Starbucks entered the India market ten years ago with joint-venture partner Tata Consumer Product Ltd. Over a decade, Tata Starbucks has offered a warm and welcoming third place experience to partners, customers, and communities across India. Here are the top 10 things to know about Starbucks journey in India as the brand celebrates its 10th anniversary in the market. &nbsp;

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1. Tata Starbucks opened its first store in India in 2012

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An architectural celebration of India’s rich and diverse heritage, the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2012/starbucks-opens-spectacular-flagship-store-in-mumbai-honoring-the-dynamic-c/">flagship Starbucks store</a> located in the historical Elphinstone Building, Horniman Circle, Mumbai, opened its doors to customers on October 19th, 2012. The store was designed to reflect an open and eclectic design aesthetic that embraces both Starbucks coffee heritage alongside local culture and aesthetics, fostering moments of connection amidst the signature Starbucks Experience. &nbsp;After a decade-long journey of elevating coffee and connections, the Fort store has now evolved into India’s first Starbucks Reserve® Store.

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2. First Starbucks Reserve® Store in India offers a multisensory coffee experience

Covering almost 5,200 square feet, the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2022/starbucks-10-years-in-india/">new Starbucks Reserve® Store</a> is designed to bring the coffee experience to life for customers. The premium coffee experience unique to Starbucks is evident in the new Reserve Store’s multisensory aesthetics. As soon as customers enter the store, they are greeted by the rich aroma of coffee and the monolithic terrazzo Reserve bar handcrafted by local artisans. Highly-trained black apron coffee masters serve some of the most exquisite and rarest coffees in the world through a variety of brewing methods. The Starbucks Reserve® Store is an elegant and welcoming space that create unique moments of connection with our customers through the artistry of coffee.

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3. There are more than 300 Starbucks stores in India

Since opening the first Starbucks store in India in Mumbai, Tata Starbucks has continued to grow and expand to new cities. Now, Tata Starbucks operates in over 36 cities through a network of over 3,800 partners (employees). With the brand’s entry into 14 new cities in 2022, this marks Starbucks largest store expansion in a single year in India. In September 2022, Tata Starbucks passed the 300-store milestone with the opening of the first Starbucks in Dehradun city.

4. A celebration of India’s coffee heritage with two special blends

Created in honor of Starbucks first anniversary in India, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2013/starbucks-celebrates-its-first-year-in-india-with-launch-of-india-estates-b/">India Estates Blend</a> was launched in 2013. Honouring the market’s long-standing coffee heritage and its coffee growing communities, this coffee comes from the estates in Coorg and Chickmagalur—the birthplace of coffee in India. The first whole-bean coffee to be entirely sourced, roasted, and packaged in India, India Estates Blend was later joined in 2020 by Diwali blend.

<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/tata-starbucks-introduces-starbucks-diwali-blend-to-celebrate-indias-coffee-heritage/">Diwali Blend</a> was the first ever Starbucks coffee dedicated to an Indian festival and was a tribute to the region’s deep coffee heritage and expertise, made with hand-selected coffee from Valparai, Jumboor and Suntikoppa estates in the verdant hills of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The unique blend features a balanced acidity, warm notes of cocoa, a syrupy body with notes of chocolate and hints of spice and stone fruit. The package design depicts themes of light and illumination, with images of lanterns and elaborate traditional patterns.

Launching to celebrate Tata Starbucks 10th Year Anniversary is Diwali Blend – Starbucks® Blonde Roast. Hand selected from Mylemoney and Jumboor Estates in India, this bend is truly an aromatic treat and will be available for a limited time at select stores across India.

5. Plant-based innovation offers customers more lifestyle choices

As customers in India look to explore more plant-based food options, Tata Starbucks teamed up with Imagine Meats, a local plant-based meat start-up to introduce Starbucks vegan menu, which includes the Vegan Sausage Croissant Roll, Vegan Hummus Kebab Wrap,&nbsp;Vegan Croissant Bun and more. The newly-launched vegan food menu provides more options for customers, in addition to Starbucks existing beverage customization options with plant-based dairy alternatives such as almondmilk, oatmilk and soymilk. As customer interest in vegan choices continues to grow, Starbucks remains committed to introducing more delicious options for customer to choose from.

6. Customers enjoy seamless new ways to personalize their Starbucks Experience

Customers in India have more ways than ever to enjoy the Starbucks Experience, with the launch of several digital platforms and services. My Starbucks Rewards™, the Starbucks loyalty program which offers members exclusive and personalized benefits, was introduced to customers in India in 2014 and currently has over 1.3 million highly engaged members. In 2020, the brand launched its Mobile Order and Pay feature for My Starbucks Rewards™ members, allowing them to place their orders anytime, anywhere and collect their favourite Starbucks beverage on the go.&nbsp; Tata Starbucks also partnered with delivery partners Swiggy, Zomato, and e-commerce platform Flipkart, offering seamless online delivery service to customers.&nbsp; Customers on the go can also stop for a quick break to enjoy their Starbucks favorites at the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/tata-starbucks-opens-first-drive-thru-store-in-india/">Dhillon Plaza drive-thru store</a> and enjoy the added convenience of picking up their orders from their cars.

