Fostering positive impact in local communities: Starbucks 50th Community Store in Asia Pacific
The 50th Community Store in Asia Pacific, which is also the 1st Community Store in Hong Kong, will focus on empowering youth
From serving under-resourced communities, to empowering farmers, youth and women, and creating positive impact with local nonprofit organizations, the Starbucks Community Store Program reaffirms the brand’s commitment to inclusion and engaging local communities
Starbucks Asia Pacific announced the opening of its 50th Community Store in the Asia Pacific region on July 2nd, marking an important milestone in its ongoing journey to strengthen local community connections and positively contribute to the communities it serves.
Always more than just serving coffee, Starbucks Community Stores are at the heart of Starbucks mission to nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection.
“We are thrilled to unveil Starbucks Asia Pacific’s 50th Community Store in Hong Kong, providing a third place for youth communities in Hong Kong," said Emmy Kan, president, Starbucks Asia Pacific. “Starbucks has always stood for more than just coffee, the Starbucks Community Store Program has helped strengthen and create pathways to opportunities in the communities where we live, work, and grow. These Community Stores amplify the power of the third place, enabling our partners to connect with local communities in deeper, more meaningful ways, and drive more positive impact in the neighborhoods they know best."
The first Community Store in Asia Pacific opened in Langsuan, Bangkok, Thailand, in 2013. The Langsuan Community Store aims to make an impact through a profit-sharing model where 10 Baht (approximately 30 cents USD) from every hand-crafted beverage sold is donated to the Integrated Tribal Development Foundation (ITDF), which supports local coffee and farming communities in Northern Thailand.
Since the community store opened, Starbucks has contributed over 17 million baht (approximately $500,000 USD) to these communities. This has helped ITDF to implement initiatives ranging from providing clean drinking water, schools and facilities, to training for villagers and coffee facilitators to support hill tribe farmers in coffee quality control and C.A.F.E. practices. In 2023, Starbucks Thailand celebrated its 25th anniversary by transforming its largest store into the 2nd community store in Thailand, also supporting ITDF and Scholars of Sustenance (SOS), an NGO that focuses on fighting against food waste and hunger.
Starbucks has since opened 50 Community Stores in Asia Pacific, including in markets such as Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, working towards the goal of reaching 1,000 Starbucks Community Stores globally by 2030.
Community Stores seek to strengthen their local communities and create pathways to opportunities. In Malaysia and Indonesia, Starbucks introduced Signing Stores, dedicated to providing employment and career progression opportunities for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. These stores also serve as hubs for celebrating Deaf culture and increase awareness within the local community.
In India, Starbucks opened All Women Community Stores operated entirely by women partners (employees), to develop their skills and demonstrate their leadership in the workplace as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to empowering its female partners in meaningful ways.
Korea is home to eight Community Stores, where Starbucks Korea uplifts local communities and supports various causes, including youth education, inclusive design, and the environment. The market also has a 10-year partnership with JA Korea to provide career education, which has impacted over 18,000 students. The initiative is partially funded by the proceeds from the Community Stores.
Vietnam opened its first Community Store, the Nguyen Huu Huan Community Store, which supports the nonprofit organization REACH, providing vulnerable youth with vocational training, skills, and employment opportunities to build a better future for themselves and their families in Vietnam.
The Starbucks® Hualien Heping Community Store in Taiwan has been designed as a community-based third place that strengthens ties between residents in the neighborhood while fostering pride in the region's diverse indigenous culture. A portion of the profits from this store is donated to Hualien County Private Heping Sustainable Charity Foundation, an organization with deep roots in the area and community, to support a local emergency relief fund.
The 50th Community Store in Asia Pacific, located in Hong Kong
The 50th community store, located at the East Asia Mansion, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, is the first Community Store in the Hong Kong market with a focus on creating meaningful opportunities for youth.
Starbucks Hong Kong is partnering with Junior Achievement (JA) Hong Kong, a nonprofit organization that enables young people to learn about the world of work from volunteers' first-hand experience, and Vocational Training Council (VTC), the largest vocational and professional education and training provider in Hong Kong, to enrich the development of youth.
The new Community Store is poised to create a nurturing hub for students to gain more information about possible future careers, especially learning about the food and beverage industry through interactive workshops and career exploration programs supported by a grant from The Starbucks Foundation and a portion of the Community Stores’ sales. Students can gain hands-on learning experiences, job shadowing opportunities, and mentorship from various Starbucks partners (employees). These sessions will also be led by experienced professionals from diverse business sectors, with the aim of inspiring and developing the next generation of talents for careers in the food and beverage (F&B) industry. The initiative also aims to create a positive impact in Hong Kong’s F&B industry, where over 95% of restaurants face challenges in recruitment.
The program builds on an existing partnership between Starbucks Hong Kong and JA Hong Kong since 2014. With support from The Starbucks Foundation, the partnership has already equipped over 350 students from 21 local schools with the entrepreneurial mindset, design thinking and coding skills needed for their future since 2023.
Alan Chan, general manager, Starbucks Hong Kong and Macau said, "Apart from offering the unique Starbucks Experience, it is also our aim to dedicate our efforts to making our beloved city a better place for the future generation. The collaboration with JA Hong Kong is a testament to our dedication, we hope to empower more youth through this new Community Store, helping them to build a fulfilling career in the food and beverage industry as well as developing the skills and mindsets needed for long-term success.”
The Hong Kong Community Store offers a warm and inviting ambiance and proudly showcases a mural created by acclaimed local artist Zoie Lam with two talented Hong Kong secondary school students who excel in the arts, recommended by JA Hong Kong. Inspired by conversations on Starbucks bean-to-cup journey, the mural is a youthful interpretation that celebrates Starbucks coffee leadership, local culture, and community stories.
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