Starbucks celebrates 10 years of coffee and connections across 300 stores in India
Starbucks opens 1st Reserve store in India, celebrating 10th anniversary in the market.
Announces the opening of its first Starbucks Reserve® store at Fort Mumbai
Today, Tata Starbucks Private Limited celebrates its 10th anniversary with the opening of the first Starbucks Reserve store in India, Starbucks Reserve Fort Mumbai in Mumbai, Maharashtra. A testament to Starbucks long-term commitment to elevate the coffee experience in one of the brand’s key growth markets globally, the debut of the Starbucks Reserve store also commemorates the strong connections the brand has built with customers over the past decade.
A 50/50 joint venture between Starbucks Coffee Company and Tata Consumer Products Ltd, Tata Starbucks now operates more than 300 stores with over 3,800 partners (employees) who proudly wear the green apron, serving more than 330,000 customers in India every week. This year, Tata Starbucks marked its largest store expansion in a single year with its entry into 14 new cities.
“India is one of Starbucks fastest-growing markets and we’re proud to open our first Starbucks Reserve store in Mumbai, where our Starbucks journey began a decade ago,” said Michael Conway, group president, International and Channel Development, joining partners for the opening of the Starbucks Reserve Fort Mumbai store. “Since entering India, our green apron partners continue to deliver the iconic Starbucks Experience across the market. We look forward to serving more customers and communities through different store formats, digital acceleration, and product innovation as we continue to grow in India.”
In addition to the welcoming third place experience Starbucks is known for, the Starbucks Reserve store will further elevate the signature Starbucks Experience by introducing an intimate, multi-sensory coffee experience to customers in India.
“For 10 years, Starbucks has been elevating coffee craftsmanship and bringing unique experiences to our customers in India. We value the strong connections we have with our customers and will continue to innovate and develop to enhance India’s coffee culture,” Tata Starbucks CEO Sushant Dash added. “Starbucks Reserve is a selection of the rarest, most extraordinary coffees Starbucks has to offer, and transports customers and coffee aficionados to an immersive and personalized coffee journey. It is all about the customer experience and engagement, the story of our coffee and the craft of our baristas.”
The first Starbucks Reserve® store in India
Covering almost 5,200 square feet, the new Starbucks Reserve store is designed to bring the coffee experience to life for customers. The premium coffee experience unique to Starbucks is evident in the new Starbucks Reserve store’s stunning aesthetics. As soon as customers enter the store, they are greeted by the rich aroma of coffee and the monolithic terrazzo Starbucks Reserve bar handcrafted by local artisans. Taking center stage, the Starbucks Reserve bar is set off by renowned architect and artist Ankon Mitra’s undulating sculpture reminiscent of clouds. As customers enter beyond the twin arches, based on Mumbai’s architectural heritage with a modern color palette, they are welcomed by a vibrant floor-to-ceiling mural featuring the Starbucks Siren, created by local Mumbai artists Sonal Vasave and Makarand Narkar. The mural comes to life at the tap of a finger through augmented reality (AR) when customers scan the nearby QR code with their Instagram camera.
At the Starbucks Reserve bar, customers can enjoy a lineup of Starbucks Reserve small-lot single origin coffees, some of the most exquisite and rarest coffees in the world, including Bolivia Sol de la Mañana, Rwanda Sholi and Sumatra Kerinci brewed and served by Starbucks black apron coffee masters. With their coffee expertise, these highly trained coffee masters draw out the complexities of each beverage’s aroma and flavor profile through a variety of methods—including siphon brewing and Nitro Cold Brew, and the store also includes an innovative specialty Black Eagle espresso machine.
The Starbucks Reserve bar will also offer exclusive hand-crafted beverages Starbucks Reserve food menu. An array of stunning Starbucks Reserve merchandise will be available in India for the first time, including elegant black and gold mugs and tumblers that proudly carry the coveted Starbucks Reserve trademark.
Creating a culture of thriving
Since entering the market, Tata Starbucks has invested in the wellbeing of partners with innovative industry-leading benefits. This week, the company announced an expanded insurance option for the parents of partners, one of the most requested benefits across the market. Starting in December, baristas and shift supervisors who elect qualifying plans for their parents will have 70 percent of the premium covered by Tata Starbucks, or fully covered for eligible partners with a tenure of more than two years.
Committed to providing an inclusive and diverse working environment for its partners, Tata Starbucks achieved 100 percent pay equity for women and men in 2019, gaining recognition as one of the top 75 best workplaces for women in India by the Great Place to Work Institute. Further strengthening opportunities for women partners, in 2020, Tata Starbucks opened its first stores operated entirely by women, a first for the Starbucks brand globally. To date, the all-women store program has expanded to 15 stores across the market.
Strengthening communities across India
Across India, Tata Starbucks is committed to creating opportunities to empower and transform the lives of girls and young women through education. Each Starbucks store in the market sponsors and supports the education of a girl in primary school. In 2020, the company launched the Tata Starbucks Empowering Girls and Young Women program with non-profit organizations Educate Girls and VIDYA India. The program aims to support 2,000 young women through education, financial empowerment, and skills development.
Furthermore, Tata Starbucks and The Starbucks Foundation support the Trust for Retailers & Retail Associates of India (TRRAIN) initiative to provide vocational skills training for 1,000 young women from underserved communities who are training for careers in the retail and food and beverage industries.
