucks in the world.

“The affinity we have built with our partners (employees) and customers over the past 18 years in China is special and we knew we must bring the Reserve Roastery, our boldest, most premium store ever, to Shanghai, China’s bustling metropolitan hub and one of the world’s most dynamic retail destinations, as well as a gateway to customers from across Asia and the world,” said Howard Schultz, executive chairman of Starbucks Coffee Company. “We’ve created a space that both recognizes and celebrates our 46-year history of coffee leadership and retail innovation with China’s rich, diverse culture.”

A Theater of Coffee with a Chinese Focus

For the first time ever, unique, small-lot Reserve coffee which Starbucks sources from more than 30 countries around the world, including coffee from China’s Yunnan Province, will be roasted in China by eight highly trained Chinese coffee roasters – passing on 46 years of Starbucks roasting expertise to the first batch of Chinese roasters. Customers can watch the green beans as they are roasted, then sent through copper “symphony” pipes (named because of the musical sound the beans make as they travel through them) directly to silos at the coffee bars, where customers can enjoy a fresh cup of Reserve coffee, or to the in-house pack line to be packaged for distribution across Starbucks Reserve® stores in China.

The three wooden coffee bars, including one that is 27 meters (88 feet) long – the longest at any Starbucks – are handcrafted by premiere Chinese artisans and reference the unique roasting curve of individual coffee beans, executing the Roastery’s design vision of Liz Muller, senior vice president of creative global design for Starbucks. The bars serve as the stage where hundreds of baristas will handcraft some of the rarest, small-lot coffees in the world using one of six brewing methods: ModBar® Pour Over, Chemex, Coffee Press, Siphon, Espresso and the proprietary Clover-brewed coffee.

The Yunnan Reserve coffee, grown in Pu’er in Yunnan Province, is roasted and available exclusively at the Roastery in Shanghai. It’s the culmination of Starbucks ongoing, deep commitment to Chinese growers. Since 2012, agronomists at the China Starbucks Farmer Support Center have worked closely with farmers and the government to provide resources and expertise to improve quality and promote sustainable coffee-growing practices. Like the Shanghai Roastery, the Yunnan Reserve coffee truly is made “In China, For China.” The introduction of Yunnan Reserve coffee also signifies an important step in completing the Starbucks China supply chain, delivering premium coffee from bean-to-cup, and now introducing a rare, exquisite, yellow honey-processed cup of Yunnan coffee to a global audience.

A Groundbreaking Digital Experience

The Shanghai Roastery will become the first Starbucks location, and the first-of-its kind in China, to seamlessly integrate a real-time, in-store and online customer experience. Roastery customers are invited to immerse themselves in the first Starbucks augmented reality (AR) experience – accessible through the custom-designed Roastery digital web-app platform or on Alibaba’s Taobao app – by simply pointing their mobile devices at key features around the Roastery to bring to life information about the Starbucks bean-to-cup story. To help customers create their personal Roastery discovery journeys, the Roastery digital web-app platform also incorporates a digital menu and will, intuitively through AR technology, share details of the coffee bars, brewing methods, as well as other not-to-be-missed unique online and offline experiences. Each step of the way, customers unlock a virtual badge and once all badges are earned, they receive a custom Roastery filter to commemorate the moment and share on social media. The Shanghai Roastery digital experience is designed by Starbucks and powered by Alibaba Group’s scene-recognition technology.

This experience also extends to Alibaba’s online marketplace, Tmall, allowing customers to purchase Shanghai Roastery and Reserve branded merchandise and whole bean coffee for delivery directly to their homes, or to register for specially curated coffee tasting experiences that can be enjoyed at the Starbucks Roastery in Shanghai.

Princi, Italian Artisan Bakery Comes to Asia

At the Shanghai Roastery, acclaimed baker Rocco Princi combines the craft of bread baking, exceptional ingredients and the “Spirito di Milano” to bring his artisanal offerings to Asia for the first time. Princi, famed for bakeries in Milan and London, joins the premium Starbucks Reserve® brand as the exclusive food pairing to its rare, small-lot coffees. Princi is the exclusive food offering in all Starbucks Roastery locations, including Seattle, Shanghai and upcoming locations.

“Rocco and his team’s passion for handcrafted food and artisanal baked goods at Princi mirrors how I feel about our coffee,” said Schultz. “His attention to detail, meticulous care in selecting the freshest, high-quality ingredients and the artistry of preparation creates an Italian food experience that perfectly pairs with our most premium coffees. I look forward to seeing Princi’s success in Seattle further extend to our Roastery in Shanghai.”

In Shanghai, a team of more than 30 skilled Chinese bakers and chefs bring artisan baking to life using exceptional ingredients sourced specifically for each fresh food offering. Much like Rocco’s European locations, the Shanghai site is centered around ovens, with more than 80 different menu items – from flaky cornetti to focaccia sandwiches filled with Parma ham and Italian mozzarella – for breakfast, lunch and dinner, baked fresh onsite. A Commessa (or culinary concierge) will guide customers through the breadth of offerings.

A tribute to China’s tea culture

The new Shanghai Roastery features China’s first Starbucks® Teavana Bar, an entirely modern tea experience specifically designed for Chinese customers. While demonstrating deep respect for the thousands of years of Chinese tea tradition, the Starbucks® Teavana Bar reimagines a modern tea experience for customers who increasingly seek new and different tastes and experiences. Customers to the tea experience bar can select a Teavana signature pure tea or blend, served either hot or iced. Using only the finest tea ingredients in the world, tea curators handcraft unexpected creations with tea mixology as well as nitrogen and tea. For those interested in experiencing a whole new brewing method, the Steampunk brings together science and theater. Watch tea leaves dance in the water, while steam extracts every nuanced flavor in one of tea’s most dynamic moments.

Inspired by the traditional clay teapots in China, the tea experience bar is a light jade color with dark shadows to represent tea stains formed in a teapot over time. It is also the only tea bar created from recycled materials using a 3-D printer, measuring 7.5 meters (25 feet) in length.

Our responsibility and commitment to the country’s future

Starbucks takes its responsibility to contribute and give back to communities seriously. Today, the company announced another milestone in its commitment to China: contributing meaningful and enduring social impact through poverty alleviation by creating opportunities for groups facing barriers, strengthening partner-driven and locally relevant community engagement, and improving lives of Yunnan coffee farmers and their families.

The Starbucks Foundation and Starbucks China plan to make charitable donations totaling approximately $20 million USD (RMB 132 million) over the next five years to drive social impact in communities across China.

“We firmly believe it is our role and responsibility to use our scale to give back to the communities as we continue to grow in China, and with the people of China,” said Belinda Wong, chief executive officer of Starbucks China. “Our commitment, together with our Roastery opening, epitomizes how Starbucks is doubling-down on the unprecedented opportunities we see in the future for Starbucks and China.”

The Starbucks Foundation’s charitable donation is part of its ongoing global commitment to giving back.

“The Starbucks Foundation was established 20 years ago to strengthen communities around the world.  We are proud to have supported communities across China for many years and look forward to deepening our commitment in the years to come,” said Vivek Varma, president of The Starbucks Foundation.

Starbucks entered China in 1999 and these series of commitments reaffirm the strategic role of the China market and highlight Starbucks ongoing aspiration to elevate its partners, customers, suppliers and neighbors to create an environment where everyone can thrive. The Starbucks Roastery is another firm demonstration of Starbucks confidence and optimism in its long-term growth in China.

About Starbucks Coffee Company

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 27,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit our stores or online at news.starbucks.com and Starbucks.com.

About The Starbucks Foundation

Established in 1997, The Starbucks Foundation has strengthened communities around the world by advancing youth leadership and community engagement. The Starbucks Foundation is a U.S. 501 (c)(3) charitable organization under U.S. law, and receives funding primarily from Starbucks Corporation and private donations.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks opens its first store in Jamaica

Starbucks opens its first store in Jamaica

 

  • Starbucks and Caribbean Coffee Baristas Limited, a consortium led by Margaritaville Caribbean Group, have opened Jamaica’s first Starbucks® store at Doctor’s Cave Beach in Montego Bay
  • Up to 15 Starbucks® stores expected to open over the next five years with a focus on creating local jobs, delivering a unique customer experience, and supporting the region’s coffee producers
  • Starbucks Reserve® Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee featured, marking key milestone in company’s long history of sourcing coffee from Jamaica
  • Starbucks Jamaica to work with MultiCare Youth Foundation to support job training for disadvantaged youth

Montego Bay, JAMAICA, 2017-Nov-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks today (November 21, 2017)  opened its first store in Jamaica and entered its 76th market globally, marking a historic milestone for the global coffee company’s Caribbean operations and its storied history of sourcing the highest quality coffee from the region going back more than four decades.

The new café, located at Doctor’s Cave Beach in Montego Bay, offers customers an inviting destination to relax, unwind and connect in one of the area’s most iconic neighborhoods. Featuring custom artwork by local artist Fiona Godfrey, the store’s unique design pays tribute to Jamaica’s history and rich coffee heritage. Customers can enjoy a wide range of Starbucks beverages and food, including its signature handcrafted hot and cold espresso beverages made with 100 percent arabica coffee. To mark this historic opening, the company is also featuring Starbucks Reserve® Jamaica Blue Mountain whole bean coffee, a long-time favorite with Starbucks customers in the U.S. and Canada.

“As a company that has worked for many decades with Jamaica’s coffee growing communities, we are honored to have the opportunity to work our local business partner Caribbean Coffee Baristas to open our first store in the beautiful island nation of Jamaica,” said Ricardo Rico, Starbucks general manager and vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean, who attended the opening celebrations in Montego Bay. “For Starbucks, this is an opportunity to build on more than forty years of the best in-store experience to customers around the globe that is rooted in high-quality coffee and our engaged, knowledgeable baristas. Our new Starbucks Jamaica partners (employees) are ready to welcome customers, as we mark the beginning of this exciting chapter in the Caribbean market.”

Starbucks® stores in Jamaica are operated by Caribbean Coffee Baristas Ltd., a joint venture between Ian Dear, Chief Executive Officer of leading restaurant management and franchise operator Margaritaville Caribbean Group and Adam Stewart, who is also Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sandals Resorts International. Together, they plan to open up to 15 locations in Jamaica over the next five years, with a shared commitment towards creating opportunities for Starbucks employees, delivering a unique and unmatched customer experience, and supporting the region’s coffee producers. Following Montego Bay, the company expects to open in Kingston in 2018.

“As a leading Caribbean hospitality group, our achievements have always been guided by listening, responding and delivering on our customers’ expectations,” said Dear. “Bringing Starbucks, a globally recognized and respected brand, to our Jamaican shores, is a natural progression for us.  We pledge to continue providing the high standards that we and Starbucks are known for. This is another occasion for us to create fantastic opportunities, for everyone involved, and to create another global platform for our locally-grown Blue Mountain Coffee.  We know that this venture will be highly successful, and we look forward to an exciting future with Starbucks.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Starbucks to Jamaica and bring the Starbucks Experience to customers on the island,” said Stewart. “Through our shared values, including our dedication to delivering the best customer experience, commitment to be an employer of choice, and operating responsibly in the communities we serve, we aim to create a truly unique coffeehouse experience here in Jamaica.”

“In addition, I believe that Starbucks, with its long-standing love of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, represents one of the greatest opportunities for the incremental growth in the export of our locally-grown coffee,” said Stewart.

