The trip to Shanghai and Beijing was Narasimhan’s first visit outside of North America since he became chief executive officer of Starbucks on March 20.

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Laxman Narasimhan (纳思瀚), chief executive officer of Starbucks, has lived all around the world, held key leadership roles at a number of major companies and speaks six languages. But on his recent trip to China, Starbucks second largest market after the United States, he was there to learn.

“I have so much to learn from all of you,” he told the hundreds of Starbucks partners gathered during an open forum. “... Thank you for welcoming me into your house.”

During his first trip outside of North America since becoming ceo, he visited a number of stores across a variety of formats in Beijing and Shanghai, the Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/starbucks-unveils-bold-vision-for-china-coffee-innovation-park/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">China Coffee Innovation Park</a>, slated to open later this year, and more.&nbsp;Each store and location offered a window into the unique Starbucks Experience of partners and customers in China. The visit comes less than a month after Howard Schultz, Starbucks founder and chairman emeritus, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2023/photo-essay-starbucks-china-partners-visit-with-howard-schultz-chairman-emeritus/">visited partners in Beijing</a>, where he opened the first Starbucks in China in 1999. Schultz’s bold vision for the China business is legendary, as is his enduring love for partners in Starbucks second largest global market. It's a passion now shared by Narasimhan.

“I come with a great deal of respect,” Narasimhan told partners. “... And it’s amazing to see what you have done with coffee culture – the love you have for coffee and how we try and radiate that love to all the people around is amazing.&nbsp;(During my visit), I got to see the partners, the passion, the love for the company, the love for what you do.”

Over nearly 25 years, Starbucks has grown from one store in China to more than 6,200 across over 240 cities today and, on average, opens a new store about every nine hours, a feat Narasimhan attributes to Belinda Wong, chairwoman and chief executive officer of Starbucks China, and the strong all-Chinese leadership team. Wong, who has been with Starbucks for more than 20 of those years, is known not just for her business savvy – she regularly appears on lists of the most powerful businesswomen by Forbes and in Fortune – but also her passion for partners and communities.

Since January, before taking the helm as ceo, Narasimhan has been meeting virtually with Wong and members of the China Leadership Team each week so he could better understand the business.

“To Belinda and the China leadership team, I thank you,” he said, acknowledging their critical role that has made Starbucks a premiere brand in China through creating remarkable store experiences for customers, nurturing strong relationships with stakeholders and contributing to the specialty coffee industry. At the foundation of the company’s success is the leadership team’s commitment to caring for the 60,000 partners in China, with unprecedented investments such as critical illness insurance that covers not just Starbucks partners in China, but also their parents.

“I know what you and our China partners have been through over the last three years,” he told Wong and the leadership team. “… Thank you for keeping the faith. Thank you for remaining courageous. And thank you for continuing to build Starbucks China during that very difficult period. I deeply and personally thank all of you.”

Narasimhan stressed the company’s long-term commitment to China. “We have been here for 24 years. We want to be here for the next 25 and the next hundred beyond that. … I want you to know that that this is a long-term vision for us,” he said. “We have limitless possibilities in China – limitless.”

Limitless human connection

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One of Starbucks priorities is to become truly global, Narasimhan said. Another is to drive innovation, which is something that China is at the forefront of doing – not only with the products that are sold but in building bridges that connect people, whether that’s at a popup store in Beijing (top photo) or creating an environment that inspires, such as the Starbucks heritage culture gallery store in Beijing where a regular customer often sketches and paints (bottom photo). “We’re in the business of human connections and the opportunities are truly limitless,” he said.

Sometimes the connections are not only limited to humans. Narasimhan also visited one of the pet-friendly stores in China (second row, far right), pioneered by Wong, which feature special menu items and seating areas where owners and their pets can be together.

Gathering together, honoring the past and future

Starbucks now has more than 6,200 stores in more than 240 cities across the Chinese mainland – but it all started with the first store in Beijing that opened nearly 25 years ago, a place Narasimhan visited during his trip (second row, left). “This is the place where Starbucks started and from where Starbucks has grown.”

He also visited the Xitieying Wanda signing store in Beijing, where partners led a coffee tasting with Narasimhan, which was conducted in sign language. They taught him to make a heart shape with his thumb and index fingers. The store is one of a dozen in China so far and embodies Starbucks promise that, when it’s at its best, the company is building bridges to a better future for partners who proudly wear the green apron.

