One-of-a-kind coffee experience will be built in an iconic retail space on North Michigan Avenue

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&nbsp;Chicago Reserve® Roastery to be the third in the U.S. and sixth internationally for the company as Starbucks continues to transform the global coffee industry

&nbsp;New Roastery expands Starbucks portfolio of premium retail experiences in Chicago, including a new Reserve® store concept opening in 2018 and multiple Starbucks® stores with Reserve bars&nbsp;

SEATTLE, April 26, 2017 –&nbsp;Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced it will open a Starbucks Reserve® Roastery in Chicago in 2019. Located on North Michigan Avenue and Erie Street on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, the Chicago Reserve® Roastery represents the company’s third Roastery location in the U.S. following Seattle, which opened in December 2014, and New York City, which is on track to open in 2018.&nbsp; The company also plans to offer customers multiple international Roastery experiences, including Shanghai, opening late 2017, alongside Milan and Tokyo, slated to open in 2018.

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“Having opened our first Starbucks store in Chicago nearly 30 years ago, our first outside of Seattle, this is a very special city for me. At the time, it was a true test for Starbucks because the Chicago customer is so savvy and discerning about their coffee,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks executive chairman. “Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, so we took our time to find an incredible space to match the unprecedented coffee experience our premium Roastery will offer. To be located on one of the best-known retail streets in the world is a proud moment for all of us and we can’t wait to bring Chicago and the world a coffee experience worthy of their most premier real estate.”

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Much like its flagship Seattle location, which was the most successful store opening in the company’s history, the new Chicago Roastery will be a fully sensorial coffee environment dedicated to roasting, brewing and packaging its rare, small-batch Starbucks Reserve coffees from around the world. Tailored to the Chicago customer, the interactive four-story, 43,000-square-foot space will also be designed to bring coffee craft to life by offering multiple brewing methods, specialty Reserve beverages and mixology. &nbsp;

“Howard and I share the same passion for the companies we created, each centered around the customer experience and a relentless attention to detail. This building has a unique way of becoming a beacon for a brand, and I can’t think of a better retailer than Starbucks to offer Chicago something new and exciting with its Reserve Roastery,” said Gordon Segal, founder, Crate and Barrel.

As announced at the company’s December Investor Day, Starbucks will also include fresh baking on site in all Reserve Roastery locations courtesy of Italian baker Rocco Princi. Known for his artisan breads created from traditional family recipes, Princi’s handcrafted food pairs perfectly with Reserve coffee, elevating every daypart – breakfast, lunch and dinner in all Starbucks Roasteries. Princi food will also be available in the company’s new Reserve stores, a retail concept inspired by the Roastery but not yet open to the public.&nbsp; Starbucks has announced a Reserve store coming to the West Loop in Chicago in 2018 and Seattle in 2017. During last year’s Investor Day, Starbucks confirmed that it would open 20-30 Roastery locations globally over time and up to 1,000 Reserve stores.

The premium Starbucks Reserve brand is also coming to life in Starbucks stores with the inclusion of Reserve experience bars in select locations worldwide. Currently, there are 20 Starbucks stores in the U.S. with Reserve bars – three in downtown Chicago and one in Lake Forest, Illinois. This spectrum of Starbucks retail experiences is not new for Chicago: Since opening in 1987, the Chicago customer has seen many firsts from the company, including early iterations of the third-place experience, modular Drive Thru stores made from shipping containers, an express format focused on the commuting customer&nbsp;and, more recently, the opening of its first store in Englewood, providing job skills training to youth in addition to investing in local women- and minority-owned businesses while creating dozens of Chicago-area jobs.&nbsp;

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 <a href="http://news.starbucks.com">news.starbucks.com </a>and <a href="http://Starbucks.com">Starbucks.com</a>.

Princi is a Milanese institution built around baking a range of quality hand-made, wood-fired breads.&nbsp; You can learn more at <a href="http://www.princi.com/">http://www.princi.com/</a>

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Located on North Michigan Avenue and Erie Street on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, the Chicago Reserve Roastery represents the company’s third Roastery location in the U.S.

Starbucks Reserve Roastery Coming to Chicago in 2019

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Starbucks Announces Reserve Roastery Coming to Chicago’s Mag Mile in 2019

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With youth unemployment in Dallas one of the highest in the nation, the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative™ will host an unprecedented day-long jobs and resource fair in Dallas, kicking off a long-term effort to hire and engage young people facing barriers to education and employment

More than 1,700 guaranteed job interviews and local opportunities available with top companies including Starbucks, FedEx, JCPenney, Pizza Hut, Macy’s, Chipotle, Five Guys, Walmart and more; hundreds of on-the-spot job offers expected

Coalition aims to hire 1 million Opportunity Youth across the U.S. by 2020

DALLAS, April 18, 2017 – With an estimated 109,000 young men and women not in school or the workforce – nearly 13 percent of youth – the Dallas metro area has one of the highest rates of youth disengagement in the nation[1]. In response, a national coalition of more than 50 leading U.S. companies known as the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative™ will come together on Friday, May 19, from 9 am to 4 pm at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center to host the Dallas Opportunity Fair – an unprecedented, day-long hiring event aimed at Opportunity Youth – 16- to 24-year-olds who are not in school or working. The event will feature recruiters and resources from top U.S. companies including Starbucks, FedEx, JCPenney, Pizza Hut, Chipotle, Delaware North, Republic Services, Dominos, Sprinkles, Five Guys, Target, Hilton Worldwide, Teavana, HMSHost, T-Mobile, Ulta Beauty, Macy’s, Villa, Papa John’s, Walgreens and Walmart.

Together, they are offering more than 1,700 guaranteed job interviews throughout the day for local positions, as well as the opportunity to connect with more than 30 job-readiness and social services, including resume writing, interview skills and college and financial aid applications – making this the largest and most comprehensive opportunity youth hiring fair ever hosted in Texas. Based on past events in Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Seattle, the coalition expects to extend hundreds of immediate, on-the-spot job offers at the May 19 event. It will also look to sustain investment in Dallas over the next few years, partnering with local organizations to create ongoing impact.