Honoring Jamaica’s Rich Heritage through Coffee and Design

In celebration of Starbucks launch in the market, customers can now enjoy Starbucks Reserve® Jamaica Blue Mountain whole bean coffee – a rare and exceptional coffee grown by Amber Estate farms in the Blue Mountain region, and roasted exclusively at the state-of-the-art Starbucks Reserve™ Roastery in the company’s hometown of Seattle. The company also plans to source Jamaican coffee for single origin coffees and blends for its stores in other markets across Latin America, and connect agronomists and technical experts from the Starbucks Global Agronomy Center to coffee producers in Jamaica.

“This coffee is an opportunity for us to recognize and thank Jamaica’s coffee growing community for their continued partnership on this special single origin coffee, while introducing our first customers in Jamaica to a very special part of Starbucks own coffee journey – an amazing coffee that is roasted in our one and only Starbucks Reserve Roastery back home in Seattle,” said Rico.

In addition, through a unique store design, the new Starbucks café’ showcases the iconic brand while also celebrating the Jamaican people and their rich culture and heritage. The 1,200-sq.-ft. space sits within the protected Montego Bay Marine Park at Doctor’s Cave Beach, one of the most treasured and renowned beaches in Jamaica. The store features distinctly local design elements such as pickled-wood vaulted ceilings and louvered windows, preserved from their original state and enriched to create an authentic beachside café experience.

Custom artwork from locally based artist Fiona Godfrey is featured throughout the space. Godfrey, an Irish artist who has called Jamaica home for more than 25 years, created a custom mural for the new Starbucks® store featuring a lion, which she notes is the “perfect icon to create a sense of place in Starbucks Montego Bay” as well as the Doctor Bird, a national symbol for Jamaica. The juxtaposition of the small bird and the majestic lion, echo a popular expression in the country – “We likkle but we tallowah” – to show that while Jamaica is a small nation it has had a huge global impact across the arts, culture, sports, coffee and more. Godfrey also incorporated Jamaica’s famous misty blue mountains in the background of her mural – a bow to world-renowned Jamaican coffee.  A familiar local greeting of “hail up,” hand-painted by local company Carlton & Sons Signs and Graphix and local artist Sheridan Burgess, greets customers as they enter the store, and a well-wishing “walk good” meets customers at the end of the coffee bar.

The color palette of Godfrey’s mural draws from the colors of Jamaica – black, green, yellow and red – with touches of gold and ochre for the lion’s face. “Jamaicans love gold, and we win a lot of it,” said Godfrey. Similar gold touches can be found throughout the new store. The coffee bar is covered in walnut panels that feature subtle gold-painted reveals, the backwall granite is embedded with delicate gold flecks, and an excerpt from Jamaican poet Reginald M. Murray’s “The Song of the Blue Mountain Stream” is hand-painted in gold, serving as a backdrop as Starbucks baristas craft beverages at the Espresso Bar.

“Fiona did such a beautiful job on the mural for this store, and from the first conversation we had with her, we knew she would be the one to give this store its soul,” said Denise Rodriguez, design manager for the Starbucks store in Jamaica. “The lion is meant to represent the heart and spirit of the Jamaican people. He’s not a fierce or intimidating lion, he’s majestic and mighty, but gentle and caring – connecting eyes with the hummingbird, or Doctor Bird as it’s locally called, and embracing her, acknowledging her, and respecting her. The hummingbird is not threatened by the powerful lion, as they are proudly harmonious, much like Jamaica itself.”

Creating Opportunities for Jamaican Youth

Starbucks has a long history going back more than forty years of investing in the communities it serves worldwide by creating opportunities for young people, particularly those in underserved communities. The company plans to similarly partner with Caribbean Coffee Baristas Ltd. in Jamaica to support initiatives aimed at connecting young men and women in the community with the resources and support they need to succeed. Starbucks partners recently volunteered at the Garland Hall Memorial Children’s Home, painting and refurbishing the orphanage. The company is also looking at ways to support food donation and book and clothing drives.

In line with its global efforts to connect youth to economic opportunities, Starbucks plans to work with the MultiCare Youth Foundation to develop a Life and Work Skills training program for local youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, with a focus on 16- to 29-year-olds who are not in school or employed. With funding from The Starbucks Foundation, the program is intended to support youth in both Montego Bay and Kingston and will include customer service skills training to ensure youth are ready to access employment in the retail, service, or hospitality industries. By working with the MultiCare Youth Foundation, Starbucks also plans to include volunteer opportunities for partners to serve as mentors to participating youth.

Starbucks has operated stores in the Caribbean since 2002, when it opened its first store in Puerto Rico’s Old San Juan. It now operates in six Caribbean markets, including the Bahamas, Aruba, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, and now Jamaica. For Starbucks, which first opened in 1971 in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market, the opening in Jamaica marks its 17th market in the Latin America and Caribbean region and 76th global market.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks opens the first Princi bakery location in the U.S. at its Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle

Starbucks opens the first Princi bakery location in the U.S. at its Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle

 

  • Acclaimed artisan baker Rocco Princi brings the craft of bread baking, exceptional ingredients and the “Spirito di Milano” to customers for the first time in the United States
  • Freshly baked onsite, the artisanal Italian food experience joins the premium Starbucks Reserve® brand as the exclusive food pairing to its rare, small-lot coffees
  • The Seattle location is part of Starbucks investment in expanding Princi™ globally through its Starbucks Reserve® retail formats as well as standalone Princi boutique stores in 2018 

Seattle, 2017-Nov-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) today (November 7, 2017)  announced the opening of the first Princi bakery and café location in the United States at its Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle. The Roastery opened in December 2014 as an homage to coffee, a completely immersive and sensorial space that redefined customers’ expectations of a retail environment. Completing this new customer experience is the introduction of Princi, offering freshly baked Italian food crafted from Rocco Princi’s recipes, which has gained a devoted following in his six stores across Milan and in London’s Soho neighborhood.

Princi will become the exclusive food offering in all new Starbucks Reserve Roastery locations including Shanghai, opening in December 2017, Milan in late 2018, and New York, Tokyo and Chicago thereafter.

“Rocco Princi is an artisan who, at an early age, discovered a love of bread making and through determination as well as an obsession for finding the perfect ingredients, has created an Italian food experience that I think is unparalleled,” said Howard Schultz, executive chairman, Starbucks. “His passion for authentic food and respect for Milanese culture come through in everything he does, and I think our customers are going to fall in love with Princi.”

Born in Calabria, Italy, Rocco Princi began as a baker’s apprentice and opened his first store at the age of 21 in the Villa San Giovanni. With the motto, “hot bread all day,” demand quickly exceeded his expectations and Rocco moved to Milan, opening a shop in 1986. Designed with ovens as the centerpiece of his stores, Rocco Princi and his team bring the theatre of baking to life using simple, yet sacred artisanal techniques, and exceptional ingredients sourced specifically for each fresh food offering. Sourced without compromise and baked without shortcuts is what defines Princi food.

At the newest Princi location in Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle, a team of bakers and chefs bring over 125 years of experience to Princi recipes. Much like Rocco’s European locations, the Seattle store is centered around ovens with food across every daypart baked fresh onsite. More than 100 menu items – from flaky cornetti to focaccia sandwiches filled with salame Milano and mozzarella di bufala or crostata fragola – will be available daily, using ingredients imported from Italy, 25 of which are specifically for Princi. The food will be displayed in abundance as a Commessa guides customers through the breadth of offerings.

“Today, I am realizing a dream that I have had since I was a young man, and I am grateful to Howard for his vision to bring Princi to the world,” said Rocco Princi, founder, Princi. “Having worked side by side with the team that Starbucks has assembled, I have seen firsthand their talent as well as the attention they have given to ensuring that the fresh, authentic, handcrafted ingredients that define the Princi experience are being honored. I am excited and humbled that the people of Seattle will now be able to experience our food.”

In 2016, Starbucks announced that it had joined a global investment team – which includes Milan-based Angel Capital Management and Pekepan Investments – to expand Princi bakeries into international markets. In addition to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery locations, Starbucks plans to open Princi standalone stores starting in 2018.

About Princi

Princi is a Milanese institution built around baking a range of quality hand-made, wood-fired breads. You can learn more at http://www.princi.com/

About Angel Capital Management

Founded by Angelo Moratti together with Paolo Gualdani, Angel Capital Management is a Milan-based private investment firm that provides long-term growth equity for global companies in the consumer and lifestyle sectors. More information on www.acm.capital.

About Pekepan Investments

Pekepan Investments is an independent European investment group owned by private investors, which have historically have invested alongside Angel Capital Management.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 27,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit our stores or online at news.starbucks.com and Starbucks.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks to sell assets of the Tazo brand to Unilever for $384 million

Starbucks to sharpen its focus on its up-leveled tea strategy with Teavana, furthering its growth and innovation in the super premium tea category

Seattle, 2017-Nov-06 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced entry into a definitive agreement for Unilever to acquire the assets of the Tazo brand including its signature recipes, intellectual property and inventory for $384 million. In turn, Starbucks will drive a single tea brand strategy and focus with its super premium tea brand, Teavana.

Founded in 1994, and purchased by Starbucks in 1999 for $8.1 million, Tazo is an iconic tea brand sold primarily in grocery, mass and convenience channels, offered in formats including packaged teas, K-Cup® pods, and bottled ready-to-drink teas.

Starbucks will continue to invest in the growth, innovation and development of the Teavana brand of teas in its stores and in channels outside its stores. The tea category in Starbucks stores continues to grow double-digits globally, with Starbucks well on its way to building the Teavana business to over $3B over the next five years. In the past 12 months alone, Starbucks has sold more than $1.6B of Teavana beverages in Starbucks stores, launched ready-to-drink premium Teavana® Craft Iced Teas through its partnership with Anheuser-Busch InBev and plans to enter the packaged tea category in 2018.

“Over the past five years, we have established Teavana as our primary global brand focused on the premium tea segment. With our growth strategy for premium tea exclusively focused on Teavana, we are pleased to transition our Tazo business to Unilever,” said Kevin Johnson, president and chief executive officer, Starbucks. “We continue to see significant growth in our tea business through our Teavana brand, and this transition supports our strategy to elevate the premium tea experience for our customers.”

The transaction is expected to close during the fourth calendar quarter of 2017, with complete transition between the two companies by the end of calendar year 2018, subject to regulatory approval.

About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 25,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit our stores or online at news.starbucks.com and Starbucks.com.

For more information on this press release, contact us

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

MEDIA CONTACT

Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

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Starbucks to assume 100% ownership of 1,300 Starbucks stores in Shanghai and Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces

Starbucks to assume 100% ownership of 1,300 Starbucks stores in Shanghai and Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces

 

  • Company announces agreements to acquire the remaining 50% of its East China JV and divest its 50% interest in its Taiwan JV; both transactions undertaken with long-term JV partners President Chain Store Corporation and Uni-President Enterprises Corporation
  • Company Reaffirms Its Commitment to Operating 5,000 Stores in Mainland China by 2021

SEATTLE, 2017-Jul-31 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks Corporation (Nasdaq: SBUX) today ( July 27, 2017) announced entry into a definitive agreement to acquire the remaining 50% share of its East China (“East China JV”) business from long-term joint venture partners, Uni-President Enterprises Corporation (“UPEC”) and President Chain Store Corporation (“PCSC”) for approximately $1.3 billion in cash consideration in the largest single acquisition in the company’s history. Starbucks will assume 100% ownership of approximately 1,300 Starbucks stores in Shanghai and Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces, building on the company’s ongoing investments in China, its fastest-growing market outside of the United States in terms of store count.