“You mean a lot to Starbucks. You mean a lot to me,” he told partners at one of the open forums (top photo).

In each of the stores he visited, he made a point to greet every partner. Narsimhan is a fully trained barista himself who works in stores a half-day each month to stay close to the realities of working in a retail store. One of those he met was Ricky Gu, store manager at the Shanghai Jiayuting store.

“It’s great that we finally get to meet him in person,” said Gu. “After listening to his story, I can feel his identification with Starbucks culture and values. He is a great listener who remembers all our names and stories. Having such a leader gives me a lot of confidence in Starbucks future.”

After each event, partners flocked to the China Partner App to share their stories of meeting the new ceo:

“Laxman came and gave fist bumps to all our partners in the store. Every day at Starbucks is so warm and happy!” — Shawn Xiao, barista in Beijing Fun store

“I was proud to host Laxman at our first store in China. Laxman gave us a lot of love, warmth and confidence. We are more motivated than ever to work shoulder to shoulder to achieve a brighter future.” — Kelvin Zhang, shift supervisor, Beijing China World Mall 4 store

“Laxman was very warm and approachable. We took photos together, shouting out ‘we are family!’” — Jennie Zhu, store manager, Shanghai Bingo Plaza store

“Laxman highlighted the importance of focusing on store partners. He gave us a sense of warmth and belonging. The future is full of limitless opportunities because we have each other.” — Joy Gou, Shift Supervisor, Walmart North Linyi Road store, Shanghai

During Partner Open Forums held in Beijing and Shanghai, Narasimhan spoke to partners, sharing his vision and hopes for the future, enjoyed coffee tastings led by partners and answered questions from them including how many cups of coffee he drinks a day (seven, he said, “but then I didn’t sleep so now I’m at four”) and what his favorite coffee beverage is (Doppio macchiato, which reminds him of the coffee he grew up with in South India).

When a partner asked him if he has a motto that has guided him during his life, he said he does. “My motto is ‘Be yourself.’ Because when you be yourself, and you operate in an environment, where you create the license for people to look up and speak and be themselves, magic happens. So thank you for letting me be me. And thank you for being you. And together, we can make magic.”

“We feel so much closer to Laks after his China visit,” said Raymond Zhang, Shanghai Support Center partner. “We hope it has given him a vivid, firsthand experience of the rapid changes and development in China over the years. And we hope he will visit his Starbucks China family more often in the future.”

“We are at our best when we give more than we take from the environment,” said Narasimhan. During his visit, he stopped by several Greener Stores, including the first Greener Store in China, located in Shanghai. The Greener Stores in China are among the 3,500 around the world designed to meet specific standards across environmental impact areas.

At one store, partners presented him with an apron they’d designed for him to commemorate his visit, which included a drawing of him.

Listening and learning at the Starbucks Support Center in Shanghai

At the Starbucks Support Center in Shanghai, Narasimhan met with partners to ask questions, listen, learn and immerse more deeply into the China business. He visited each team, from coffee and marketing to R&amp;D to store development, technology, finance, human resources and more to see how cross functional collaboration comes to life in China.

He said that one of the most important things he’s learned in life is that “you have to be humble. You've got to be humble about the fact that you don't know everything. You have to be able to ask questions, you’ve got to be yourself. But the real thing here is you've just got to continuously learn.”

Meeting customers where they are at

Starbucks commitment to connection isn’t limited to inside the stores. In China, Starbucks offers an innovative new curbside pickup service (top photo) delivery (second row, left), and a range of packaged coffee and ready-to-drink beverages at grocery stores (second row, right) to meet customers wherever they are at.&nbsp;

Even just a moment is an opportunity, Narasimhan said. “You see it in their eyes, when you hand the cup off to them, you know, we are in the business of human connection. So, when you hand that cup over, and you say their name ... what you realize is you've made a connection, you have made a change, you have uplifted their every day.”

Narasimhan also visited the China Coffee Innovation Park, which will open this fall in in Kunshan, about an hour from Shanghai. Starbucks has invested more than $150 million to construct the innovation park, Starbucks largest manufacturing investment outside of the U.S. and its first in Asia. It will feature one of the first sustainable roasting plants in Starbucks global network, smart supply chain operations enabled by state-of-the-art technologies, and an immersive Experience Center that will showcase sustainable practices across the “Bean to Cup” coffee journey to all visitors.

