Starbucks licensed partner Taste Holdings Ltd has opened its second store in Durban, following the opening of its flagship store on trendy Florida Road in November.

Located in The Gateway Theatre of Shopping, the store opened on 5 December and its design is inspired by the sugarcane hills of Durban’s province, KwaZulu-Natal - with its lush green landscapes that shows similarities to coffee-growing regions. Its location means it provides the perfect place for customers to relax after a full day of shopping or those looking to enjoy a quick ‘pick me up’ when browsing.

Starbucks new store at The Gateway Theatre of Shopping. Its design is inspired by the sugarcane hills of Durban’s province, KwaZulu-Natal

On 25 November, the new store on Florida Road opened, serving exclusive, small-lot Starbucks Reserve® coffees brought to life through a variety of brewing methods including Siphon, Pour-Over, Black Eagle, and the Clover™ machine.

Starbucks new store on Florida Road, Durban serves exclusive small-lot Reserve coffees

The two new store openings have created over 75 new jobs in Durban, a third of whom were previously unemployed and offered the opportunity through Taste’s youth development programme, Changing Lanes.

Starbucks first opened in South Africa in 2016 and Durban is the third South African city after store openings in Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Speaking about the openings, Carlo Gonzaga, CEO of Taste Holdings said: “These new openings come during a time when coffee culture in Durban is bourgeoning and we are excited to be part of the growth. We have seen our customers in Johannesburg and Pretoria embrace the Starbucks experience and we are looking forward to sharing this with our new customers in Durban too.”