Concurrently, UPEC and PCSC will acquire Starbucks 50% interest in President Starbucks Coffee Taiwan Limited (“Taiwan JV”) and assume 100% ownership of Starbucks operations in Taiwan for approximately $175 million. Founded in 1997, the Taiwan JV currently operates approximately 410 Starbucks stores in Taiwan.

“Unifying the Starbucks business under a full company-operated structure in China, reinforces our commitment to the market and is a firm demonstration of our confidence in the current local leadership team as we aim to grow from 2,800 to more than 5,000 stores by 2021,” said Kevin Johnson, president and ceo, Starbucks Coffee Company.

“Similar to our decision in 2011 to fully license our Hong Kong and Macau market operations, we are pleased to transition our business in the Taiwan market to our long-time partners Uni-President Enterprises Corporation and President Chain Store Corporation, both highly-recognized local operators, as we continue to grow in Taiwan. This is a critical next-step as we advance our multifaceted China growth strategy for long-term profitable growth in Asia.”

East China is a significant and strategic region for Starbucks in China, with Shanghai containing nearly 600 stores, the largest number of stores globally of any city where Starbucks has a presence. In December 2017, Shanghai will also be the first city outside of the United States to welcome the opening of the ultra-premium Starbucks ReserveTM Roastery.

“This is the beginning of yet another exciting new chapter for Starbucks in China. Full ownership will give us the opportunity to fully leverage our robust business infrastructure to deliver an elevated coffee, in-store third place experience and digital innovation to our customers, and further strengthen the career development opportunities for our people,” said Belinda Wong, ceo, Starbucks China. “Our East China partners’ relentless pursuit of operational excellence and leadership has provided us a solid foundation to maximize the unprecedented growth opportunities ahead and we look forward to extending our world-class network of unique programs to support their personal and professional dreams.”

“We’ve had a strong friendship with Starbucks for nearly 20 years, starting with the opening of the first store in Taiwan and then further extending our partnership with the opening of the first store in East China” said Alex Lo, Chairman, Uni-President Enterprises Corporation. “We are confident that our new ownership model and continued collaboration with Starbucks will enable us to be even more focused on delivering an elevated Starbucks Experience to our customers in the Taiwan market.”

Starbucks will discuss the financial impact of these transactions during its third quarter fiscal year 2017 earnings conference call at 2:00 p.m. PT today, Thursday, July 27.  Both transactions are expected to close by early calendar year 2018 and are subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 25,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit our stores or online at news.starbucks.com and Starbucks.com.

About Uni-President Enterprises Corporation

Uni-President Enterprises Corp. was established in 1967 and listed in 1987. We are not only the biggest food and beverage manufacturing company in Taiwan but also have business in China and Southeast Asia. Besides, we also expand our business scope to retail and logistic field so that we could provide the safest and the best experience to consumers by building vertical integration. To know more details about our company, please visit us online at www.uni-president.com.tw.

About President Chain Store Corporation

Established in 1987 and listed on Taiwan Stock Exchange in 1997, President Chain Store Corp. (PCSC) is the largest convenience store operator in Taiwan, with over 5,100 7-ELEVEN stores at the end of 2016. PCSC has diversified into other retail businesses, such as restaurant, drugstore, department store, supermarket and online shopping. Our business operation areas include Taiwan, Mainland China, the Philippines and Japan. Uni-president, the largest food and beverage company in Taiwan, is PCSC’s parent company with 45.4% ownership.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained herein are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the applicable securities laws and regulations. Generally, these statements can be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “feel,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements are based on information available to Starbucks as of the date hereof, and Starbucks actual results or performance could differ materially from those stated or implied, due to risks and uncertainties associated with its business. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the failure of the parties to consummate the transactions due to commercial, regulatory or other reasons, as well as general economic and industry factors such as coffee, dairy and other raw materials pricing and availability, successful execution of internal performance and expansion plans, fluctuations in U.S., Chinese and other international economies and currencies, the impact of initiatives by competitors, the effect of legal proceedings, and other risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 2, 2016. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks introduces Teavana Shaken Iced Tea Infusions

Starbucks introduces Teavana Shaken Iced Tea Infusions

 

Seattle, 2017-Jul-12 — /EPR Retail News/ — Tea cocktails. Tea-smoked duck. Green tea ice cream. The essential flavors of liquors and food are often enriched by blending or cooking with tea. For Starbucks product developers Melynda Cheng and Megan Droz, infusing “tea with tea” will yield a similar result – an iced tea beverage with an enhanced, perfectly balanced taste. According to the Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc., nearly 84 billion servings of tea were consumed by Americans last year and approximately 80 percent was iced tea. Starbucks has developed a new take on this beverage.

“You get more of a true tea experience when you flavor green, white or black tea with herbal tea made from botanicals and fruit,” said Cheng.

“Freshly steeped botanicals have subtle flavors that don’t overpower the pure and simple notes of tea, which then have a chance to shine through,” added Droz.

More than a year ago, the duo embarked on a journey to transform the way iced tea is crafted and flavored and today (July 11), Starbucks introduces Teavana® Shaken Iced Tea Infusions, containing tea, fruit and botanical blends, slightly sweetened with liquid cane sugar. These new shaken iced teas are made without artificial flavors and sweeteners and are 45 calories for a Grande-sized (16 fluid-ounce) beverage. Pineapple Black Tea, Peach Citrus White Tea and Strawberry Green Tea will be available year-round at participating Starbucks® company-operated and select licensed stores in the United States and Canada. Customers in North America can try a complimentary Tall (12 fluid-ounce) Teavana Shaken Iced Tea Infusion during “Free Tea Friday” on July 14 from 1-2 p.m.

From ideation to creation

Cheng, who was educated at New York’s Culinary Institute of America, and Droz who graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in food science, took the lead in developing the new beverages. They set out to address the growing number of Starbucks customers who order their iced tea unsweetened and explore a tea-on-tea concept to reinvent the way iced tea is flavored.

“We realized we could appeal to our tea customers looking for ways to customize their tea just as coffee drinkers do with their espresso beverages,” said Cheng. “Unlocking tea from sweetness and honing in on flavor was one way to achieve this goal.”

Droz and Cheng began investigating flavor combinations when infusing tea with botanicals and fruit.

“We tried hundreds of combinations,” said Droz. “We know when flavor notes are complementary after tasting so many beverages and food over the years as part of our work. We identified flavors that stood out against tea as well as those that were buried by it.”

Informed by Teavana’s history in blending premium loose-leaf teas and inspired by three customer-favorite teas, Pineapple Kona Pop® Herbal Tea, Strawberry Paraiso White Tea and Peach Tranquility® Herbal Tea, Cheng, Droz and their team spent five months developing the perfect flavors. Ultimately, they landed on three varieties of Teavana Shaken Iced Tea Infusions that customers can now find at participating Starbucks® stores.

“The fruit and botanical blends of pineapple, peach citrus and strawberry take the place of sweeteners for a lighter mouthfeel and more delicate flavor than other iced tea beverages,” said Droz. “It’s possible to mix and match the different infusions because the flavors are all complementary to our core Teavana black, green, herbal and white teas.”

Customers can choose to customize any iced tea beverage with the flavors of pineapple, peach citrus or strawberry by asking their barista to create a beverage specific to their taste preferences.

Spreading the ‘good’ news

To support the introduction of the new Teavana Shaken Iced Tea Infusions, Starbucks will launch a multi-faceted advertising campaign under the theme “Good Feels Good” that will be shared across print, online, television and digital channels starting today. The campaign celebrates and explores the universal human truth of how feeling good makes one feel.

“We are excited about the quality and innovation in our Teavana Shaken Iced Tea Infusions and wanted to create a campaign that makes people feel the way the tea makes us feel, which is really good,” said Leanne Fremar, Starbucks senior vice president and executive creative director.

Starbucks enlisted the support of prolific director Dave Meyers and music artist Perfume Genius, along with a cast of 17 people from diverse backgrounds who are representative of Starbucks baristas, customers and everyday people. Featured in the campaign are poet, artist and speaker Cleo Wade; author and artist, Dallas Clayton; and United States Marine Veteran, Kyle Carpenter. Also featured are other vets, students, artists, innovators, risk takers and those who are simply doing inspiring work.

“There are lots of ways to represent tea and from the perspective of Teavana at Starbucks, this is a creative way to express the new Teavana Shaken Iced Tea Infusions, a product line that is made with so much integrity,” Fremar said. “That’s a real differentiator for us as a brand.”

To learn more about Teavana Shaken Iced Tea Infusions and “Good Feels Good” campaign visit tea.starbucks.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks to increase its investments in agronomy and technology training to support the next generation of Colombian coffee farmers

Starbucks to increase its investments in agronomy and technology training to support the next generation of Colombian coffee farmers

 

  • In partnership with the United States Agency for International Development, Starbucks will provide skills training and technological tools to 1,000 young coffee farmers in Colombia’s post-conflict zones
  • Starbucks will contribute $2 million to a farmer loan program focused on smallholder women coffee farmers in collaboration with Inter-American Development Bank
  • Strategic investments build on Starbucks comprehensive approach to ethical sourcing and advancing efforts to make coffee the world’s first sustainable agricultural product 

Medellín, COLOMBIA , 2017-Jul-11 — /EPR Retail News/ —Building on four decades of sourcing, roasting and serving Colombian coffee worldwide, Starbucks today (July 10, 2017) announced that it will increase its investments in agronomy and technology training to support the next generation of Colombian coffee farmers. Through a new smallholder farmer loan initiative with the Inter-American Developmental Bank (IDB) directed toward a women-led coffee cooperative, and an expanded partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) aimed at helping young coffee farmers in post-conflict zones build greater resiliency and expertise, Starbucks will help create opportunities in some of Colombia’s most vulnerable coffee growing communities.

Both of these partnerships will advance the work of the Starbucks Farmer Support Center in Manizales, which the company opened in 2012 to help connect farmers with trained agronomists and technical assistance, and expand its C.A.F.E. Practices program, which is Starbucks third-party verified sustainability program developed with Conservation International more than 15 years ago. Each of these initiatives are part of the company’s comprehensive approach to ethical sourcing, an open-sourced program supporting industry efforts to make coffee the world’s first sustainable agricultural product and improve the lives of millions of coffee farmers, families and workers around the world.

“While we have always worked with the Colombian coffee community to ensure access to the right tools and information they need to maintain and grow successful businesses, there is a significant opportunity to support the next generation of coffee farmers in new ways,” said Kelly Goodejohn, director for Starbucks ethical sourcing programs. “By partnering with organizations like USAID and IDB, as well the Colombian government and the FNC, we can be even more intentional about ensuring that young men and women get more advanced technology and financial assistance to create a future for their families for generations to come”

“We support efforts like those that Starbucks is making in Colombia to work with farmers to advance sustainability, especially in post-conflict areas that need it most,” said Roberto Vélez, CEO of the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation. “Starbucks efforts to work with young farmers complements the work of the FNC and allows us to scale our impact and reach for generations to come.”

From Conflict to Prosperity: Supporting Young Coffee Farmers in Post-Conflict Zones

Coffee farmers in Colombia faced challenges maintaining their crops during the country’s 50-year civil conflict, and the Colombian government, its people and the international community are working together to provide more opportunities to communities impacted the most, and help farmers focus on coffee quality.