Leaning into the joy of human connection

“We need to have some fun, because this is a fun business,” said Narasimhan, shown with Wong, during a visit to a Starbucks Reserve® store in Shanghai (top photo). “... We believe in joy, we believe in belonging, we believe in care.”

Narasimhan told partners that sharing ourselves and our stories connects us as people. “It's your stories that enliven the fabric that make up this company -- that enlivens the green apron that all of us wear. At the end of the day, with every cup, with every conversation, with every community, what you can do is you can nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection.”

The trip to Shanghai and Beijing was Narasimhan’s first visit outside of North America since he became chief executive officer of Starbucks on March 20.

Starbucks ceo Laxman Narasimhan visits partners in China

Stories to inspire and nurture the human spirit

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Starbucks is launching its new Artist Collaboration program with a colorful debut collaboration with Tim Singleton, arriving in Starbucks stores in the U.S. and Canada starting May 30. The program celebrates and elevates the voices and stories of artists from around the world through uniquely curated merchandise in Starbucks stores.

When asked to describe the vibrant palette he chose for his new collaboration with Starbucks, Tim Singleton says, “It’s my favorite color – all of them.” The Toronto-based artist and illustrator used electric shades of punchy cyan, magenta, vibrant pink, key lime green and citrusy orange and a mixture of iconography for the joyful collection. “I always like my work to put a smile on people’s faces.”

The new Starbucks drinkware collaboration with Singleton is arriving in Starbucks stores in the United States and Canada on May 30. The collection is the first in a series through the Starbucks Artist Collaboration Program, which celebrates and elevates the voices and stories of artists from around the world through uniquely curated merchandise in Starbucks stores.

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“A lot of the work that I do focuses on queerness and how that has inspired me – both as a queer person and a gay man and how I relate to the world with that,” he said.

Singleton’s collection is a mish-mash of pop culture, queer culture and nostalgia with bold visuals and rainbow-bright colors. “It really is a story of self-expression and the unrelenting freedom to express yourself how you want, and that there isn’t really one right way to do it,” Singleton said.

Exclusively designed for Starbucks, the drinkware collection includes two 24-ounce (venti) plastic cold cups with glitter artwork and a 16-ounce stainless steel tumbler, while supplies last.

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Building a culture of inclusion

Starbucks strives to create a culture of inclusion and is a proud ally of the LGBTQIA2+ community, affirming every way people may choose to identify. Starbucks has a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/starbucks-pride-a-long-legacy-of-lgbtq-inclusion/">long history of supporting its LGBTQIA2+ partners and communities</a>, from advocating to providing broader healthcare coverage for procedures and services that support gender affirmation.

Learn more about how The Starbucks Foundation uplifts communities from around the world. With more than $20 million invested into communities throughout the world this past year, The Starbucks Foundation supports nonprofit organizations in partnership with Starbucks partners (employee) and others with shared commitment and belief in stronger, more equitable communities.&nbsp;

Starbucks Artist Collaboration Program celebrates and elevates the voices and stories of artists from around the world through uniquely curated merchandise in Starbucks stores.

New line of Starbucks merchandise celebrates unique stories of artists around the world

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Here you’ll find the latest summertime news and stories happening at Starbucks.

Starbucks Welcomes Summer with New Frappuccino and Cold Brew Coffee

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Soak Up the Sun with Starbucks New Summer Merchandise

20 unique Starbucks destinations around the world

Meet the partners behind the new Starbucks Green Apron Blend coffee

Ready-to-Drink Starbucks Pink Drink Coming Soon to Grocery Shelves Nationwide

2023 Starbucks summer highlights

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Are you longing for a little adventure? Perhaps you’d like to sip a cappuccino on the terrace in Milan, or watch surfers catch the next wave in South Africa while enjoying your Starbucks Cold Brew. This summer, ten lucky Starbucks Rewards members will win the grand prize of this year’s <a href="https://www.starbuckssummergame.com?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=us&amp;utm_campaign=sg23" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Summer Game</a> – the Starbucks Adventure of a Lifetime – a five-night, all expenses paid trip for two to visit a city that hosts one of the most unique Starbucks stores in the world. Where are you booking your ticket?&nbsp;