"FedEx is dedicated to helping young people gain the skills and career connections necessary to find available jobs on the path to starting their careers,” said Kim Dixon, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, FedEx Office. “We’re proud to be a founding member of the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative coalition of leading companies and look forward to connecting with young talent in the Dallas area.”

Launched in 2015, the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative™ reached its original goal of hiring and engaging 100,000 opportunity youth two years ahead of schedule. But with an estimated 4.9 million young Americans still left out of the U.S. economy[2], the coalition has since expanded its commitment to a new goal of 1 million hires by 2020. Each of the companies and organizations involved share a commitment to helping youth connect with employers and develop basic job skills. The goal is to get these young men and women into the workforce and on to a long-term pathway to success.

“Since joining the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, Pizza Hut has successfully filled thousands of jobs including several manager-level positions,” said Artie Starrs, President, Pizza Hut, U.S. “We are like-minded in the coalition’s mission of empowering youth to reach their full potential. We look forward to engaging with the smart, talented and ambitious youth in the city in which we work and live.”

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and around the country, youth unemployment still tops 12 percent[3], disproportionately impacting young people from underserved low-income communities. The coalition will work alongside Dallas’ civic and community leaders including the City of Dallas, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, United Way of Metro Dallas, CitySquare and other key partners to build on existing opportunity youth hiring efforts and ensure the initiative is sustained in the long run.

“Our young people are the future of Dallas, and every one of them deserves an opportunity to achieve their full potential,” said Mayor Mike Rawlings. “I’m grateful for the leaders of the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative and several Dallas-based companies and service providers that have stepped up. The May 19 Opportunity Fair will help launch a true employer-led, long-term effort to provide career and education pathways to thousands of opportunity youth in Dallas. I urge our local businesses to take part in this opportunity to strengthen our city, our local economy and the workforce of tomorrow by investing in our youth in the form of meaningful jobs and training opportunities.”

“We believe it’s our collective responsibility to invest in getting these disconnected youth into the types of jobs that are required for them to lead rewarding, productive lives,” said Ashley Brundage, Senior Vice President, Community Impact, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “Their future is our priority. We applaud the leaders of 100,000 Opportunities Initiative for bringing global leaders together to make a deep, lasting impact in our future. This partnership furthers our purpose of putting knowledge and opportunity at the footstep of so many eager minds. We are excited to collaborate on May 19 to empower, engage, and equip our next generation.”

“We welcome the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative to Dallas. The event gives corporations with a Dallas presence access to a goldmine of entry-level trainable talent,” said Laurie Bouillion Larrea, president at Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas. “The benefits of youth employment are staggering. Early employment translates to higher earning in adulthood and better financial inclusion. Dallas area companies need this talent and our Dallas youth need paid apprenticeship opportunities. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Youth Can Register for Guaranteed Job Interviews at the Dallas Opportunity Fair

Interested candidates are invited to register for free and schedule an interview ahead of time for the May 19 hiring event at <a href="http://www.100kOpportunities.org/Dallas">www.100kOpportunities.org/Dallas</a>. Youth will also have access to more than 30 vital employment, educational and social services, including one-on-one resume and interview coaching; opportunities for civic engagement like voter registration and national service; the chance to build an online candidate profile; and more. The event will also feature informative and inspirational performances and activities throughout the day.

Building the Nation’s Largest Employer-Led Initiative for Opportunity Youth

The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative™ now includes more than 50 companies, including: Accenture, Alaska Airlines, Chipotle, Cintas, CVS Health, Delaware North, Domino's, Ernst &amp; Young, FedEx, Five Guys, Food Services of America, Gene Juarez, Greyston Bakery, Hilton WorldWide, HMSHost, Hyatt, JCPenney, JPMorgan Chase, Leisure Care, Lyft, Macy's, Mars, Microsoft, MOD Pizza, Nordstrom, Panda Express, Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, Porch, Potbelly, Prudential Financial, Inc., Red Robin, Republic Services, Savers, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Starbucks, Sweetgreen, Taco Bell, Target, Teavana, T-Mobile, Toms, Ulta Beauty, Villa, Walgreens, Walmart, and Yum!.

The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative™ is led by an Executive Committee which provides generous support including FedEx, HMSHost, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, The Rockefeller Foundation, Schultz Family Foundation, Starbucks, Yum!, and Walmart Foundation. Premier sponsorship for the event in Dallas is being provided by FedEx Office, JCPenney and the JC Penney Foundation, and Starbucks and the Starbucks Foundation.

As it has in Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Seattle, the 100,000 Opportunities InitiativeTM will partner with national and local organizations to provide continued investment in Dallas to create pathways to employment for Opportunity Youth in the region, including ongoing hiring fairs and other efforts to train and employ youth.

About the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative

The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative™ has the goal of creating the nation’s largest employer-led private sector coalition committed to creating pathways to employment for young people. Companies engaged in the coalition will help to launch careers for young people that are just entering the workforce, including internships, apprenticeships and on the job training, in addition to developing potential in youth that have some work experience but are looking to gain new skills that lead to a successful career. For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.100kOpportunities.org">www.100kOpportunities.org</a>.

For a complete list of participating companies, community service organizations, funders and participants, please visit <a href="http://www.100kOpportunities.org/Dallas">www.100kOpportunities.org</a>.

To learn more about the coalition’s impact at past hiring events, and what to expect at the Dallas Opportunity Fair on May 19, visit our YouTube video page at http://bit.ly/2oIozpo.Media interested in attending the event in Dallas must pre-register for credentials by contacting <a href="mailto:media@100kOpportunities.org">media@100kOpportunities.org</a>.

[1,2,3] Measure of America, Promising Gains, Persistent Gaps (March 8, 2017)

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The 100,000 Opportunities Initiative will host an unprecedented day-long jobs and resource fair in Dallas, kicking off a long-term effort to hire and engage young people facing barriers to education and employment.

Top U.S. Companies to Host Opportunity Hiring Fair in Dallas

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Top U.S. Companies to Host Opportunity Youth Hiring Fair in Dallas

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The company will leverage its green coffee purchase power to ensure that healthy, rust resistant coffee trees are planted – yearly –&nbsp; 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&nbsp; &nbsp;

SEATTLE, April 17, 2017 – 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&nbsp;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.