7. Tata Starbucks invests in partner wellbeing

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% the premium covered by Tata Starbucks, or fully covered for eligible partners with a tenure of more than two years.

Previously, Tata Starbucks became the first food and beverage company in India to establish a company-wide five-day work week for all partners. The company also embraces flexibility through its ‘connected workplaces’ program, where its non-retail support partners work in hybrid, field support and remote roles, and store partners can experience both part-time and full-time roles.&nbsp;

Tata Starbucks also provides meaningful opportunities and comprehensive benefits for partners including providing a graduation support program to all its full-time and part-time partners. The company offers many health and wellness programs including free mental and emotional counselling to partners and their family members, and an optional company-subsidized parental insurance program. In 2021, Tata Starbucks inaugurated the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2021/tata-starbucks-transportation-benefit/">Two-Wheeler Mobility Support Program</a> to help partners purchase a two-wheeler vehicle for professional or personal use, enhancing their independence and commuting experience.

8. An inclusive and diverse workforce with an emphasis on gender equality

Tata Starbucks is committed to empowering a diverse workforce and equal opportunity for all partners. The company has set a goal of achieving 40% gender diversity by 2022 through programs like Brew of Balance, which provides opportunities and flexible employment options for women returning to the workforce from parental leave or career breaks. In 2019, Tata Starbucks notably achieved <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2019/tata-starbucks-achieves-100-pay-equity-approaches-30-gender-diversity-milestone-in-india-aims-for-40-gender-diversity-by-2022/">100% pay equity for men and women</a>, 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, Tata Starbucks has opened 15 stores <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/women-lead-the-way-tata-starbucks-opens-two-all-women-stores-in-india/">run exclusively by women</a>, and provides safe and convenient transportation for women on select routes working later hours. To accelerate the representation of women in leadership roles, the organization has stood up corporate mentoring opportunities. This year, Tata Starbucks also introduced the Care for Caregivers program, which offers benefits like need-based transportation reimbursement support for expecting mothers, caretaker support on official trips and role-based flexible working arrangements for new mothers.

9. Starbucks gives back to local causes

Since entering the market, Tata Starbucks has been committed to creating opportunities to empower and transform the lives of girls and young women in India through education. In 2020, the company launched the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/tata-starbucks-empowering-girls/">Tata Starbucks Empowering Girls and Young Women program</a> in collaboration with non-profit organizations Educate Girls and VIDYA India, through which each of the Starbucks stores across India, sponsors and supports the education of a girl in primary school, and partners also volunteer in imparting basic language, numeracy and life skills to the young girls. The program aims to support 2,000 young women through education, financial empowerment, and skills development, and in addition each Starbucks store across India sponsors and supports the education of a girl in primary school.&nbsp;

Additionally, through a Global Community Impact Grant from The Starbucks Foundation, Tata Starbucks and The Starbucks Foundation are supporting the Trust for Retailers &amp; 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.

10. A long-term commitment to India

Since entering the market in 2012, Tata Starbucks has remained committed to bringing a warm and welcoming Starbucks Experience across India, by supporting our passionate partners and creating meaningful moments of connection over coffee. After a decade of growth and positive impact in India, we are excited to continue our growth journey and bring more value to our partners, customers and communities. As Tata Starbucks CEO Sushant Dash has said, “At Starbucks we don’t see just customers. We see people.”

Top 10 Things to Know about Starbucks 10 Years in India : Starbucks Stories Asia

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Starbucks Stories Asia

Top 10 Things to Know about Starbucks 10 Years in India

Check out the most exciting highlights from ten years of Starbucks in India.

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Located in Bangkok, the Starbucks Reserve® Chao Phraya Riverfront marks Starbucks 417th store in Thailand, as the company continues to accelerate coffee innovation and growth across Asia Pacific

The store is home to Thailand’s first Teavana™ Bar and will be the first to serve the Muan Jai™ Blend, sourced in partnership with Northern Thai coffee farming communities

Today, Starbucks celebrates the opening of its largest store in Thailand with Starbucks Reserve® Chao Phraya Riverfront at ICONSIAM, Bangkok. It marks Starbucks 12th Reserve Bar and 417th store in Thailand, reaffirming the company’s commitment to accelerating growth across one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic markets.

The store represents two firsts for Starbucks in Thailand. It is the first store to serve the Muan Jai™ Blend, a bold coffee from Northern Thailand, and also introduces the first Teavana™ Bar for customers seeking a reimagined tea experience.

Offering panoramic views over the iconic Chao Phraya river that flows through Bangkok’s vibrant urban center, the store was designed to create a welcoming Third Place where people can unwind and connect over signature, hand-crafted beverages.

“For 22 years, Starbucks has been elevating coffee craftsmanship and bringing unique experiences to our customers in Thailand. Today marks a significant milestone as we introduce an exciting new store that recognizes our coffee heritage while celebrating Thailand’s rich and diverse culture,” said Sara Trilling, president, Starbucks Asia Pacific.