Muizenberg Beach – Muizenberg, South Africa

On the shores of Cape Town is the beachside hamlet of Muizenberg, South Africa. Customers can enjoy the town’s laid back vibe from the <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator/store/1030790/muizenberg-muizenberg-beach-phase-4-beach-road-cape-town-wc-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Muizenberg store</a> while watching the sunset over the beach through the store’s glazed façade, as well as the ocean-inspired Siren artwork and bar.&nbsp;

Carter Road – Mumbai, India&nbsp;

The <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator/store/1032391/carter-road-union-park-road-carter-road-mumbai-mh-400050-in" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Carter Road store</a> in Mumbai, India – where all the seating is outdoors – offers an exquisite alfresco sipping environment. The café, located in the coastal suburb of Bandra, is surrounded by lush plants and palm trees. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy the ocean breezes from the Arabian Sea and watch the world zip by on the nearby the seaside promenade.&nbsp;

Starbucks Dewata Coffee Experience – Bali, Indonesia&nbsp;

A one-of-a-kind experience in the Asia Pacific coffee-growing region, the <a href="https://dewata.starbucks.co.id/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Dewata Coffee Experience</a> in Bali, Indonesia offers an exploration into the world of Indonesian coffee. Right through the front door is a terrace filled with Arabica coffee trees, which then opens into interconnected spaces where visitors are invited to rake coffee beans or try coffee bean de-pulping and washing during harvest seasons. This immersive coffee sanctuary, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2019/starbucks-opens-one-of-a-kind-coffee-sanctuary-in-bali-indonesia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">which first opened its doors in 2019</a>, features <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2022/coffee-experience-center-at-starbucks-dewata/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a new Coffee Experience Center</a> where customers can learn about the art and science behind sourcing, roasting, and brewing coffee – bringing the coffee journey full circle from bean to cup.&nbsp;

Wadakura Fountain Park – Tokyo, Japan

In the Outer Gardens of Tokyo’s Imperial Palace lives the <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator/store/1031122/kokyo-gaien-wadakura-fountain-park-3-1-kokyogaien-chiyoda-ku-13-100-0002-jp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wadakura Fountain Park store</a>, which serves as a hub to test and scale new <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2021/starbucks-first-greener-store-in-japan-aims-to-cut-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sustainability strategies</a>. Here, what’s old is new – with repurposed materials that celebrate circularity from artwork created using recycled canvas and fishing nets to floor tiles made from coffee grounds.

Starbucks Reserve® Chao Phraya Riverfront – Bangkok, Thailand&nbsp;

The <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator/store/1023642/iconsiam-charoen-nakhon-rd-khlong-ton-sai-bangkok-10-10600-" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Reserve® Chao Phraya Riverfront store</a>, in Thailand’s capital of Bangkok, serves small-lot Starbucks Reserve coffees and Thailand’s own <a href="https://www.starbucks.co.th/product/muan-jai-blend/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Muan Jai Blend</a>. The store is the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2021/starbucks-unveils-largest-store-in-thailand/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">largest Starbucks</a> in the country and celebrates Thai culture with a mezzanine ceiling that features beautifully crafted lanterns in a nod to the city’s Loy Krathong festival. The crowning jewel is the outdoor terrace, which offers panoramic views of Bangkok’s skyline and the bustling Chao Phraya River, also known as the “River of Kings.”&nbsp;

Central America and The Caribbean

Hacienda Alsacia - San Luis, Costa Rica&nbsp;

Located in San Luis, Sabanilla, Alajuela, off the slopes of the Poas volcano, this 240-hectare farm has become Starbucks global agronomy headquarters. Arabica beans were first introduced to Costa Rica in the 1700s, and today coffee is an important part of the country's economy. To help ensure the future of coffee, the mission of <a href="https://www.starbuckscoffeefarm.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hacienda Alsacia</a> is clear: Create best practices to make growing coffee more profitable for small-scale farms; develop the next generation of disease-resistant, high-quality coffee; and share information and resources freely with farmers around the world. Tickets to <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/5-things-to-know-about-starbucks-farm-hacienda-alsacia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experience</a> the Hacienda Alsacia Visitor Center include a 90-minute guided tour, coffee tastings, parking and a take-away bandana.&nbsp;

Blue Mall Punta Cana – Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

<a href="https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/press/2023/starbucks-opens-first-drive-thru-store-in-dominican-republic-with-expansion-to-punta-cana/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The first Starbucks location in Punta Cana</a>, located at the <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator?map=18.55841,-68.38235,15z&amp;place=Punta%20Cana,%20Dominican%20Republic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Blue Mall Punta Cana</a>, pays tribute to the “Jewel of the Caribbean” by combining high-quality arabica coffee and a comfortable atmosphere inspired by local culture with the convenience of Starbucks drive-thru service. The store features murals painted by local artist, Ivanna Candelier, telling the story of Starbucks bond with the Dominican land, the local people, and the magic of the coffee bean.