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.&nbsp;

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.&nbsp; 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.”

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To date, Starbucks investments in coffee farming communities include: &nbsp;

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:&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; 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:&nbsp; Committing $50M in affordable credit for coffee farmers and cooperatives by 2020 so that farmers can reinvest in their farms

Agronomy Support:&nbsp; 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&nbsp;

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.

Starbucks to Provide 100 Million Coffee Trees by 2025

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Starbucks to Provide 100 Million Healthy Coffee Trees by 2025

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New benefit will provide fully-sponsored critical illness insurance coverage to more than 10,000 parents of its Chinese partners

Program honors the strong role parents have in the success of its partners, while recognizing the deeply-rooted Chinese family values

BEIJING, China (April 11, 2017) – Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) today established a new precedent for the role and responsibility of a public company leading through the lens of humanity in China – its largest and fastest-growing second market. Beginning June 1, 2017, Starbucks will offer a critical illness insurance plan for the parents* of its eligible** full-time partners (employees) in company-operated stores across Mainland China. This industry-leading investment will benefit over 10,000 parents of its Chinese partners.

The ‘Starbucks China Parent Care Program’ was announced by Howard Schultz, executive chairman, Starbucks Coffee Company, and Belinda Wong, ceo, Starbucks China, at a Starbucks Partner Family Forum in Beijing, the latest in a series of family forums the company has held with its Chinese partners and their families since 2012.

“Our core purpose and reason for being has always been driven by a set of beliefs steeped in humanity and I’m extremely proud to be able to support our Chinese partners and their parents through the Parent Care Program,” said Schultz. “Supporting critical illnesses for aging parents exemplifies what we believe is our responsibility as a global public company and honors the family values deeply-rooted in the Chinese culture.”

In 2010, the company introduced Starbucks Caring Unites Partners (C.U.P.) Fund in China which provides financial assistance to partners and their families in times of need. An analysis of the C.U.P Fund requests over the past seven years, as well as conversations with partners revealed that more than 70 percent of Chinese partners are concerned about the health of their parents as they age. Those who are single, making up 80 percent of retail partners in China, are specifically concerned about their financial ability to provide for their parents’ long-term care should a critical illness occur.

“Culturally, parents play an important role in the lives and career choices of our Chinese partners and they are a natural extension of our Starbucks family in China. Through this new investment, we are stepping up on our responsibility to help our partners take care of their aging parents by alleviating the financial costs that may arise during a family emergency,” added Belinda Wong, ceo, Starbucks China. “Starbucks success in China is directly attributed to the passion and dedication of our partners as well as the unwavering support from their family.”

The ‘Starbucks China Parent Care Program’ is a unique, innovative plan created in collaboration with one of the top insurers in the country to complement the current China Social Medical Insurance Program. The plan leverages Starbucks considerable partner base in China to create a tailored program to alleviate health care and treatment costs associated with a critical illness for its partners.

“The active participation by the private sector is critical to China’s efforts to further enhance the social security system to support our aging population. Starbucks has responded positively to the Government's call to elevate the commercial health insurance industry, our social security network and to promote a ‘Healthy China’. It is also a firm demonstration of Starbucks social responsibility efforts to give back to the community in a meaningful manner,” said Mr. Jiang Chongguang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Insurance Society of China.

Li Ling, 29, a Starbucks store manager and Coffee Master in Deyang, Sichuan Province, and her family experienced the financial burden when both her mother and grandmother fell ill at the same time.

“I’ve always been concerned by the financial responsibility of caring for my family and now I have my Starbucks extended family here to support me,” said Ling. “It’s a great relief to me, and all of my Chinese partners, that Starbucks has taken a leadership position to support the health and care of our aging parents. I’m incredibly grateful to be with a company that understands our hopes, dreams and aspirations for the future.”

With more than 2,600 stores, across 127 cities, and nearly 40,000 partners across the country, the ‘Starbucks China Parent Care Program’ builds on Starbucks health insurance coverage available to both full- and part-time partners, their spouses and children across the country and its unparalleled, locally-relevant partner benefits, including: the Starbucks China University, Starbucks China Talent Exchange Program, a housing allowance subsidy for full-time baristas and shift supervisors, and a Career Coffee Break (sabbatical).

Starbucks has a long history of providing industry-leading benefits. Since 1988, Starbucks has offered comprehensive benefits, including affordable and comprehensive health care to eligible part-time and full-time partners in the U.S. To address the growing cost of higher education in the United States, Starbucks created the Starbucks College Achievement Plan in 2014 for eligible U.S. partners to earn bachelor’s degrees through Arizona State University with full tuition reimbursement. Announced in 2015, the innovative Home Sweet Loan programme in the U.K. provides an interest-free loan to help partners pay rental deposits when moving into a new home and, last year, Starbucks Korea introduced its College Achievement Plan to provide tuition support for partners who want to finish their four-year college degrees.

*Parents of Starbucks partners must be below the age of 75 to qualify for the insurance program. Other conditions may apply based on pre-existing health requirements stipulated by the insurance coverage provider. It will cover the medical treatment of 30 common critical illnesses among the elderly in China.

**Fully sponsored critical illness insurance program will be extended to partners who have served at least two years in the company’s company-owned markets. The parents must also currently be residing within Mainland China.

New benefit will provide fully-sponsored critical illness insurance coverage to more than 10,000 parents of its Chinese partners.

Starbucks Redefines Partner Benefits in China

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Starbucks chairman and ceo Howard Schultz commemorates final Annual Meeting in current role; joins incoming ceo Kevin Johnson in highlighting company’s record performance since its IPO, unparalleled shareholder returns and strong pipeline of innovation for future growth across coffee, tea, food, digital, China and partner investments

Starbucks announces plans to create more than 240,000 new jobs globally (68,000 in the U.S.) as it reiterates intent to open 12,000 new stores globally and 3,400 new stores in the U.S. by FY21, including 100 more Military Family Stores in the U.S. to support military communities

After accomplishing ambitious goals, Starbucks doubles down on hiring commitments plans to expand current initiatives and hire 25,000 Veterans and Military Spouses by 2025 and 100,000 Opportunity Youth by 2020 in the U.S.