Starbucks and USAID, through the U.S. Embassy in Colombia, have a common goal to bring economic stability to those coffee growing communities. Since forming a public-private partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2013 with a $1.5 million investment, Starbucks has helped positively impact 20,000 farmers and expanded the collaborative program to the Tolima, Cauca, Valle and Antioquia growing regions to benefit up to 10,000 more coffee farmers. In Colombia’s North Cauca region, agronomists at the Farmer Support Center have expanded C.A.F.E. Practices to more than 1,200 indigenous coffee growers.

By extending this USAID Global Development Alliance (GDA) grant by an additional $519,000 for one more year, Starbucks will focus its support on:

  • Engaging 1,000 young coffee farmers in the country’s post-conflict zones across Cauca and Tolima
  • Offering technical assistance, agricultural training, and access to improved technologies such as laptops to help run their businesses.
  • The development of three native tree nurseries, benefiting at least 150 coffee farmers and indirectly about 1,000 people in communities across Caldas, Huila, and Cauca, through reforestation and climate resiliency programs

New Farmer Loan Program to Empower More Women Coffee Farmers in Colombia

Starbucks is also working with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to contribute to the economic and social empowerment of 2,000 women-led smallholder coffee growers in the Colombian departments (states) of Antioquia and Chocó.

This $4 million farmer loan project will include a contribution of $2 million from Starbucks Global Farmer Loan Fund (which has a commitment to distribute $50 million in farmer loans worldwide by 2020), and up to $2 million from IDB through its Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF).

“Climate change is real for these women and the farmers from the Andes region. In order to face this challenge and become more resilient, strategic investments need to happen at the farm level,” said Alejandro Escobar, Lead Operations and Investment Officer for the IDB. “This loan program implemented with Cooperandes and in collaboration with Starbucks, will enable these women farmers to invest in their coffee farms, thus making them more productive and improving their livelihoods for the long term.”

This program will establish:

  • A system for the members of the Cooperandes co-op, most whom are women, to access financing needed to enhance coffee yields and quality among member producers.
  • An opportunity to provide short and long term assistance through a unique financing model that provides low-risk loans to farmers for renovation, with complementary technical assistance being provided.
  • This innovative approach to financing brings together multiple actors within the supply chain from the supplier (COEX), the cooperative (Cooperandes) and Starbucks, who not only provides counterpart financing for the loan, but will also guarantee market access for the loan recipients, through its C.A.F.E. Practices methodology.

Starbucks Global Commitment to Ethical Sourcing

To date, Starbucks investments in coffee farming communities, with the goal of having impact on the lives of more than one million farmers, families and workers includes:

  • Ethical Sourcing Standard: 99% of coffee sourced by Starbucks has been verified as ethically sourced through its C.A.F.E. Practices standards developed with Conservation International more than a decade ago.
  • Healthy Coffee Trees:  The donation of enough funds to plant 30 million rust-resistant coffee trees with the first phase of distribution including 10 million healthy coffee trees sent to farmers in need across El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico.  More than 6,200 farming families received new coffee trees helping to rehabilitate more than 2,500 hectares of farmland and nearly 800 temporary jobs were created to support the initial distribution.
  • Farmer Financing:  Committing $50M in affordable credit for coffee farmers and cooperatives by 2020 so that farmers can reinvest in their farms.
  • Agronomy Support:  Investing $20 million in open-source agronomy through a network of eight Farmer Support Centers to train 200,000 coffee farmers by 2020, leveraging the research at Hacienda Alsacia, Starbucks global agronomy center in Costa Rica.
  • Sustainable Coffee Challenge: Founding member of The Sustainable Coffee Challenge alongside a growing coalition of industry leaders of the Sustainable Coffee Challenge, a call to action led by Conservation International to make coffee the world’s first sustainable agricultural product.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 25,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit our stores or online at news.starbucks.com and Starbucks.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks Augusta Soluble Plant to undergo a $120 million expansion

Starbucks Augusta Soluble Plant to undergo a $120 million expansion

 

Seattle, 2017-Jul-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — A $120 million expansion of the Starbucks Augusta Soluble Plant announced today (July 6, 2017) will nearly double the size of the operation and create up to 100 new jobs at the Georgia facility in the year after construction is completed.

The expansion, which will add 140,000 square feet to the current 180,000-square-foot plant, will get underway this summer and be completed in fall 2019. It is prompted by Starbucks growth and consumer demand.

The plant currently employs 185 Starbucks partners. The 80 to 100 jobs created in the year following the expansion will cover a range of positions, according to Tim Filipowski, the plant director. Currently one in six Augusta partners are armed forces veterans or military spouses.

“Because of the technical nature of our business here, we have recruited heavily for automation specialists, operators, mechanics and technicians,” said Filipowski. “Generally, the folks coming out of the service have some or all of those experiences.”

The plant maintains a close relationship with Fort Gordon, which is 20 minutes away. In addition to hosting job fairs at the base, where 12,000 soldiers are stationed, Starbucks conducts regular plant tours for service members, maintains an Adopt a Unit program and supports the annual Fisher House Golf Tournament, which generates funds to aid families of patients receiving care at military and Veterans Administration medical centers.

In 2013, Starbucks set a goal to hire 10,000 service members, veterans and military spouses by 2018. The company reached that goal earlier this year and announced a new target of 25,000 by 2025 at the Starbucks Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

A continuing investment in Augusta

Walter Sprouse, executive director of the Augusta Economic Development Authority of Richmond County, an industrial recruitment agency, said the connection between Starbucks and the Fort Gordon community is mutually beneficial.

“We have a lot of people who get out of the service after, say, three years or six years or 20 years, and these are smart people,” Sprouse said. “They’re excellent workers. About 150 a month come out of the military. Half of them go home, but the other half want to stay here. That’s 75 to 100 well-trained people per month entering the workforce. Starbucks did their research. They’ve found so many qualified workers.”

Starbucks opened the plant in Georgia’s second largest city in July 2012. It is the first company-owned facility in the world to produce Starbucks soluble products. The plant’s two roasters generate Starbucks VIA® Instant, as well as the coffee base for Frappuccino® blended beverages and many of Starbucks bottled and canned beverages. The expansion will add six new whole bean roasters, allowing the plant to offer packaged coffee to Starbucks stores and retail locations in the Northeast and Southeast United States.

Starbucks plans to add 12,000 stores globally by 2021, bringing the total number to 37,000. Last month, Starbucks announced it was expanding its Carson Valley Roasting Plant and Distribution Center in Minden, Nev. Between the two expansions, Starbucks will be investing $170 million and creating more than 200 manufacturing jobs.

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said the expansion affirms the region’s reputation as a gateway to the Southeastern market.

“As Georgia grows its reputation as the gateway to the Southeastern market, companies like Starbucks continue to strategically locate and expand operations here.” said Deal.

“This decision to expand in Augusta reflects Georgia’s ability to retain dynamic companies and support industry leaders in long-term growth. With this facility expansion, Starbucks will continue to enjoy the benefits of manufacturing in the top state for business, while creating new jobs in the Augusta area, including additional opportunities for veterans. We value our continued relationship with Starbucks and look forward to the company’s continued success in Georgia.”

“This is a further testament to the skilled workforce in our community,” said Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr. “We’re very pleased to have this commitment to continued investment by Starbucks.”

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks Reserve® bar makes debut in Chile; the first in Latin America

Starbucks Reserve® bar makes debut in Chile; the first in Latin America

 

Seattle, 2017-Jun-26 — /EPR Retail News/ — A mural evokes Santiago’s city life. Ceilings and walls exude the warmth of Aromo wood from Chile’s Maule Region. Local marble represents the ancient caves of Patagonia.

It took Starbucks designer Jeremiah Bailey and his team more than a year to bring the space to life, and now in Santiago, Chile’s vibrant culture is on display at the first Starbucks Reserve® bar in Latin America.

“When designing, we try to uncover unique elements and ideas about a place through our research,” Bailey said. “We can’t be overt about it – we have to find a way to be respectful and humble about learning different cultures and then finding ways to represent them in our designs.”

“We knew that local materials would infuse the space with the DNA of Santiago to make the store feel like home.”

The new store, located in the El Golf neighborhood, features an interactive coffee bar that highlights rare, small-lot Starbucks Reserve coffees from around the world. Baristas are all certified Coffee Masters who handcraft beverages using a variety of state-of-the-art brewing techniques like siphon, Black Eagle manual espresso machines and Nitro Draft Cold Brew taps to bring out the coffees’ flavors. Customers can enjoy the classic Starbucks menu in addition to specialty beverages inspired by the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle including Sparkling Espresso with Mint and Nitro Cold Brew with Sweet Vanilla Cream. Starbucks® stores with Reserve coffee bars will make up 20 percent of the company’s global store portfolio over time.

Bringing the history of Chile to life through art

The mural, on a massive concrete wall 30 feet wide by 13 feet tall, is a focal point in the café. Bailey found the work of Nicolas Arroyo online and knew right away that his artistic style could tell Chile’s story.

“There is a distinct graphic quality in Santiago seen particularly with street art,” he said. “Nicolas uses this same style, which features bold, thick lines. I had a strong sense that his work would resonate with customers.”

Arroyo grew up in Santiago, the only child of a classical guitarist and nurse, which meant he spent a lot of time alone. He marked his home with drawings on furniture, on walls and in cabinets, which was a segue into graffiti art, which he mastered as a teenager.

Today, Arroyo owns Bespoke, a strategic and foresight design firm in Copenhagen, Denmark, and continues to create fine art, which he displays on social media and in galleries.

“I liked the concept of the mural right away and loved that it was in my hometown of Santiago. I knew that I could represent the history of Chile and many of the cultural norms and behaviors that only those who have lived in the city would know,” Arroyo said. “I now live in a country that is not my own, so when I come home to Santiago, I notice all of the changes in the city. I have an old image of the city, but I also see new things that helped me create a visual collage.”

Arroyo sketched the mural before transferring his work, using Posca markers from Japan for the outline and metallic copper paint to introduce color.

“Given that Starbucks is an international brand, it’s important that the company’s stores have a sense of something local to provide that local context,” Arroyo said. “When you live in a place, you sometimes take it for granted. Santiago is a wonderful city. It’s beautiful and I hope the mural helps remind Chileans just how beautiful it really is.”

“Ultimately, the store is for the customers, but it’s also for the partners,” Bailey said, referring to Starbucks employees in the store. “It was so wonderful to watch partners look around the space for the first time and see their eyes light up. It’s now their new home and they have the chance to bring it to life.”

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks adds summer fruit flavors in their latest colorful Frappuccino blended Crème beverages

Starbucks adds summer fruit flavors in their latest colorful Frappuccino blended Crème beverages

 

Seattle, 2017-Jun-21 — /EPR Retail News/ — Summer fruits that are as vibrant in color as they are sweet, tangy and juicy in taste were the inspiration for Starbucks newest Frappuccino blended beverages. Starting today (June 20) Starbucks is featuring a variety of succulent, summer fruit flavors in their latest colorful Frappuccino blended Crème beverages.

Berry Prickly Pear Frappuccino® blended Crème beverage

A mango Frappuccino blended Crème is poured over a strawberry and prickly pear fruit puree which, in addition to strawberry, also features subtle notes of hibiscus, passionfruit and lime. The drink is finished with another layer of berry prickly pear fruit puree for a beautifully layered blended beverage.