Grand Turks Cruise Terminal - Turks &amp; Caicos

The <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator?map=21.42728,-71.14487,15z&amp;place=Turks%20and%20Caicos%20Islands" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Grand Turks Cruise Terminal store</a> keeps the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2019/starbucks-opens-first-store-in-grand-turk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">authentic Caribbean feel</a> with its pink exterior and light interior palette, creating a tropical theme. The back of the store features a mural, hand-painted by artist Maria Camila Bernal Toro of Remedios Art, showing the Siren — a Starbucks icon — with her double-tail bent underwater. The artist recreated the Siren to evoke the same tranquility and pleasure so many travelers in the past were rumored to search for among the Sea.&nbsp;

Boulevard des Capucines – Paris, France&nbsp;

In the heart of Paris lies the <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator/store/20277/capucines-3-boulevard-des-capucines-paris-j-75002-fr" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boulevard des Capucines store</a>, which has undergone extensive design work to restore some of the building’s historic features. The original building and courtyard date back to the 17th century, and two decades later it became an iconic department store selling fabrics and textiles. Perfectly located near the beautiful Opéra Garnier in the centre of Paris, it boasts one of the most enviable locations in Paris, and <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2017/starbucks-unveils-boulevard-des-capucines-store-in-paris/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first opened its doors</a> as a Starbucks store in June 2006.&nbsp;

Starbucks Reserve® Roastery – Milan, Italy&nbsp;

In Milan, one of the global capitals of fashion and design, close to the famous Duomo di Milano cathedral is the <a href="https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us/locations/milano" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Reserve® Roastery in Milan</a>. Here, one can <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/top-10-things-to-know-starbucks-reserve-roastery-milan/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">immerse</a> in the world of coffee, watch Master Roasters roast the small-batch coffees Starbucks Reserve® is known for, and choose some beans from the scoop bar for the trip home. Cap off the visit with a cappuccino at a café table in a bronze bird cage out on the terrace or an Aperol Spritz at the marble-topped Arriviamo Bar.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Piazza Montecitorio – Rome, Italy&nbsp;

The first<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/a-room-with-a-view-for-the-first-starbucks-opening-in-the-center-of-rome/"> Starbucks location in Rome</a>, this lively store overlooks Piazza Montecitorio,, the historic and political heart of the ‘Eternal City’. Designed with travertine marble and tuff, typical of traditional Roman Buildings, the store features chromatic tones mirror those used in Piazza Montecitorio, in addition to dynamic artwork and a coffee bar inviting customers to take a seat and experience Rome’s deep-rooted coffee culture.

Valletta Waterfront – Valletta, Malta&nbsp;

The Maltese capital of Valletta is known for its colorful doors, which for centuries stood as beacons for sea traders crisscrossing the Mediterranean. Behind a lime green one lives the <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator/store/1028488/valletta-republic-street-republic-street-valletta-60-vlt-mt" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Valletta Waterfront store</a> in Floriana, the first Starbucks location in the island-state of Malta. The store was designed to reflect Valletta’s heritage as a trading hub with wood, marble and dark, sophisticated finishes that contrast with the lighter stone façade of the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2019/starbucks-welcomes-first-customers-in-malta/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">city’s iconic waterfront</a>.&nbsp;

Tower Place – London, U.K.&nbsp;

In London, the <a href="https://www.starbucks.co.uk/store-locator/store/2859/tower-place-east-lower-thames-st-3-tower-place-london-eng-ec-3-r-5-bt-gb?types=starbucks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tower Place store</a> has been carefully designed to champion handcrafted coffee and celebrate coffee craft culture, complete with a dedicated space for the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2021/new-reserve-bar-in-londons-tower-place/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">innovative Reserve Bar</a> where customers can experience the first Black Eagle coffee machine in the U.K. The state-of-the-art machine provides customers with advanced customization options, such as adjusting the bean ratio, brewing time and water temperature – all operated by highly skilled baristas.&nbsp;