Starbucks shareholders elect Rosalind Brewer, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Sam's Club; Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, Executive Chairman of the LEGO Brand Group; and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft Corporation, to the Starbucks Board of Directors

SEATTLE; March 22, 2017 – Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) today hosted its 25th Annual Meeting of Shareholders, with more than 3,300 partners, shareholders, invited guests and board members in attendance. Howard Schultz, chairman and ceo of Starbucks, marked his last Annual Meeting of Shareholders in his current capacity of ceo and honored the accomplishments of the company in delivering record financial results, including approximately 18,000% in shareholder returns since the company’s Initial Public Offering 25 years ago, and more than $10 billion in cash to shareholders via dividends and share repurchases over the past five years alone. Coupled with its long history of creating opportunities for partners (employees) and investing in the communities it serves, Starbucks reinforced its long-term commitment to driving performance through the lens of humanity.

“Every hour of every day, someone somewhere is walking into one of our 26,000 Starbucks stores in 75 countries around the world. As we approach our 25th year as a publicly traded company, the Starbucks brand is as relevant today as it has ever been, driven by the 330,000 people who proudly wear the green apron,” said Schultz. “As I move into my new role as executive chairman, there is only one person who can lead us into the future. For his skill, his leadership, and above all, his love for the company, I am proud to call Kevin Johnson the next ceo of Starbucks. He is perfectly positioned to lead our brand into the future together with the strongest leadership team and board in the history of Starbucks. And yet, we are still in the early stages of growth as we strive to meet our highest growth aspirations for the company.”

Starbucks highlighted the interdependence of business success with driving social impact at scale and cited Starbucks returns over the past five years – returning $10 billion of cash to shareholders via dividends and share repurchases, with an average growth rate of 23% over that period. In FY16, the company delivered record revenues of $21.3 billion (11 percent growth over FY15) and record non-GAAP earnings per share of $1.851 (17 percent growth on a non-GAAP basis1); $4.1 billion in non-GAAP operating income2 (12 percent growth on a non-GAAP basis2); and $3.2 billion returned to shareholders in the form of dividends and share repurchases. Starbucks also invested $322 million in healthcare and other benefits, $15M in helping partners achieve a college degree through the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, and $221.6 million in Bean Stock in FY16.

Innovation in customer experience and partner benefits

Kevin Johnson, who will become Starbucks ceo on April 3, reinforced Starbucks approach to elevating the brand across retail, channel development and digital through innovation, reaching new customers and creating new occasions for customer visits.

“For almost 50 years we have been in the human connection business, and in today's world the need and desire for that human connection has never been greater. With our growing store footprint all around the globe and the engagement of our partners, we will continue to deliver financial growth to our shareholders, opportunities for our partners, and connect with more and more customers around the world,” said Johnson. “At the heart of this growth is innovation across our business, and I’m fortunate to work alongside the best leadership team in the company’s history as we serve our partners, customers and shareholders to deliver the growth they have come to expect from us.”

Johnson also shared the following updates during the Starbucks Annual Meeting of Shareholders:

Innovation in Coffee: Opened in 2014, Starbucks first Roastery located in Seattle is already serving as a foundation for the company’s coffee innovation pipeline, providing a halo to the rest of the business. Earlier this year, Starbucks offered a new beverage in U.S. stores, Cascara Latte, which has a flavor profile that originated in the Roastery and accompanied the returning Smoked Butterscotch latte which led the “inspired by Roastery” portfolio of beverages in 2016. Just one year ago this week, the Roastery introduced Starbucks customers to nitro cold brew which is now available at more than 570 Starbucks® stores – across the U.S., Canada, Japan, China and U.K. – offering endless opportunities for a “draft” portfolio of products. The company is also testing new offerings inspired by the Seattle Roastery’s Affogato menu at 20 Starbucks Reserve® bar stores and 100 Starbucks locations in California. Only a few weeks ago, Starbucks also introduced its first ever barrel-aged Starbucks Reserve coffee which is already outperforming projections. This premium coffee pipeline will continue to expand as the company opens Roastery locations in Shanghai (2017), New York (2018), Milan (2018) and Tokyo (2018), with the potential for 20-30 Roasteries globally over time.

Elevated Food Options: Building on its food business through customer-driven innovation, Johnson unveiled the company’s plans to launch Starbucks Mercato, a new menu of lunch items that features fresh and flavorful grab-and-go salads and sandwiches that meet a variety of dietary lifestyles and are made daily, with leftover items donated nightly to local food banks through Starbucks FoodShare program with Feeding America. As Starbucks continues to see strong growth in Lunch, the company sees a significant opportunity to drive attach at lunch through the new Mercato menu as well as existing products. The Mercato menu will start with more than 100 stores in Chicago on April 11, with plans to expand to other U.S. markets in the future. Additionally, on the heels of the successful launch of protein-forward, wheat-free Sous Vide Egg Bites, Starbucks also highlighted the introduction of a Gluten-Free Smoked Canadian Bacon Breakfast Sandwich and certified vegan Sprouted Grain Bagel in Starbucks stores across the U.S. Both are examples of how the company is meeting customers’ needs for on-the-go choices that fit their lifestyle. Starbucks has grown its food business by 1.5 times since 2013 and plans to double its food business by the year 2021.

Innovation in Premium Craft Iced Teas: This summer, Starbucks is reinventing craft iced tea through the launch of new Teavana Shaken Iced Tea Infusions with no artificial flavors or sweeteners. This new offering will join Starbucks core lineup of Teavana Shaken Iced Teas and be available in three new varieties, Pineapple Black Tea Infusion, Strawberry Green Tea Infusion and Peach Citrus White Tea Infusion. The taste is a perfect balance of premium tea and freshly steeped fruit and botanical blends.