“Prickly pear has a similar taste to tropical melon and berry, and we found that it pairs really well with strawberries,” said Jennica Robinson from the Starbucks beverage development team. “This Frappuccino is made without whipped cream, so the fruit flavors and bright colors really shine through.”

Mango Pineapple Frappuccino® blended Crème beverage

This drink starts with a mango Frappuccino blended Crème, poured over a mango-pineapple puree, which displays tropical flavors of juicy mango, pineapple and a hint of lime. It is finished with another layer of mango pineapple puree for additional fruit flavor.

“The mouthwatering fruit puree forms ribbons of bright color throughout the Frappuccino, creating creamy and fruity layers of flavor as you sip the beverage,” said Robinson.

Customers will find these new exciting Frappuccino beverages at Starbucks® stores in the U.S. and Canada starting today (June 20) and for a limited time this summer while supplies last.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks to raise fund for Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation

Starbucks to raise fund for Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation

 

Seattle, 2017-Jun-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks is partnering with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation to spread a simple message – be kind.

Starting tomorrow (June 13), Starbucks will donate 25 cents from each one of its colorful Cups of Kindness beverages sold at participating Starbucks® stores in the United States and Canada through June 19 to Born This Way Foundation. Funds raised will go toward programs that support youth wellness and empowerment by fostering kindness, improving mental health resources, and creating more positive environments.

“We’re healthier and happier when we live our lives with compassion and our communities are stronger when we treat one another with generosity and respect,” said Lady Gaga. “Born This Way Foundation and I are so excited to partner with Starbucks to help inspire positivity and love through the Cups of Kindness collection.”

Cups of Kindness Collection

The new Starbucks Cups of Kindness collection features four vivid iced beverages hand-picked by Lady Gaga, including the new Matcha Lemonade and Violet Drink. The refreshing, nondairy drinks come in a rainbow of colors and are all under 150 calories for a grande size.

“I adore the entire collection and I instantly fell in love with the Matcha Lemonade,” she said.

New Matcha Lemonade:  This vibrant green drink is made with finely ground Teavana® matcha green tea, combined with crisp lemonade then shaken with ice to create a refreshingly sweet, delicious drink.

New Violet Drink: The sweet blackberries and tart hibiscus of Very Berry Hibiscus Starbucks Refreshers™ Beverage swirl together with creamy coconutmilk and ice, creating a refreshing (and violet-hued) sip.

Ombré Pink Drink: A refreshing beverage that combines light, fruity Cool Lime Starbucks Refreshers™ Beverage with cool, creamy coconutmilk and a splash of Teavana® Shaken Iced Passion Tango™ Tea and a lime wheel, for a bright burst of hibiscus notes.

Pink Drink: A light and refreshing beverage that features the sweet strawberry flavors of Strawberry Acai Refreshers with accents of passion fruit and acai combined with coconutmilk, and topped with a scoop of strawberries. Included in Cups of Kindness collection in United States only.

“Over the years we’ve admired the amazing work that Lady Gaga has led through Born This Way Foundation,” said Holly Hinton, director of Music and Artist Programming. “We are proud to introduce the Cups of Kindness collection to raise awareness and fund the Foundation’s efforts to spread kindness, support youth and make the world a better place.”

One program that will benefit from the Cups of Kindness initiative is Born This Way Foundation’s Channel Kindness, a platform featuring stories of kindness as documented by young people from around the United States. These youth reporters, ages 16 to 24, have been recruited to identify and document the acts of generosity, compassion, and acceptance that shape communities.

Starbucks has committed to a minimum $250,000 contribution to Born This Way Foundation.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks launches three Frappuccino blended beverages at participating Starbucks® stores across Asia

Starbucks launches three Frappuccino blended beverages at participating Starbucks® stores across Asia

 

Seattle, 2017-Jun-06 — /EPR Retail News/ — Blended coffee pudding. Jelly in a Frappuccino. A drinkable banana split. A great beverage isn’t always just about taste. It can be a whole sensory experience including a tantalizing aroma and appealing appearance. And for customers across Asia, now it can also be about a wider range of unique textures.

Starbucks is introducing today (June 6) three Frappuccino blended beverages that are fun twists on classic tea and coffee favorites infused with unexpected ingredients. The new beverages are available for a limited time at participating Starbucks® stores across Asia. They include:

Starbucks® Irish Cream Coffee Pudding Frappuccino® blended beverage: A coffee pudding base is infused with rich Irish Cream flavor, then topped with fluffy espresso whipped cream and finely ground espresso powder.

Starbucks® Matcha Earl Grey Jelly Frappuccino® blended beverage: A bright layer of green tea gives this beverage its distinctive summer color, and traditional Earl Grey tea is transformed into a delightful jelly layer and finished with fluffy whipped cream and Matcha powder.

Starbucks® Banana Split Frappuccino blended beverage®: Like a drinkable ice cream sundae, this beverage combines sweet strawberry whipped cream and refreshing banana and mocha, which is blended and topped with a fluffy vanilla whipped cream. Chunky and crunchy waffle pieces complete this nostalgic summer treat.

“We experimented with different combinations of flavors to create new sensory experiences,” said Michele Waits, vice president, Marketing & Category, Starbucks Asia Pacific. “The striking layers, textures and flavors make each Starbucks Frappuccino distinctive.”

“That’s something that consumers across Asia report they appreciate,” said Davina Patel, global food and drink analyst at Mintel, the global market intelligence agency.

“And while it seems that consumers in Asia Pacific are demanding for more rich flavors, as reflected in Mintel’s 2017 Global Food and Drink Trend, ‘In Tradition We Trust’, they are also finding comfort in modernized updates of age-old formulations, flavors and formats.”

““According to Mintel Global New Products Database, Asia Pacific accounted for 88 percent of all global drink launches between 2012 and 2016 that feature the words ‘chewy’ or ‘jelly, making it the most active region for drinks that come with a bite,” she said. “In addition, there seems to be a growing demand for more rich and indulgent flavors within the region and as such, cream flavors have really started to play on that need.”

Availability of these beverages vary by country. More information can be found on Starbucks.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks introduces new ready-to-drink Starbucks Iced Latte in Salted Caramel Mocha

Starbucks introduces new ready-to-drink Starbucks Iced Latte in Salted Caramel Mocha

 

Seattle, 2017-Jun-06 — /EPR Retail News/ — When Starbucks® served its very first espresso beverages in 1984, the Caffè Latte was a beverage unfamiliar to most Americans. But it quickly became a customer favorite with its rich espresso balanced with steamed milk and a light topping of foam.

Now Starbucks is bringing customers a new way to enjoy the beverage and Starbucks high-quality arabica coffee with its new ready-to-drink Starbucks Iced Latte, available in Salted Caramel Mocha for a limited time. This is the first Starbucks single-serve ready-to-drink iced latte. It features cocoa and toffee notes intertwined with hints of sea salt, bold espresso and creamy milk. The Salted Caramel Mocha flavor is inspired by the seasonal customer favorite, the handcrafted Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha served at Starbucks stores.  The new Starbucks Iced Latte Salted Caramel Mocha begins shipping to grocery retailers nationwide starting today.  Starbucks Iced Latte will roll-out in other delicious limited-time flavors throughout the year.

Caffè Latte at Home

Starbucks also makes it easy to enjoy smooth and creamy Caffè Latte at home with K–Cup® pods, Caffè Latte Verismo® pods and Starbucks VIA® Instant. Available in select Starbucks stores, grocery and online.

Caffè Latte K–Cup pods: The sweet creaminess of dairy and flavor complement 100% arabica coffee in our Caffè Latte K-Cup® pods. Available in Caramel, Vanilla, and Mocha.

Caffè Latte Verismo pods: A shot of dark, caramelly Starbucks® Espresso Roast meets a Starbucks milk pod, using the Verismo® System.

Starbucks VIA Instant Latte: This everyday instant indulgence features Starbucks® coffee and delicious flavors. Available in Vanilla, Caffè Mocha and Caramel.

Verismo System by Starbucks: This single cup brewing system allows customers to craft Starbucks® brewed coffee, espresso, and caffè lattes consistently and conveniently, one cup at a time with the push of a button. The Verismo® Milk Frother makes it possible to craft Starbucks beverages with hot or cold frothed milk for a Starbucks Experience at home.

North America Coffee Partnership

More than twenty years ago, Starbucks and PepsiCo started the North America Coffee Partnership and launched Starbucks® Bottled Frappuccino® chilled coffee drink. What started out as a nascent category has grown to be more than 40 ready-to-drink Starbucks beverages and more than $2 billion in retail business.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks to expand distribution portion of its Carson Valley Roasting Plant and Distribution Center in Minden, Nevada

Starbucks to expand distribution portion of its Carson Valley Roasting Plant and Distribution Center in Minden, Nevada

 

Seattle, 2017-Jun-05 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks operations in Nevada’s Carson Valley plans to grow substantially over the next year with the addition of 700,000 square feet to the distribution portion of the Starbucks Carson Valley Roasting Plant and Distribution Center in Minden, Nev. The expansion will bring nearly 100 new jobs to the location in the first year after completion, bringing the distribution workforce to nearly 350.

A June 7 ceremonial groundbreaking kicks off the $50 million project, which will wrap up in summer 2018. Only the distribution portion of the 341,000-square-foot building will be enlarged, allowing Starbucks to increase capacity and streamline regional sourcing. The roasting side of the operation will be unchanged.

“We serve all of California, Nevada and Utah, as well as parts of Arizona and Asia Pacific,” said Todd McCullough, director of distribution at the facility. “We do everything here from coffee to syrups to behind-the-bar supplies.”

McCullough, who has worked at the Carson Valley Roasting Center and Distribution Center since it opened in 2003, said the expansion will create a range of new jobs for managers, supervisors, coordinators and distribution partners.

Lisa Granahan, economic vitality manager for Douglas Country, where the distribution center is located, said Starbucks provides vital balance in a local economy where a third of the workforce holds lower-paying tourism and leisure positions.

“It’s been a target of the country and our Economic Vitality Program to grow more of the industrial sector,” said Granahan. “We’re just extremely pleased to see Starbucks expansion and the additional jobs, and further diversification of our community. I also believe this could bolster the number of working families in our community. We have seen a decline in our school system over the years. We’d just really love to see our school numbers rise again.”

The Carson Valley facility is also the site of the first Starbucks Inclusion Academy. Launched in 2014, it provides six weeks of training to help individuals with disabilities gain meaningful work experience in manufacturing, warehousing and distribution.

Its success has prompted Starbucks to expand the program to the York Distribution Center in York, Penn., in 2015 and launch the Starbucks Retail Inclusion Academy in Baltimore in April. McCullough said 27 members of the Inclusion Academy’s eight graduating classes have been hired by Starbucks and expansion will create additional job opportunities for grads.

“We think the Inclusion Academy is outstanding,” said Granahan.

Starbucks was named Business of the Year for Douglas County in 2016. Granahan said Starbucks earned the honor for a variety of reasons, including its growth, benefits programs, sustainability efforts and ongoing connection with the area.

“Starbucks has made an impact from a community involvement perspective, volunteering thousands of hours and making other sizable donations to local nonprofits,” said Douglas County Manager Lawrence Werner. “It is safe to say other businesses that are considering locating in the county take note of Starbucks decision to be here.”