Starbucks Reserve® Bluewaters Island – Dubai, UAE&nbsp;

On the shores of the Persian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates is the <a href="https://www.starbucks.ae/en/reserve-store-starbucks-bluewaters-island" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Reserve® Bluewaters Island</a> in Dubai, which has the distinction of being the 1,000th Starbucks store in the Middle East and North Africa region. The location, which features an eye-catching interior and spectacular outdoor seating, welcomes visitors catching a ride on the nearby Ain Dubai observation wheel.&nbsp;

Rosemary Square - West Palm Beach, Florida&nbsp;

In Florida’s West Palm Beach is the <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator/store/1030803/s-rosemary-ave-hibiscus-st-701-south-rosemary-avenue-west-palm-beach-fl-33401" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks at Rosemary Square.</a> This store offers a bright, airy palette, and sweeping light fixtures overhead to the nuanced coral details on the outdoor columns by the patio. A mural of the Starbucks Siren is front and center, providing customers with a luxurious escape.&nbsp;

Starbucks Reserve® Roastery – Chicago, Illinois&nbsp;

The largest Starbucks in the world can be found on the famed Michigan Avenue – <a href="https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us/locations/chicago" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Chicago</a>. Here, burlap bags of green (unroasted) Starbucks Reserve beans are roasted and then piped to coffee bars located on each level where they are crafted into beverages. Standing as the centerpiece of the roastery is a 56-foot steel cask (the company’s tallest), a sculptural blend of form and function, where coffee beans go to rest and de-gas after being roasted. The <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/top-10-things-to-know-about-starbucks-chicago-roastery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">design celebrates coffee</a> as an agricultural product, inspired by misty green hills of coffee trees with rays of sun that radiate outward. The Starbucks Reserve® Roastery Chicago is sure to exceed expectations in many ways — including the delicious, eye-catching and Instagram-worthy beverages crafted and served throughout the building’s five floors.&nbsp;

Starbucks Reserve® Empire State Building – New York City, New York&nbsp;

It’s the “World’s Most Famous Building” and has been an indelible part of New York’s skyline for nearly a century. Perhaps there’s nothing that says New York more than the Empire State Building. From the bustling sidewalk of Fifth Avenue, the <a href="https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us/locations/esb" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Reserve® Empire State Building®</a> store looks like it has been there since the beginning. It doesn’t have that familiar green Siren logo, but an Art Deco façade with the words “Starbucks Reserve” crafted in vintage aluminum lettering. The 23,000 square feet <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/new-starbucks-reserve-store-in-new-yorks-iconic-empire-state-building-unveiled/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">one-of-a-kind coffee destination</a> that spans three floors pays homage to the heritage of the Empire State Building and Starbucks history in New York.&nbsp;

Starbucks Reserve® Roastery - Seattle, Washington

In December 2014, Starbucks opened its first-ever <a href="https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us/locations/seattle" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Reserve® Roastery</a> in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Located just nine blocks from the original Pike Place Store, the <a href="https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us/articles/the-seattle-roastery" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Seattle Roastery</a> is an immersive expression of passion for coffee and invites customers to experience coffee from bean to cup. It is the fulfillment of a decade-long dream — a homage to Starbucks relentless pursuit of coffee innovation that creates the most immersive, sensory demonstration of how Starbucks sources, roasts and crafts the finest coffee from around the world.&nbsp;

La Lucila – Buenos Aires, Argentina&nbsp;

What people first notice about the <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator/store/1020177/la-lucila-dt-av-del-libertador-13100-buenos-aires-a-1650-ar" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">La Lucila store</a> in bustling Buenos Aires is the impressive exterior artwork that portrays two iconic Argentinian birds ─ the Cortarramas and the Gorrión ─ flying over a coffee plantation. Argentina’s national flower, the coral tree, is also represented in the mural painted by Fio Silva. What’s also wonderful about the streetside art is that it can still be enjoyed by customers ordering their favorite beverages on the go. La Lucila store is the first Drive-Thru available in Argentina, meeting the needs of the Porteños, the people who inhabit the bustling city of Buenos Aires.&nbsp;

Santos Dumont – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil&nbsp;

The <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator/store/1021518/aeroporto-santos-dumont-praca-senador-salgado-filho-rio-de-janeiro-rj-2002" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Santos Dumont store</a> is located inside Rio’s airport of the same name. Unlike other airport stores that blend in with the architecture and style of the buildings they’re found in, this particular Starbucks store stands out due to its minimalistic and beautiful design. The artwork on the windows pays homage to the anniversary siren, while the bar’s woodwork is inspired by Ipanema’s iconic sidewalks. The warm colors of the walls and finishes evoke Rio’s stunning sunsets and sunrises, and the terrazzo flooring is reminiscent of the city’s beaches.&nbsp;

Are you longing for a little adventure? Perhaps you’d like to sip a cappuccino on the terrace in Milan or watch surfers catch wave in SA.