Starbucks chief technology officer Gerri Martin-Flickinger and China digital vp Molly Liu addressed growth plans for the company’s digital flywheel around the globe. Starbucks continues to offer the largest and most robust mobile ecosystem of any retailer in the world, with over 13 million Starbucks Rewards members, approximately 9 million mobile paying customers, with one out of three now using Mobile Order &amp; Pay, and more than $6 billion loaded onto prepaid Starbucks Cards in North America during 2016 alone.

Today, Starbucks announced the expansion of its Mobile Order &amp; Pay platform to give customers more options to order their favorite Starbucks beverage while on the go, by leveraging its skill for Amazon Alexa announced earlier this year. Now, with the planned integration of Amazon Alexa and Ford vehicles later this year, Starbucks customers with a Ford car equipped with SYNC 3 will be able to order their favorite Starbucks beverage on the go by saying, “Alexa, ask Starbucks to start my order.”

Starbucks also shared more details on the expansion of My Starbucks® barista, now available to more than 100,000 customers across the U.S. Powered by groundbreaking Artificial Intelligence for the Starbucks Mobile App, customers can now place their orders via voice command or messaging interface, delivering speed and convenience. Starbucks continues to deliver innovation that enhances customer loyalty and engagement and further extends the accessibility of the Starbucks® Mobile App. The My Starbucks® barista is currently rolling out to iOS customers with Android™ users being added in subsequent releases.

Starbucks digital flywheel continues to gain momentum with the launch of true one-to-one personalization. While still early in the evolution of this service, Starbucks has delivered personalized offers to customers directly on the front of the screen of the mobile app, including the complete rollout of suggested selling and recommendations. Total Starbucks Rewards member spend is up over 20 percent versus last year, driven by member growth and higher spend per member, reflecting a more engaged member base that takes advantage of Mobile Order and Pay and personalized marketing offers and recommendations.

Starbucks also provided more detail on the important role that social gifting is playing in the overall customer experience. With the introduction of the Outlook add-in, customers can gift a favorite beverage to friends, colleagues and loved ones through Microsoft Outlook. Starbucks also unveiled the availability of gifting through Apple’s Messages app with Apple Pay beginning in April, expanding the platform and offering customers new ways to share the Starbucks Experience.

China experiences accelerated growth, grounded in Starbucks brand and innovation

In China, customers have continued to embrace the Starbucks brand, with some of the company’s most innovative, efficient and profitable stores producing record revenue and strong same-store sales growth in FY16. Starbucks now operates more than 2,600 stores in 127 cities in China and employs nearly 40,000 partners, opening over a store a day – a growth rate that will continue to accelerate well into the future. While Starbucks business in China is in its very early stages of growth, the company shared more detail on its new social gifting feature “用星说” (Say it with Starbucks) on Weixin, a sister product of WeChat targeting Chinese domestic users. Co-created by Starbucks and Weixin, this pioneering social gifting innovation encourages everyday acts of kindness and appreciation among family and friends, by enabling users to instantly and conveniently gift a Starbucks beverage or digital gift card. Starbucks has seen more than 1 million transactions on its social gifting platform since it launched in China on Feb. 10, and Weixin Pay has now reached 27 percent of tender in Starbucks stores in China. 

Starbucks doubles down on hiring commitments

Starbucks announced plans to create more than 240,000 jobs globally (68,000 in the U.S.) as it highlighted its growth plans to open 12,000 new stores globally and 3,400 new stores in the U.S. by FY21.

Starbucks strong financial performance over the last 25 years as a publicly traded company has allowed for strategic investments in social impact initiatives – driving greater connection between partners and the millions of customers it serves in 75 countries worldwide. The company has already reached critical milestones for its hiring initiatives for Veterans, Military Spouses, and Opportunity Youth and announced plans on building on this progress by expanding its hiring goals as it continues to grow the U.S. business. Creating opportunities and building a diverse and inclusive workforce has been critical to meeting the company’s mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

Starbucks Reaches Goal of Hiring 10,000 Veterans and Military Spouses Ahead of Schedule; Expands Goal to 25,000 by 2025: Announced in 2013, Starbucks has already reached its initial goal to hire 10,000 Veterans and Military Spouses ahead of the original 2018 deadline. Based on the success of this program, today Starbucks proudly reaffirmed its commitment to supporting service members and military spouses and increased its hiring goal to 25,000 total hires by 2025. In addition, the hiring commitment has led to expanded ambitions to reconnect Americans and service members through the following programs and relationships: Military Mondays, an in-store program that offers a range of resources to assist with the transition process from military to civilian life; the Adopt A Unit program which supports the need of deployed units and their families; and partnerships with organizations that help us bridge the civilian-military divide and enable Veterans to serve in their communities, such as Blue Star Families, Team RWB, Team Rubicon ,The Mission Continues and the USO.

Starbucks to Dedicate 100 More Military Family Stores across the U.S. in Next Five Years: Starbucks® Military Family Stores are located near major military bases and have been given the special designation as a place of welcoming and support for military communities around the country. Having reached its initial goal of opening 32 Military Family Stores, Starbucks today announced plans to dedicate 100 more such stores across the U.S. over the next five years. The stores function as a hub within the military community, and are staffed by Veterans, advocates and Military Spouses. Partners in the stores help create a culture of understanding between military and non-military customers – an important step toward ensuring service men and women experience smooth transitions back into the civilian world.

Starbucks Exceeds Goal of Hiring 10,000 Opportunity Youth Ahead of Schedule; Expands Goal to 100,000 Hires by 2020: Starbucks has a long-standing commitment to creating opportunities for youth who are not in school or unemployed. In 2015, the company announced a commitment to hire 10,000 opportunity youth in the U.S. by 2018 and has already exceeded that commitment with 40,000 hires. Building on this progress, the company announced that it will expand that goal to 100,000 hires by 2020, giving even more opportunity youth – an estimated 4.9 million young Americans – a fair shot at that first job and pathway to lifelong success.