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks to open in Dallas, TX and Trenton, NJ as part of its initiative to invest in underserved communities across the U.S.

Starbucks to open in Dallas, TX and Trenton, NJ as part of its initiative to invest in underserved communities across the U.S.

 

  • Starbucks new stores in Dallas, TX and Trenton, NJ are part of the company’s strategy to invest in at least 15 underserved communities across the U.S. by 2018
  • Similar stores are open in Ferguson, MO; Englewood in Chicago; East Baltimore; Phoenix and Long Beach, CA; three more locations to open in 2017 in Birmingham, Seattle and Miami

DALLAS, TX and TRENTON, NJ, 2017-May-25 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks today (May 23, 2017) announced two new locations in Dallas, TX and Trenton, NJ in its national initiative to invest in at least 15 underserved communities across the U.S. by 2018. In Dallas, the company will join the ongoing redevelopment and revitalization of the iconic Red Bird shopping district in southern Dallas with a unique new store aimed at creating economic opportunities by hiring locally, providing in-store training opportunities for youth, and working with local minority owned businesses. The store in Trenton, NJ, located downtown on South Warren Street, will have a similar mission in the community when it opens in late 2017. Six such Starbucks® stores have already opened in Ferguson, MO, central Phoenix, the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, NY, Englewood in Chicago’s Southside, East Baltimore, and Long Beach, CA, demonstrating that long-term investment in underserved communities can help drive opportunities for Starbucks business and the community.

Creating Economic Opportunities in Southern Dallas

Starbucks plans to work with local women- and minority owned contractors for the construction of its upcoming Red Bird store, and is evaluating minority owned suppliers in southern Dallas for a locally sourced product to feature in the café. Set to open in Spring 2018, the company hopes the new store will help spotlight local businesses, support their growth, and invest in the community. The Red Bird Starbucks will also be the first in the Dallas metropolitan area to have a unique in-store training space. Working with a local nonprofit organization, Starbucks will provide southern Dallas youth the opportunity to take part in a free multi-week job skills training program – based on Starbucks own renowned customer service curriculum. When trainings are not in session, the room will be available for local groups to use for meetings and dialog – serving as a vital hub for members of the community.

“While parts of southern Dallas continue to lack economic opportunity, there is a robust potential customer base, and a strong business and community led movement underway to revitalize those parts of the area that need it most,” said Traci York, regional vice president for South Central Operations for Starbucks. “We want to be a part of this effort, and show that with meaningful investment and a creative business model that reflects the needs of the community, we can create the kinds of economic opportunities that have the potential to generate long-term impact. This is both an opportunity to grow our business by reaching new customers, and to be part of a local solution for social change.”

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings added, “Starbucks is known for being a great corporate citizen and today’s announcement is a prime example of why.  But make no mistake about it: Starbucks is not opening a store in Red Bird for charity.  They recognize an unmet demand and they are investing in southern Dallas. This is what GrowSouth has long been about. Thank you, Starbucks, for your vision and leadership.”

Starbucks plans to work with local women- and minority owned contractors for the construction of the Red Bird store, and is evaluating minority owned suppliers in southern Dallas for a locally sourced product to feature in the café. In this way, the company hopes to shine a light on local businesses, support their growth, and invest in the community.

The Starbucks initiative is closely aligned with Red Bird owner Peter Brodsky’s broader vision to support the community, drive business investment in the area, create local jobs, and bring quality entertainment, dining and shopping options to southern Dallas.

“This Starbucks store represents exactly what we are trying to accomplish at Red Bird by providing a high-quality amenity to southern Dallas residents and simultaneously investing in the community to make a difference,” said Brodsky. “Starbucks is an ideal partner for the Red Bird development – a company with a first-class product, first-class service, and a deep commitment to the communities where it does business. I am proud to welcome Starbucks to Red Bird.”

Dallas Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Erik Wilson added, “It is a very exciting time for District 8, Red Bird, and Starbucks. Starbucks will have a new home at Red Bird coming soon. Red Bird and Starbucks represent a major economic turnaround in Dallas. We can see them all come to life, but it takes dedicated individuals and partnership from the community to help achieve its goals.”

For Starbucks, the store at Red Bird marks an important milestone in a series of initiatives the company is championing to create greater economic opportunities for young people in Dallas. An estimated 13% of youth in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area are unemployed, a challenge that is compounded in southern Dallas where 25% of youth are not in school or employed[1]. Most recently on May 19, as part of Starbucks broader nationwide commitment to hire at least 100,000 Opportunity Youth – 16-24-year-olds who face barriers to employment and opportunity – by 2020, the company worked with more than 50 top U.S. companies to host the Dallas Opportunity Fair – an unprecedented, day-long, free job fair that brought together nearly 2,000 youth to interview with more than 30 employers including Starbucks, JCPenney, FedEx, HMS Host, Walmart, Macy’s, Pizza Hut and more. With hundreds of on-the-spot job offers – it was Texas’ largest hiring event ever geared towards young people who are disconnected from the Dallas economy, many from neighborhoods in southern Dallas.

First Starbucks in Trenton, NJ Part of National Initiative to Support Economic Revitalization

Starbucks is proud to also announce its first store in Trenton, NJ. Located on South Warren Street in downtown Trenton, the store, like the location planned in southern Dallas, is part of the company’s latest initiative to deepen investment in underserved neighborhoods in at least 15 communities by 2018. The goal is to contribute to ongoing economic development and revitalization in low to medium-income communities and create job opportunities for local youth. Starbucks is currently evaluating local minority owned vendors in the community to supply product for the store, and nonprofit organizations in the community to support its in-store job training program for opportunity youth. The store is expected to open in late 2017.

“We considered the impact Starbucks could have in this part of Trenton, and whether it would be a viable site in terms of driving our business and being profitable, while also serving the needs of the community with new jobs and economic investment,” said Camille Hymes, regional vice president for Mid-Atlantic Operations for Starbucks. “Both of those considerations – community impact and impact on business –led to this site being right for us. We could not be more proud of opening our very first Starbucks store in Trenton. As a Trenton native, this is undoubtedly a deeply personal project for me, and my team and I look forward to working with the community as we get ready to open later this year.”

Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson added, “Starbucks will be a welcome addition as we continue revitalizing our downtown business corridor. Through this store’s unique model of investing in local contractors, suppliers and youth, Starbucks is stepping up and investing in our community in a way that will open up exciting opportunities for all. We hope more businesses will appreciate Trenton’s resurgence as we work together to drive economic development locally.”

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Jen Gotch and Starbucks introduce their ban.do + Starbucks® Designer Collection

Jen Gotch and Starbucks introduce their ban.do + Starbucks® Designer Collection

 

Seattle, 2017-May-16 — /EPR Retail News/ — When Jen Gotch traveled to Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan, during a week-long vacation last summer, she was captivated by the people, architecture and aroma of the city, which provided inspiration for a project she was working on back home in Los Angeles.

“From the culture to the five-story art stores, floral-shaped cotton candy, rich history and traditions, it was everything I thought it would be and more,” she said. “I knew that I would come back someday to explore other countries in Asia.”

Just two months before her trip, Gotch, the Chief Creative Officer of the prominent lifestyle brand ban.do, a design house that creates everything from clothes to jewelry to 3-D iPhone cases, had received an unexpected call from Starbucks to collaborate on a merchandise collection for the company’s stores across Asia.

“I was extremely excited to get the call to work with Starbucks,” she said. “It was definitely cool that the project coincided with my first trip to Asia.”

After only two months of working together, trading design themes, patterns, color selections and packaging ideas, Gotch and Starbucks are introducing their ban.do + Starbucks® Designer Collection, available at participating Starbucks® stores across Asia starting May 16, while supplies last. The limited-edition merchandise includes drinkware and accessories with bright, colorful designs inspired by tropical vibes, laid-back vacation fun and a retro Los Angeles beachside look and feel.

“We admire the ban.do brand for its vibrant and playful merchandise,” said Michele Waits, vice president of marketing & category for the China and Asia Pacific region. “We had a strong feeling that working with Jen and her team would result in a special collection of items for our customers to enjoy.”

Options in the collection

Customers can select merchandise with three lively design patterns: Tropical Floral, showcasing delicate, hand-painted flowers, Good Times, which captures the feeling of cheerful summertime days and Beach Stripe, which highlights a classic retro poolside aesthetic. The collection includes:

ban.do + Starbucks® Double Walled Mugs: These 12-ounce, New Bone China, double-walled mugs, feature plastic crescent lids with real gold hand-painted rims. The double-walled construction keeps beverages hot or cold and reduces condensation to keep hands dry. They are available in the Tropical Floral and Good Times designs.

ban.do + Starbucks Cold Cups: Each cup holds 16 ounces of cold liquid and is available in both Tropical Floral and Good Times designs. The double-walled construction keeps beverages cold and reduces condensation.

ban.do + Starbucks Lifestyle Accessories: Tropical Floral, Good Times and Beach Stripe designs are featured on canvas totes, coasters, pencil pouches, luggage tags, passport holders, notebooks and cold to-go lids.

“All of the designs were based on the idea that we were bringing a little slice of L.A. sunshine to the other side of the world,” said Gotch. “Each design is compelling on its own, but they also complement one another and work great as a set.”

Introducing fashion designers to Starbucks customers

Gotch founded ban.do with her friend, Jamie Coulter, in 2008. With no prior business experience, they transformed it from a small vintage hair accessories company into a multimillion dollar brand. Gotch said the partnership with Starbucks works well since the two companies share similar values.

“Some of our core values are togetherness, nostalgia and fun, all values we feel are aligned with Starbucks mission,” said Gotch. “We’re also super passionate about our products and focus on connecting with our customers to create a welcoming community for them.”

Starbucks has a history of working with up and coming designers. The company collaborated with the acclaimed French fashion house Paul & Joe to develop a 2016 and 2017 spring collection of mugs, tumblers and totes. In 2013, alice + olivia contributed designs for Starbucks winter holiday and earlier this year, helped the company with its Valentine’s Day merchandise.

“By working with acclaimed fashion designers, we hope to inspire our customers and further connect them with our brand,” said Waits. “What better way to kick off the summer season and put a smile on customers’ faces this year than with the fresh and fun ban.do limited-edition collection?”

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks celebrates journey in Canada over the past 30 years

Starbucks celebrates journey in Canada over the past 30 years

 

Seattle, 2017-May-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — When Starbucks first store in Canada opened its doors for the first time on March 1, 1987, its success was anything but assured.

“In Seattle, we were well established, everybody knew us whether they drank our coffee or not. But quickly we learned how little Vancouver knew about Starbucks,” said Dave Olsen, a 27-year Starbucks partner who became senior vice president of culture and leadership development before he retired in 2013.

For its first 15 years, Starbucks had been a retailer of whole-bean coffee, where customers could buy, hand-scooped coffee in brown bags to brew at home. But Starbucks executive chairman Howard Schultz had a different vision, and he teamed up with Olsen to launch new Italian-style cafés. After opening two successful bars in downtown Seattle, they turned their eyes north to Vancouver to prove their concept.

Their first location would be at Waterfront Station, a grand old rail building that had recently been converted into the downtown terminus for SeaBus passenger ferry and the new SkyTrain. Week after week, Olsen drove his pickup truck over the border to interview store manager candidates and baristas, and get the equipment set up and installed. He trained the new partners, teaching not only the craft of coffee but also sharing the company’s culture and values.