Celebrating coffee craftsmanship and tea discovery

Customers can now experience the Muan Jai™ Blend with any Starbucks® handcrafted espresso beverages, as well as choose from a range of Starbucks® signature beverages and premium Starbucks Reserve® coffees that change throughout the year and can be enjoyed in a variety of brewing methods. The store also features extensive food menu, including artisanal pastries freshly baked in-store and Starbucks® signature desserts served with ice cream. 

At the Teavana™ Bar, customers can immerse themselves in a hands-on tea experience, exploring different flavors and high-quality tea varieties through beverages including the Lychee Earl Grey Tea and Peach Mojito.

Honoring Starbucks commitment to Thai coffee communities

Starbucks is dedicated to partnering with farmers across Asia Pacific to bring the region’s high-quality coffees to the world ethically and sustainably. Starbucks developed Muan&nbsp;Jai™ Blend, which means “wholehearted happiness”, in collaboration with farmers in Northern Thailand where it has been sourcing coffee in partnership with local farming communities since 2003.

Starbucks Reserve® Chao Phraya Riverfront will be the first store in Thailand to serve the distinctive blend, which was previously only available to customers as packaged whole bean coffee. In addition to giving a proportion of proceeds from Muan&nbsp;Jai™ Blend packaged coffee back to the community, for every cup of Muan Jai™ coffee served in-store, Starbucks will donate 10 baht to Northern Thai farming communities. 

“Thailand has a rich history of coffee production and we’re proud to have shared our passion for coffee with our customers, partners and communities since first opening our doors herein 1998,” said Nednapa Srisamai, managing director, Starbucks Coffee Thailand. “The store is a fantastic showcase of craftsmanship and underscores our commitment to nurturing moments of connection over a cup of coffee. We look forward to sharing the Starbucks Experience with our customers at this breathtaking new location.”

Bringing the coffee experience to life through local design

Inspired by its rich riverside setting and history, the store was designed to bring the coffee experience to life for customers while celebrating local Thai culture. Located atop of ICONSIAM one of Bangkok’s premier lifestyle destinations, the 1,260 square meter store features distinct artwork and design pieces created in partnership with local artisans.

As guests arrive, they are greeted by a colorful mural that depicts Thai coffee farming landscapes and Bangkok’s familiar landmarks. Taking design cues from the Chao Phraya river, flowing terrazzo flooring guides customers to a range of intimate coffee experiences.

As the centerpiece of the store, the Starbucks Reserve® bar features a wood-carved mural that pays homage to the traditional art of Thai wood carving, depicting rural scenes and coffee craftsmanship. Here customers can experience an expansive range of Starbucks Reserve® coffees, while appreciating artwork that celebrates local coffee-growing communities and their stories. At the main bar, customers can enjoy Starbucks® signature beverages, including the Muan Jai™ Blend, or choose from a selection of Teavana™ teas.

Customers are invited to ascend a feature staircase, inspired by the flavor wheel Starbucks uses to qualify its unique Starbucks Reserve® coffees, to explore the mezzanine floor above. The staircase features a coffee tree from Northern Thailand at the center and transforms into a compass, guiding customers on a bean-to-cup coffee journey that celebrates global coffee culture and Starbucks heritage. On the mezzanine floor, Starbucks Baristas guide customers through the different tastes and aromas of Starbucks Reserve®&nbsp;coffees, with a colorful artwork depicting the flavor wheel acting as a perfect backdrop.

The mezzanine ceiling features beautifully crafted lanterns in a nod to Bangkok’s Loy Krathong festival, while stadium seating mirrors the river’s contours, offering spectacular views over the city. Customers can also wind down on the outdoor terrace while enjoying panoramic views of the river.

Starbucks unveils its largest store in Thailand with new Starbucks Reserve® at ICONSIAM : Starbucks Stories Asia

Starbucks unveils its largest store in Thailand with new Starbucks Reserve® at ICONSIAM

New store will be the first to serve the Muan Jai™ Blend, sourced in partnership with Northern Thai coffee farming communities.

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On July 24, Starbucks celebrated its 21st anniversary in South Korea by opening the market’s largest Starbucks store in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggido near the scenic Namhan River. Spanning three stories and over 1,203 square meters (about 13,000 square feet), the new store is a reflection of Starbucks commitment to offering more ways for customers in Korea to enjoy the Starbucks Experience.

The Yangpyeong drive-thru store is the first Starbucks store in Korea to bring together a Reserve coffee bar, Teavana bar and drive-thru format. The result is a new experience for Korean customers that incorporates an interactive space with premium coffee and tea at the heart, featuring the ease and convenience of a Starbucks drive-thru.

Starbucks also shared plans to invite local talent to perform on the store’s rooftop, demonstrating Starbucks Korea’s ongoing efforts to create opportunities for young people in Korea.

Exterior of Yangpyeong drive-thru store in South Korea

Starbucks opens largest store in Korea : Starbucks Stories Asia

Starbucks celebrated its 21st anniversary in South Korea by opening the market’s largest Starbucks store in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggido near the scenic Namhan River.

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