Starbucks Teams Up with UNHCR - the UN Refugee Agency, International Rescue Committee, Tent Foundation, and No One Left Behind to Support the Hiring of 10,000 Refugees Globally: Announced in January 2017, Starbucks plans to welcome and hire 10,000 refugees across its global business in 75 countries by 2022. In support of this commitment, today Starbucks is formally joining the UNHCR’s #WithRefugees Campaign and the Tent Partnership for Refugees to scale up the company’s support and efforts to reach refugee candidates. Also, the company unveiled partnerships with non-governmental organizations to provide skills training to refugees and connect work authorized candidates to job opportunities. Starbucks is teaming up globally with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), UNHCR - the UN Refugee Agency, and in the U.S., with No One Left Behind, an organization founded by a veteran and his translator, and dedicated to resettling interpreters, personnel and their families who served alongside U.S. forces.

Expanding Partner Education Benefits: The company further deepened its investment in the revolutionary Starbucks College Achievement Plan (SCAP) with the announcement of the Pathway to Admission program. Working in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU), Starbucks aims to help even more eligible partners earn their bachelor’s degrees by helping those applicants who may need additional assistance in meeting admission requirements. Through Pathway to Admission, partners can now receive an individualized path created just for them by ASU to work toward admission based on each partner’s unique situation and academic history.

Starbucks shareholders elect new Board Members

The company’s shareholders elected Rosalind Brewer, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Sam's Club; Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, Executive Chairman of the LEGO Brand Group; and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft Corporation, to the Starbucks Board of Directors, among other reelected directors. The Starbucks Board of Directors now includes a total of 14 members. Additionally, James (Jamie) Shennan Jr., a Starbucks director since March 1990, retired from the Board effective immediately prior to the shareholder meeting in accordance with the company’s Corporate Governance Principles and Practices’ mandatory retirement age requirements.

Starbucks Annual Meeting of Shareholders began at 10 a.m. PT today, and will be live-streamed on Yahoo Finance at <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/live/starbucks">http://finance.yahoo.com/live/starbucks</a>, and simultaneously available at <a href="http://investor.starbucks.com">http://investor.starbucks.com</a>. A replay of the webcast will be available on the company’s website until Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Please visit Starbucks Newsroom at <a href="http://news.starbucks.com">http://news.starbucks.com</a> to find images, video clips and live updates of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

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 upon information available to Starbucks as of the date hereof, and Starbucks actual results or performance could different 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, fluctuations in U.S. and international economies and currencies, our ability to preserve, grow and leverage our brands, potential negative effects of incidents involving food or beverage-borne illnesses, tampering, contamination or mislabeling, potential negative effects of material breaches of our information technology systems to the extent we experience a material breach, material failures of our information technology systems, costs associated with, and the successful execution of, the company’s initiatives and plans, the acceptance of the company’s products by our customers, the impact of competition, coffee, dairy and other raw materials prices and availability, the effect of legal proceedings, and other risks detailed in the company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the “Risk Factors” section of the Starbucks Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 2, 2016. The company assumes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.

1 Non-GAAP EPS. FY16 GAAP EPS of $1.90 includes ongoing amortization of acquired intangible assets and transaction and integration costs related to the Starbucks Japan acquisition (+$0.04 per share), additional domestic manufacturing deductions claimed on our consolidated tax returns (-$0.01 per share) and the impact from the extra week in our 53-week fiscal 2016 (-$0.09 per share). The income tax effect for FY16 non-gaap adjustments was +$0.02 per share. The FY16 EPS growth rate is calculated over FY15 non-GAAP EPS of $1.58. FY15 GAAP EPS of $1.82 includes certain Starbucks Japan acquisition-related items, specifically the gain resulting from a fair value adjustment of Starbucks preexisting 39.5% ownership interest in Starbucks Japan (-$0.26 per share) and expenses related to ongoing amortization of acquired intangible assets and transaction and integration costs (+$0.04 per share). In addition to the Starbucks Japan acquisition-related items, FY15 GAAP EPS includes a loss related to the redemption of the company's $550 million of 6.250% 2017 Senior Notes (+$0.04 per share). The income tax effect for FY15 non-gaap adjustments was -$0.02 per share; we also had an incremental tax benefit related to additional domestic manufacturing deductions claimed on our consolidated tax returns (-$0.04 per share).

2 Non-GAAP Operating Income. FY16 GAAP operating income of $4,171.9 million includes expenses of $57.4 million related to certain Starbucks Japan acquisition-related items, specifically amortization of acquired intangible assets and transaction and integration costs, and expenses of $2.8 million incurred on the sale of our Germany retail operations. The FY16 operating income growth rate is calculated over FY15 non-GAAP operating income of $3,655.6 million. FY15 GAAP operating income of $3,601.0 million includes expenses of $54.6 million related to certain Starbucks Japan acquisition-related items, specifically amortization of acquired intangible assets and transaction and integration costs.

Starbucks announces plans to create more than 240,000 new jobs globally (68,000 in the U.S.) as it reiterates intent to open 12,000 new stores globally and 3,400 new stores in the U.S. by FY21, including 100 more Military Family Stores in the U.S. to support military communities.

Starbucks Outlines Strategic Growth at 25th Annual Meeting

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Sustainability bond issuance follows company’s first U.S. Corporate Sustainability Bond in 2016 as part of its ongoing commitment to sustainably sourced coffee

TOKYO &amp; SEATTLE, March 17, 2017 – Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced that it has closed an underwritten public offering of senior notes, comprising the first global yen-denominated Corporate Sustainability Bond issued in the Japanese market. The company will use the net proceeds from the offering of 85 billion Japanese Yen in 0.372% Senior Notes due 2024 to enhance its sustainability programs around coffee supply chain management through Eligible Sustainability Projects. This includes coffee purchases from suppliers verified by a third-party as complying with Starbucks ethical sourcing verification program of Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices, the development and operation of farmer support centers in coffee growing regions, as well as new and financed loans made through Starbucks Global Farmer Fund.

“Coffee is our core and we are committed to supporting the sustainability of the specialty coffee industry for future generations through the issuance of our second sustainability bond.,” said Scott Maw, chief financial officer, Starbucks. “We are pleased to be able to close our first foreign-denominated bond issuance in Japan, a significant and strategically important global market for Starbucks, which is renowned for its socially conscious consumers and investors who have fully embraced the Starbucks brand. Japan was our first international market outside of North America and has continued to grow and scale over the past 20 years to now more than 1,200 stores across all 47 prefectures.”