“Those first stores were like children,” Olsen said. “You hope for the best for them, and you worry about every little detail.”

The early days were nerve-wracking.

“We had thought our location was very conspicuous,” Olsen said. “But it was only 600 square feet, and you could walk by us in three steps. Our customer count was about 220 on our first day. A good start, but not quite where we needed to be.”

But before long, the store began to attract a loyal following. Word got around.

“The baristas who opened our first store were terrific. They were really interested and attentive to the coffee and the customers. And the customers were also very appreciative of our efforts. Those are the two essential ingredients for success – the people behind the counter, and willing and discerning customers on the other side,” he said.

Two years later, the company opened a larger café nearby on Robson Street, which quickly became the busiest store in the company. Starbucks in British Columbia continued to grow, and served as a springboard for its expansion to Toronto in 1996, Saskatchewan in 1998, and on to Quebec and Atlantic Canada in 2000.

There are now more than 1,400 stores across Canada, and the SeaBus store has become a tourist attraction in its own right.

“People know we’re the first Starbucks store here and they take photos – we’ll pose for them, make it fun,” said Trevor Fitzgerald, a 22-year partner and store manager of the SeaBus Starbucks. “We’re close to the cruise ships, and get customers who are traveling from all over the world. For many, this could be their first trip to Canada, and we love that they can have an experience with us.”

Now, just a short ride on the SkyTrain from Canada’s first store, Starbucks is opening its doors to one of its new store experiences. The Starbucks store in Mount Pleasant is Vancouver’s first to feature an immersive Starbucks Reserve® coffee bar, bringing connection and theater to the company’s rare, small-lot Starbucks Reserve® coffees. The expansive bar features state-of-the-art brewing techniques; siphon, Black Eagle, Clover® brewed and ceramic pour-over as well as featuring Nitro Draft taps.

“This new experience places coffee craft at the center of the conversation,” said Caroline Ternes, vice president, Starbucks Western Canada. “We are thrilled to offer our customers an elevated experience where they can share in our partners’ passion and expertise.”

Reflecting on the company’s journey in Canada over the past 30 years, longtime partner Lisa Essinger, Starbucks Canada’s vice president for operations and licensed stores, sums it up this way:

“While the culture has evolved, the core of it around connection and humanity hasn’t changed,” Essinger said. “That’s what we’ve always been about.”

MEDIA CONTACT:

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Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks Expands Caribbean Presence With First Store in Jamaica

Starbucks Expands Caribbean Presence With First Store in Jamaica

 

Starbucks has granted Caribbean Coffee Traders Limited the exclusive rights to develop and operate stores in Jamaica

SEATTLE and KINGSTON, Jamaica, 2017-May-08 — /EPR Retail News/ —Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) today (May 4, 2017) announced it has entered a geographic licensing agreement with Caribbean Coffee Traders Limited, a consortium led by Margaritaville Caribbean Group, a leading restaurant management and franchise operator in the Caribbean. The agreement grants Caribbean Coffee Traders the exclusive rights to own and operate Starbucks® stores in the country. Jamaica will be Starbucks 17th market in the Latin America and Caribbean region, with the first store slated to open in Montego Bay.

“Jamaica is a country blessed with a rich culture and heritage, particularly with its locally-grown and world renowned Blue Mountain coffee, which Starbucks has sourced as a specialty offering for over 40 years,” said Ricardo Rico, Starbucks general manager and vice president for Latin America operations. “We are delighted to build on this legacy and continue our expansion into the Caribbean by introducing the Starbucks Experience in Jamaica for the first time. As we position the brand for continued growth, we are proud to add Caribbean Coffee Traders to our strong network of licensing partners and leverage their proven market capabilities to reach new customers.”

Starbucks® stores in Jamaica will be operated by Caribbean Coffee Traders Limited, a joint venture between Ian Dear, Chief Executive Officer of Margaritaville Caribbean Group and Adam Stewart, who is also Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sandals Resorts International. Margaritaville Caribbean Group currently operates restaurant, entertainment and tour concepts throughout the Caribbean, and provides complete, multi-branded food and beverage experiences for major Caribbean tourism hubs. Margaritaville Caribbean Group’s brand portfolio includes a diverse collection of proprietary brands, international franchises, casual dining concepts, themed bars and popular quick service restaurants, including Wendy’s, Dominos, Dairy Queen, Quiznos, Auntie Annie’s, Cinnabon, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Nathan’s. The group employs over 1,000 people throughout the region.

“We are thrilled to welcome Starbucks, a globally recognized brand, to Jamaica. Leveraging our knowledge of the local market, we will deliver upon the Starbucks Experience and create a global platform for Jamaica’s locally-grown and Blue Mountain© coffee.” said Ian Dear, Chief Executive Officer of Margaritaville Caribbean Group. “Our organizations share similar values, including our dedication to the customer experience, commitment to our crew members, and responsible corporate citizenship.”

For more than 45 years, Starbucks has built its brand by delivering a consistent, authentic in-store experience to customers around the globe that is rooted in high-quality arabica coffee and engaged, knowledgeable baristas. Since launching the brand in Latin America, Starbucks has grown to over 1,000 stores across 16 markets, 15 of which are operated by trusted licensing partners. In the Caribbean, Starbucks licensees currently operate 43 stores across Aruba, the Bahamas, Curacao, Puerto Rico, and most recently, Trinidad and Tobago. Jamaica will become the company’s sixth market in the Caribbean region.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 25,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit our stores or online at news.starbucks.com and Starbucks.com.

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Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks Rewards Loyalty Program Introduces New Way to Earn Stars in the Grocery

Starbucks Rewards Loyalty Program Introduces New Way to Earn Stars in the Grocery

 

Seattle, 2017-May-08 — /EPR Retail News/ — Members of Starbucks Rewards™ loyalty program have a new way to earn Stars as the program expands down the grocery aisle to now include Starbucks® K-Cups® Packs and ready-to-drink beverages.

The expansion more than triples the number of products eligible for Stars through the Starbucks Rewards™ loyalty program at grocery, where customers can now earn Stars on a wide range of Starbucks® K-Cup® Packs, individual ready-to-drink Starbucks®  beverages and Starbucks® Multi-Serve Chilled Coffees in addition to Starbucks® packaged roast & ground coffee, Starbucks VIA® Instant Coffee, and Starbucks VIA Instant Refreshers TM beverages.  Stars collected on eligible products are added to Starbucks Rewards™ members’ accounts and can be used to redeem Rewards at participating Starbucks® retail locations. To learn how to sign up for Starbucks Rewards™ and earn Stars in the grocery aisle, visit starbucks-stars.com and a full list of qualifying products can be found at https://members.starbucks.com/#in-grocery.

Through Starbucks Rewards™, members earn Stars for eligible purchases of coffee, food, drinks and merchandise, by registering a Starbucks Card or downloading the Starbucks® Mobile App.  After registration, members begin earning Stars and receive benefits including a free birthday beverage; free same-day in-store refills; and access to Mobile Order & Pay, which lets customers order and pay for their beverage via mobile device, prior to arriving at their selected, participating store.

After earning 300 Stars, customers reach Gold status. Gold members earn Rewards (a free drink or food item from the menu*) for each additional 125 Stars they collect. They also receive additional benefits including a Starbucks Gold-colored Card with their name on it, and access to exclusive perks like Double-Star Days.

Since its introduction in 2009, Starbucks Rewards™ loyalty program has allowed the company to introduce new ways and platforms to stay connected with customers. Starbucks has continued to evolve and expand the program to offer even more benefits to customers. More information about Starbucks Rewards can be found at https://members.starbucks.com/.

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SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks partners will be among the people that grow, harvest and produce the coffee in Rwanda

Starbucks partners will be among the people that grow, harvest and produce the coffee in Rwanda

 

KIGALI, Rwanda, 2017-May-02 — /EPR Retail News/ — They came from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. For the next four days, the 35 Starbucks partners from around the world will be immersed in the origin of coffee in the East African nation of Rwanda.

They are all part of a program called the Starbucks Origin Experience, which takes Starbucks partners from behind the store counters or office desks and places them among the people that grow, harvest and produce the coffee.

The annual trips to Costa Rica, Indonesia and Rwanda, three of the world’s coffee growing regions, are designed as a bridge between what Starbucks calls “the first 10 feet” – the coffee farms themselves – and the “last 10 feet,” where a customer orders and consumes a cup.

“Just as it’s important for a partner to put a lid on a cup and connect with a customer, it’s relevant to see farm workers and producers, picking (coffee), removing defects and grading, and rotating coffee during the drying process,” said Sergio Alvarez, a senior coffee specialist for Starbucks who is serving as an educator and trip leader during the Rwanda trip.

During the Origin Experience, the partners will visit farms, tour support centers where farmers learn about sustainability, help plant coffee trees and discover how the beans are processed. They will see drying tables where the coffee is dried and raked by hand by the coffee producers, and meet the people working in the fields. It’s also a chance to experience the pride and passion many people in Rwanda share about the strides they have made in recent decades.

In 1994, a 100-day Rwandan Genocide against Tutsi and moderate Hutu killed an estimated one million people, leaving the nation devastated by catastrophic loss. Since then, Rwanda has made significant strides in its social structure, technology and importantly, reconciliation among its people.

Coffee has been a part of healing, said Starbucks partner Arthur Karuletwa, director of Traceability, Global Coffee. Karuletwa, a native Rwandan, was 17 during the genocide. With many men killed, in prison or fleeing the country, much of the cash crop industry of coffee became the work of women. Coffee has helped revive devastated communities and is providing income to a once-ravaged nation.

Starbucks multimedia journalist Joshua Trujillo is traveling with the partners and will be sharing some of what they see and experience.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
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Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Patrick Leonard: Green Direct is a way Starbucks can select what type of energy we buy, rather than that being predetermined by the utility

Patrick Leonard: Green Direct is a way Starbucks can select what type of energy we buy, rather than that being predetermined by the utility

SEATTLE, 2017-Apr-21 — /EPR Retail News/ — Every Friday, members of Starbucks Treasury and Facilities teams set aside time to watch video footage taken by a drone flying over a shimmering 260-acre construction site on what was formerly a degraded landscape in Robeson County, N.C.

Week after week since last fall, they’ve been monitoring the progress of NC-47, a sprawling solar farm Starbucks has invested in as part of a new phase in the company’s commitment to renewable energy.

“When the camera pans out, you get a sense of the scale,” said Patrick Leonard, who sources renewable energy for Starbucks stores in the U.S. and Canada. “It’s a big deal.”

NC-47 will be fully operational by mid-May, its 149,000 solar panels delivering the clean energy equivalent to the electricity powering 600 Starbucks stores in North Carolina, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Starbucks has invested in renewable energy since 2005, steadily increasing its investments in Renewable Energy Certificates to achieve a goal of obtaining 100 percent of the electricity powering global company-operated stores from renewable sources. Starbucks hit that target in 2015 and was the number one purchaser of renewable electricity in its sector on the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership Retail Top 30 in 2016.

The North Carolina facility reflects the company’s move away from energy-offset purchases only, in favor of direct engagement with the energy industry.

“The corporate sector is driving the conversation at the moment, which is a very interesting dynamic,” said Leonard. “We’re happy to partner with utilities to do this but we now also have options to engage with projects directly. For a company like Starbucks and some of the tech companies that use a lot of energy, to be able to source their needs in a positive way is a win-win. It’s also a way we can demonstrate our values.