20 Unique Starbucks Stores Around the World

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Are you longing for a little adventure? Perhaps you’d like to sip a cappuccino on the terrace in Milan, or watch surfers catch the next wave in South Africa while enjoying your Starbucks Cold Brew.

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When Lisa Price, who started with Starbucks as a barista in 1994, got her first corporate job with the company in 1996, she was a coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Regional office, welcoming store and district managers as they arrived for meetings. One day a store manager came in with a problem. One of her store partners, a single mother, was about to be evicted from her house. “What can we do to help?” the manager asked. This question would drive Price and a group of partners – Rene Suruda, Dixie McCullough and Joan Moffat – to start a fund to help Starbucks partners (employees) in need

Over the next two years, the team would build a new program from scratch, with each volunteering for a different role to keep it moving forward. Price remembers working with the Starbucks Creative Studio to create a logo and the tri-fold brochure (remember those?) that announced the program. They invited partners to contribute, even as little as $1 per paycheck, and organized bake sales and fundraisers. They named it the Caring Unites Partners Fund –<a href="https://www.starbucksbenefits.com/en-us/home/partner-family-support/caring-unites-partners-cup-fund/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> the CUP Fund</a>. By partners, for partners.

“I was just an office coordinator and working on the CUP Fund wasn’t my full-time job,” Price said. “It was none of our full-time jobs, but it was cool to be able to launch an idea and be supported by the company to do so.”&nbsp;

By 1998, they launched a pilot in the Pacific Northwest region, awarding 15 grants for a total of $13,095. The program quickly grew nationwide across the United States, and would ultimately expand to Canada, Japan and China. In its 25 years, it has helped partners in the aftermath of flooding and fires, catastrophes like <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/starbucks-partner-recalls-the-road-to-recovery-after-katrina/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hurricane Katrina</a> and <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2011/starbucks-coffee-japan-continues-its-dedication-to-japans-relief-and-recove/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Japan’s earthquake and tsunami</a>, and <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-commits-10m-usd-in-covid-19-relief-for-partners-around-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">COVID-19</a>. It has also helped partners navigate personal challenges, like unexpected deaths in the family and domestic violence situations. For those working on the program, the reward would be the letters they would receive of thanks from partners they were able to help.&nbsp;

“People would give such heartfelt ‘thank you’s,” Price said. “There was a ton of appreciation for what we were trying to do.”&nbsp;

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While the day-to-day administration of the program would transition from the volunteer committee to a more formal one with the hiring of a full-time administrator, Price would go on to become a leader in the Starbucks partner resources organization in her 20 years with the company (she is now Chief Human Resources Officer at Domino’s Pizza). In addition to continued partner support through payroll deductions and contributions, starting today, May 9, the CUP Fund will receive a boost from contributions to the fund raised from sales of the new partner-created Starbucks® Green Apron Blend™ coffee.&nbsp;

Reflecting on the impact the CUP Fund has made starting with that first partner in need more than 25 years ago, Price said, “It’s amazing to have the opportunity to impact the trajectory of people’s lives. I think that’s just the type of company Starbucks is.”&nbsp;

Since its inception in 1998, the CUP Fund has benefited more than 71,000 partners with more than $51 million in grants, and there is a story behind each one. Three partners share theirs:&nbsp;

Janice Williams-Harp, store manager, Lake Orion, Michigan&nbsp;&nbsp;