Each year, Starbucks invests significantly in its comprehensive approach to ethically source its coffee. This includes providing support to coffee farming communities, helping mitigate the impact of climate change, and reinforcing long-term crop stability and farm sustainability. This work has contributed to the planting of 22 million rust-resistant coffee trees in Latin America to-date. Starbucks operates a network of nine farmer support centers around the world (Rwanda, Tanzania, Colombia, China, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Guatemala, Ethiopia and Mexico), and has a commitment to provide $50 million in farmer financing in the form of new and financed loans. In 2013, Starbucks also purchased a working coffee farm in Costa Rica which acts as a global research and development center. All of this is grounded in the company’s open sourced C.A.F.E. Practices developed with Conservation International over 15 years ago. This rigorous set of best practices helps to ensure that the methods used in growing and processing coffee are efficient, effective and sustainable, both environmentally and socially. In 2015, 99% of Starbucks 551 million pounds of green coffee purchased were verified as ethically sourced and Starbucks became a founding member of the Sustainable Coffee Challenge - an industry coalition with a call to action to make coffee the first sustainable agricultural product in the world.

Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of environmental, social and governance (ESG) research and ratings, delivered the second opinion for the Sustainability Bond. This independent review offers investors additional insight into the proposed projects to be funded by the bond, as well as the expected positive environmental and social impacts of these projects. Sustainalytics also rates Starbucks as an ESG leader in both overall and relative performance to its peers.

"Starbucks efforts to improve sustainable agricultural practices and socioeconomic conditions of coffee farmers underscore its ongoing commitment to sustainable coffee production,” said Alexander Rengers, executive director of Advisory Services at Sustainalytics. “We are honored to work with Starbucks on their Sustainability Bond and look forward to seeing the impact of their bond.”

Starbucks offered the first U.S. Corporate Sustainability Bond in May 2016. The issuance marked the first time a U.S. Corporation offered a Sustainability bond focused on educational and sustainable agricultural initiatives to further diversify the company’s investor base. The high interest and success of the initial issuance was a catalyst for the company’s first foreign denominated issuance of a Sustainability bond.

Starbucks will publish annual updates of the allocation of the proceeds throughout the term of the sustainability bond until the proceeds have been fully allocated to projects meeting the eligibility criteria. These updates will be reported publicly on the Starbucks website at www.starbucks.com and may include additional descriptions of select projects funded with sustainability bond proceeds, and, where possible, their environmental and/or social impacts. 

Certain statements contained in this release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws and regulations, including statements about the expected closing of a public offering or senior notes and the use of proceeds of such offering. Such forward-looking statements are based on current management expectations and satisfactions of certain conditions that are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including market conditions and those risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the “Risk Factors” section of the Starbucks Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 2, 2016, and the prospectus and prospectus supplement delivered in connection with the public offering of senior notes discussed in this release. The company assumes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements. 

Starbucks announced that it has closed an underwritten public offering of senior notes, comprising the first global yen-denominated Corporate Sustainability Bond issued in the Japanese market.

Starbucks Issues First Global Sustainability Bond in Japan

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Starbucks Issues First Global Yen Sustainability Bond in Japan

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Slated to open in 2018, the immersive coffee farm and café experience will complement the company’s new premium retail spaces by providing customers opportunity to learn about coffee at origin

Investment in Coffee Farming Research and Development Center will showcase impact of Starbucks $100 Million in Ethical Sourcing Commitments

SEATTLE; March 10, 2017 – Today, Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) announced that it will be developing a visitor center on the grounds of its wholly owned coffee farm, Hacienda Alsacia. Purchased almost four years ago, Hacienda Alsacia is located in Costa Rica on the slopes of the Poas volcano and serves as a global Research and Development facility and working farm for Starbucks. The new visitor center will soon allow visitors from around the world to get a first-hand understanding of the agronomy work the company has been supporting and investing in for two decades.

“Our Roastery in Seattle, Washington offer’s one of today’s most immersive retail experiences, where the theater of coffee craft is on full display. We have a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate what happens on coffee farms so that our customers understand the humanity and care that goes into each cup of our coffee,” said Cliff Burrows, group president Siren Retail and Global Coffee, Starbucks. “This visitor center allows us to create a connection between the people that grow the coffee, the role our farm plays in helping to ensure their economic stability, and the stores that roast and brew it for our customers every day.” 

The Hacienda Alsacia Visitor Center will be a 46,000-square-foot area located on the Starbucks farm, that allows people to explore the journey of coffee from seedling to coffee field, the wet milling process, the drying patio and all the way to roasting and a café. Designed by members of its in-house design team who helped pioneer the company’s first Starbucks Reserve® Roastery in Seattle, this locally relevant, sustainable ecosystem will pay homage to the more than 1 million coffee farmers and workers that Starbucks help to support around the world. 

Since purchasing the 600-acre (240 hectares) farm in March 2013, Starbucks has maintained it as a typical working farm to learn more about the resources necessary to grow high-quality arabica coffee. In doing so, it has helped to inform its multi-million-dollar investment in ethical sourcing resources for coffee farmers including:

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As part of this construction project, the company anticipates that it will create dozens of short-term jobs as well as provide new opportunities for long-term employment on the farm when the visitor center opens. Starbucks has been offering coffee from Costa Rica since the company opened its doors in 1971; its first Farmer Support Center opened in Costa Rica in 2004 and has since moved to the coffee farm. Starbucks has 11 stores in Costa Rica that are operated by its licensing partner Premium Restaurants of America. Starbucks Costa Rica recently launched a special edition single-origin packaged coffee sourced from Hacienda Alsacia for customers to enjoy in market. 

Hacienda Alsacia, on the slopes of the Poas volcano, is a global research facility and working farm.

Starbucks Adds Visitor Center to Its Costa Rican Coffee Farm

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Starbucks Adds Visitor Center to Its Costa Rican Coffee Farm, Hacienda Alsacia

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New York, NY; March 10, 2017 – Today, Starbucks shared a letter sent by Kantar Millward Brown – a leading multinational market research firm – to Starbucks chief strategy officer Matt Ryan. The letter, from Brian James, the firm’s President, Brand and Communications practice, highlighted findings refuting information currently in the marketplace based upon research reports and speculative data about Starbucks business performance.