“The investment in North Carolina has been a pilot for us. We have to test and learn. Then the goal is to take what we’ve learned and do more.”

Sam Kimmins, head of RE100, a global campaign of leading businesses Starbucks joined in 2015, praised the company and others like it for “rewriting the rulebook for energy purchasing.”

“Their dynamic, collaborative and innovative approach is setting an example for businesses and utilities across America while showing millions of customers that Starbucks is serious about slowing climate change,” said Kimmins, who is with The Climate Group, which leads the RE100 in tandem with another environmental nonprofit, CDP.

Wind-powered Starbucks in the Northwest

In Washington state, Starbucks is expanding its renewable efforts with wind power through a long-term contract with the local utility Puget Sound Energy. PSE’s Green Direct effort, an industry-leading renewable energy program for King County’s largest electric customers, will directly provide energy to power 116 Starbucks stores and the company’s roasting facility in Kent, Wash. Recently approved by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, Green Direct will ultimately produce enough energy to power nearly 30,000 homes.

“Green Direct is a way Starbucks can select what type of energy we buy, rather than that being predetermined by the utility, so we can put the money we spend on electricity into renewable energy projects,” said Leonard.

“This is actually pouring clean, green energy into the same grid that these stores are connected to,” said Rebecca Zimmer, global director of environment at Starbucks. “This represents a direct investment that’s locally relevant and provides an innovative energy purchasing model we hope to see in other communities.”

Daniel T. Schwartz, director of the University of Washington’s Clean Energy Institute, said a commitment to renewable energy by major companies like Starbucks will ultimately impact the cost of clean electricity across the board.

“Everyone responsible for building a clean energy system – from the people that permit the project to the engineers and construction labor that builds it – learn from each project, so the more renewable energy generation facilities that get built in the U.S., the cheaper they get for everyone else to buy and use,” said Schwartz. “Starbucks commitment to being on the cutting edge of clean-energy-direct purchasing is lowering the cost for every subsequent clean-energy project.”

For more information on this news release, contact the Starbucks Newsroom

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks introduces its first Unicorn Frappuccino® blended beverage

Starbucks introduces its first Unicorn Frappuccino® blended beverage

 

Seattle, 2017-Apr-19 — /EPR Retail News/ — The elusive unicorn from medieval legend has been making a comeback. Once only found in enchanted forests, unicorns have been popping up in social media with shimmering unicorn-themed food and drinks. Now Starbucks is taking the trend to a new level with its first Unicorn Frappuccino® blended beverage, available starting Wednesday, April 19, through Sunday, April 23, while supplies last.

The Unicorn Frappuccino blended crème is made with a sweet dusting of pink powder, blended into a crème Frappuccino with mango syrup and layered with a pleasantly sour blue drizzle. It is finished with vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkle of sweet pink and sour blue powder topping.

Like its mythical namesake, the Unicorn Frappuccino blended crème comes with a bit of magic, starting as a purple beverage with swirls of blue and a first taste that is sweet and fruity. But give it a stir and its color changes to pink, and the flavor evolves to tangy and tart. The more swirl, the more the beverage’s color and flavors transform.

This limited-time offering is as fleeting as a rainbow, available April 19-23, while supplies last in participating Starbucks® stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks commits to providing 100 million healthy coffee trees to farmers by 2025

Starbucks commits to providing 100 million healthy coffee trees to farmers by 2025

 

  • The company will leverage its green coffee purchase power to ensure that healthy, rust resistant coffee trees are planted – yearly –  in coffee growing regions most impacted by climate change
  • Initiative builds on the more than 25 million trees already donated to farmers in need as part of its One Tree for Every Bag Commitment
  • Expanded commitment supports The Sustainable Coffee Challenge industry goal of replanting 1 Billion coffee trees   

SEATTLE, 2017-Apr-18 — /EPR Retail News/ — Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) announced that it will make sure 100 million healthy coffee trees get into the hands of coffee farmers that need them by, 2025. This effort is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to provide comprehensive support to farmers around the world which includes open-source agronomy research, farmer financing and access to information.

This expanded commitment builds on Starbucks One Tree for Every Bag initiative which launched in September 2015, ensuring that a coffee tree is planted for every bag of coffee purchased in a participating U.S. stores. The seedlings will replace trees that are declining in productivity due to age and disease, such as coffee leaf rust which is perpetuated because of a warmer climate. More than 25 million trees have been donated thus far with the initial distribution of 10 Million having started in the summer of 2016.

“We have heard directly from farmers that healthy trees are what they need now, more than ever, so this long-term approach coupled with the right resources directly correlates to the stability of their family as well as the future of coffee,” said Cliff Burrows, group president, Global Coffee, Starbucks.

Having already built a successful tree distribution network and as one of the largest purchasers of arabica coffee, Starbucks can now integrate the purchase of healthy, rust-resistant coffee trees into its green coffee buying program. By working with long-term suppliers, the company will seamlessly ensure that a total of 10 Million coffee tree seedlings per year are available to farmers in need.

Going forward, the company will continue its relationship with supplier nurseries set up in Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador as well as look to develop new supplier nurseries in additional coffee regions that would benefit from re-planting. By integrating this into their purchasing behavior and evolving their current initiative, Starbucks expects at least 100 Million trees to get to farmers by 2025. Not only will this ensure that farmers get trees at a critical time but it will help stabilize the income of thousands of farming families.

This effort will have an amplified effect when added to the work of The Sustainable Coffee Challenge that recently announced an industry wide effort to replant 1 billion coffee trees, to ensure positive outcomes for both productivity and the environment. The Sustainable Coffee Challenge is a joint initiative of over 60 partners including corporations, governments, NGOs and research organizations working together to make coffee the first sustainable agricultural product.  A key tenet of the Challenge is to encourage partners to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing the coffee sector – both individually and via collective action. This replanting effort will be one of the organizations Collective Action Networks and in addition to Starbucks is supported by non-profits, government agencies and coffee roasters.

“Providing healthy trees to farmers in coffee-growing regions makes existing lands more productive and keeps us from expanding into forests,” said Dr. M. Sanjayan, executive vice president and senior scientist at Conservation International. “We’re proud to stand alongside Starbucks in this long-term endeavor to ensure that both livelihoods and nature around the world are vibrant and healthy.”

To date, Starbucks investments in coffee farming communities include:

Ethical Sourcing Standard: 99% of coffee sourced by Starbucks has been verified as ethically sourced through its C.A.F.E. Practices standards developed with Conservation International more than a decade ago.

Healthy Coffee Trees:  The donation of enough funds to plant 25 million rust-resistant coffee trees with the first phase of distribution including 10 million healthy coffee trees sent to farmers in need across El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico.  More than 6,200 farming families received new coffee trees helping to rehabilitate more than 2,500 hectares of farmland and nearly 800 temporary jobs were created to support the initial distribution.

Farmer Financing:  Committing $50M in affordable credit for coffee farmers and cooperatives by 2020 so that farmers can reinvest in their farms

Agronomy Support:  Investing $20 million in open-source agronomy through a network of eight Farmer Support Centers to train 200,000 coffee farmers by 2020, leveraging the research at Hacienda Alsacia, Starbucks global agronomy center in Costa Rica

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks® Waikiki store the first in Hawaii to feature a Starbucks Reserve® coffee bar

Starbucks® Waikiki store the first in Hawaii to feature a Starbucks Reserve® coffee bar

 

Seattle, 2017-Apr-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach is one of the world’s most famous beaches, known for its golden sand and stunning sunsets. Just a few blocks from the beach is an immersive coffee experience inside the Starbucks® store at the Waikiki Trade Center, in the heart of Waikiki’s shopping and entertainment district. The café is the first in Hawaii to feature a Starbucks Reserve® coffee bar, highlighting the company’s rare, small-lot Starbucks Reserve coffees.

The theater of coffee is on display from the store’s front windows, drawing customers in from the promenade with a long, low bar and a variety of eye-catching brewing methods, including manual Black Eagle espresso, pour-over, Clover® brewing system, Siphon, Chemex and Nitro Cold Brew taps. Senior designer Agnes Mandeville and design director Jon Alpert took inspiration for the design from the Starbucks Reserve® Roastery.

“When you enter the space, the first thing you see is the Reserve coffee bar. It’s a stage for the barista just like at the Roastery in Seattle,” Mandeville said.

Behind the bar is a backdrop inspired by Hawaiian flora and geography. The piece features a hand-painted flower that is a composite of a blossoming coffee plant and Hawaiian plumeria; it appears and disappears as customers move through the space. Wooden slats made from a golden ash wood, similar to those at the Roastery’s Experience Bar, are layered over the design to reveal a cutout of the eight islands of Hawaii.

The team kept the design airy and light with finishes and materials drawing from Asian and Western Pacific influences. A custom graphic mural by Hawaiian illustrator and artist Kris Goto adds energy and movement, with rolling ocean waves and landscapes, painted freehand with pen and just a little paint.

The team also found creative ways to bring Hawaii’s lush vegetation indoors. They worked with a landscape architect to incorporate air plants as living components of the design.

“Our customers here are in a different mode here than if they are in New York or Los Angeles,” Mandeville said. “We wanted to keep the design casual and relaxed to reflect Hawaii.”

The Waikiki store is one of more than 20 Starbucks stores with Reserve coffee bars, including locations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Boston. Starbucks plans to have 20 percent of its global stores include Reserve coffee bars by 2021.

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Global
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Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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Starbucks expands its mocktail offering with two new Cold Brew flavor innovations

Starbucks expands its mocktail offering with two new Cold Brew flavor innovations

 

Seattle, 2017-Apr-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — Since the Seattle Roastery first opened nearly two and a half years ago, baristas have enchanted visitors with their craftsmanship, roasting and brewing some of the rarest coffees in the world. The menu has served as a pipeline of innovation for the company with beverages such as Cascara Latte and Affogato making their way into select Starbucks® stores across the U.S.

Recently, the company introduced the Melrose to Roastery customers – a version of the Manhattan with a Cold Brew base, bitters and finished with a maraschino cherry – which quickly gained a loyal following. In months, it was included in Starbucks® stores across the U.S. with a Starbucks Reserve® Experience Bar.

Now, Starbucks has expanded its mocktail platform by introducing two new Cold Brew flavor innovations – Emerald City Mule and Cascara Lemon Sour.

Emerald City Mule

Starbucks Reserve® Cold Brew and ginger beer are infused with burnt cinnamon syrup and fresh lemon, and finished with an apple slice.

Cascara Lemon Sour

Starbucks Reserve® Cold Brew is shaken with Woodinville Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup and fresh lemon, and garnished with a luxardo cherry and Cascara sugar.

Inspired by the craft of making cocktails, these mocktails feature Starbucks Reserve® distinctively smooth Cold Brew as a base, with flavor infusions highlighting the coffee’s brightness and complexity. Customers will be immersed in a sensorial experience as baristas build the beverages using new bar tools, fresh-squeezed juice and garnishes.

“Handcrafting beverages is storytelling,” said Lincoln Bechard, a five-year partner (employee) at the Roastery. “We engage in a conversation with the customer about the beverage’s ingredients and its build as we’re making it, which develops into a community experience as other baristas and customers join the conversation.”

These beverages will be handcrafted at the Coffee Experience Bar on the lower level of the Seattle Roastery.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Global
Phone: 206 318 7100
Email: press@starbucks.com

SOURCE: Starbucks Corporation

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