“Over the past week, there has been misinformation widely disseminated in the market about our brand, and stakeholders need the facts,” said Ryan. “The following note came from the president of Kantar Millward Brown – our long-term partner in providing brand and consumer equity research – clarifying current Starbucks brand perception. Reports suggesting anything other than this should be viewed skeptically and do not reflect the customer satisfaction and perception trends we are seeing so far in 2017.”

James’ letter stated: “Kantar Millward Brown has provided continuous Brand Equity measurement for Starbucks since 2013. Following the recent release of results from a YouGov Brand Index Survey, several news organizations have reported that Starbucks is suffering from consumer backlash related to its announcement to hire 10,000 refugees globally over the next five years. Such backlash or declines are not substantiated in our own measurement of Starbucks Brand Health and Consumer Sentiment. Kantar Millward Brown has conducted on-going monthly measurement of Starbucks Brand Perceptions and Consumer Sentiment toward the Brand and saw no such impact in February 2017. In fact, in February 2017—after the announcement—we did not observe any substantive impact on Customer Consideration, Future Visitation Intent or Brand Perceptions or any other key performance metrics for the Starbucks brand.”

Kantar Millward Brown President Brian James sent a letter to Starbucks highlighting findings that refute information currently in the marketplace based upon research reports and speculative data about Starbucks business performance.

Market Research Firm Corrects the Record on Starbucks Brand

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New Reserve Roastery opening in the historic Palazzo Delle Poste building will be first in Europe

Milan, ITALY; February 28, 2017&nbsp;–&nbsp;Today, Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) announced its newest Roastery location on Piazza Cordusio in Milan with a dramatic unveiling of the building prior to its remodel. Set to open in late 2018, the Milan Reserve Roastery will be the first Starbucks Roastery to open in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, and the fifth&nbsp;globally.&nbsp;

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Located at the historic&nbsp;turn-of-the-century Palazzo Delle Poste building on Piazza Cordusio, this one-of-a-kind 25,500-square-foot retail space will feature the company’s premium, small-batch&nbsp;Reserve coffees served in a variety of brewing methods in a beautiful environment. &nbsp;

"As mayor and as a citizen of Milan I am pleased that an international company, known for its standing and reliability such as Starbucks, has decided to invest in our city, choosing the famous Post Office building as the site of its first store in Italy," said Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala. "On this occasion, I would like to welcome this new venture and thank Howard Schultz for choosing Milan. Starbucks is a brand famous worldwide. Its presence in the city is for us a further confirmation of the important attractiveness of Milan on the entrepreneurial scale."

At its recent Investor Day, Starbucks announced its ongoing investment in the premium Reserve brand, including opening 20-30 Roastery locations around the world, over time. This new location will be designed specifically for the Milanese customer, integrating the world-famous theatre of coffee in Italy and will offer freshly baked food on site from Italian artisan baker Rocco Princi, the exclusive food provider for all new global Roastery locations.

Following the Roastery opening, Italian licensee and business partner Percassi will open a small number of Starbucks stores in Milan for the balance of 2018.&nbsp; Each new store will be carefully designed and curated to respect the local community and unique Milanese context. Taking a respectful and measured approach to store openings is at the heart of the Starbucks strategy in Italy. Together with the Milan Roastery, Starbucks and Percassi will create job opportunities for around 350 partners (employees) in Italy.

Starbucks debut&nbsp;of its first Roastery in Seattle in 2014 was the most successful store opening&nbsp;in the company’s history. Since then, the company has announced additional Roastery locations coming to Shanghai in 2017 and New York as well as Tokyo in 2018.

Located at the historic turn-of-the-century Palazzo Delle Poste building on Piazza Cordusio, this one-of-a-kind 25,500-square-foot retail space will feature the company’s premium, small batch Reserve coffees.

Starbucks Roastery Coming to Milan in 2018

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“用星说” (Say it with Starbucks), a new social gifting feature on Weixin, fosters deeper human connections through the instant delivery of gratitude and love with the gift of Starbucks

SHANGHAI; February 10, 2017– Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) today announced the launch of“用星说” (Say it with Starbucks), a new social gifting feature on Weixin, in China. Co-created by Starbucks and Weixin, China’s leading mobile social communications service, this pioneering online-to-offline social gifting innovation encourages everyday acts of kindness and appreciation among family and friends, by enabling users to instantly and conveniently gift a Starbucks beverage or digital gift card. Starbucks is the first retail brand to bring to life a locally-relevant social gifting experience in China. The launch today follows the strategic partnership announcement between <a href="https://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-tencent-partnership">Starbucks and Tencent in December 2016</a>.

“Our new social gifting feature aims to deepen the shared moments of connection by allowing our customers to express their love, concern and gratitude, with the gift of Starbucks, to the people most important to them,” said <a href="https://news.starbucks.com/leadership/belinda-wong">Belinda Wong</a>, ceo, Starbucks China. ”By leveraging the power and reach of Weixin, we want to encourage everyday simple acts of kindness to put a smile on someone’s face at any time or place, while elevating the unique Starbucks Experience beyond our retail stores in China.”

During the initial launch period, Weixin has opened a convenient access for 'Say it with Starbucks’ users in its Weixin Wallet-function, demonstrating the significance of the strategic partnership to both companies. The Starbucks China Weixin official account continues to provide a fast, permanent access to the social gifting feature.

“This is the beginning of an exciting social gifting journey for Starbucks. During the trial phase two weeks ago, our partners (employees) and many Starbucks customers became the first in China to experience this innovation and have conveyed tens of thousands of gestures of love, gratitude and care to their friends and loved ones,” added Molly Liu, vp, China Digital Ventures. “We are looking forward to inspire even more of our customers to show their love and appreciation through ‘Say it with Starbucks.’ Meanwhile, we will continue to enhance the social gifting experience to celebrate important festivals and holidays in China and the special moments in our customers’ lives.”

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