Janice Williams-Harp likes to tell her story to every new partner she onboards; it helps set the right tone. It was 2012, and she was two weeks into her role as an assistant store manager in Auburn Hills, Michigan, when her husband came running into her store.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We lost everything,” Williams-Harp remembers. “We had the clothes on our body and that was it. We had a small child at the time. What do you need? I didn’t know where to start. Everything.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The very next day, through the CUP Fund, she received a grant for $1,000 that she used to pay first and last month's rent for temporary housing, where her family lived for four months, figuring out what to do next. She and her husband had put most of their savings into the home, which they’d purchased just a few years before.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I hadn’t received a paycheck yet,” says Williams-Harp, who’s been a store manager now for almost 10 years. “That generosity, on the worst day of my life, it speaks volumes to who we are. It defined who this company is to me.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jen Richmann, retail leader recruiter, Fresno, California&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2007, when Jen Richmann was a Starbucks barista, her brother became ill and died unexpectedly. He was a single parent of two girls. They all lived together on the same property.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“In that moment, we were going to pay for the funeral and make sure the girls had what they needed,” Richmann says. “We made the hard decision that we were just going to have to be late on the mortgage (that month). We were all we had and trying to figure out how can we get through this together.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

A couple months later, stressed about not being able to catch up, she confided in her store manager, who recommended looking into the CUP Fund. The grant covered her late payment, paid off some bills, and “It really did allow us to breathe,” she remembers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Richmann advanced in her career, moving up to store manager and in 2021, earning her degree through the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which covers 100 percent tuition at Arizona State University. Later that year, she transitioned into a full-time recruiter role.&nbsp;&nbsp;

And her two nieces? One graduated from college and has a child of her own. The other is a military spouse living at a base in Colorado.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“They’re both grown and thriving,” Richmann says. “I really believe that generosity closed the gap for us to not have to struggle more than what we needed to.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Richard Foland, district manager, Houston, Texas&nbsp;&nbsp;

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston, including the first-floor apartment where Richard Foland lived.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Complete destruction. Four-and-a-half-feet of water,” Foland remembers. “When you experience seeing your personal belongings just floating around you – the refrigerator was floating, my couches were floating – it’s the most helpless feeling.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Foland, a 10-year partner who started as a barista, considers himself lucky. He was able to get into temporary housing while the water receded. An expedited CUP Fund check helped him buy groceries, a bag of dog food, and other necessities like extra clothes and towels.&nbsp;

“There’s a responsibility that we have as Starbucks leaders and culture keepers to keep this topic going,” Foland says. “It’s how we pull the green thread through. It’s how we share with each other. It’s partners helping other partners, doing the right thing. That’s us living our mission and values.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Since 1998, the Caring Unites Partners (CUP) Fund, Starbucks employee relief fund, has helped thousands of partners with emergency assistance during times of financial need.

25 years of Starbucks CUP Fund: By partners, for partners

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After 32 years at Starbucks, Leslie Wolford thinks a lot about the word heritage. She’s had a career that started as a barista near the downtown Seattle public library, a career during which she’s helped develop some of the brand’s most iconic coffees, including Pike Place Roast® and Veranda Blend®.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“When a lot of people think about heritage, we talk about 1982 when Howard Schultz started, the past, dark roasts, black coffee, all those things,” says Wolford, a lead on the Starbucks coffee development team.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“That’s why Green Apron Blend is a milestone because it creates a new heritage. It creates a stepping stone to the next generation of partners (employees) about what heritage looks like.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Starbucks® Green Apron Blend™ is the company's newest coffee, launching in stores May 9, and is unique because it was created by Starbucks store partners (employees). Nearly 24,000 idea submissions from store partners shaped its flavor and roast profiles, as well as which regions the coffee was sourced from, and the look and feel of the packaging.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As part of Starbucks ongoing commitment to partners, $5 per each one-pound whole-bean bag of Green Apron Blend and, for a limited time, 10 cents per each brewed cup will go to the Starbucks Caring Unites Partners (CUP) Fund, an emergency resource started 25 years ago by partners for partners to help in times of need, such as a family emergency or after a natural disaster.&nbsp;

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“At the end of the day, the partners in the stores are the ones selling the coffee, so we should recognize that they have a lot of opportunity to lean in,” Wolford says. “How great is that when we can build something together?”&nbsp;

For Wolford, this project was an opportunity to think about coffee in a different way. She acknowledges how times and tastes have changed. A whole new generation of baristas and customers have grown up around iced beverages, refreshers and cold brews, Wolford says, and don’t think about coffee heritage the same way she does.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Last year, Starbucks reported that cold beverages <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/08/style/iced-coffee-starbucks.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accounted for almost 75 percent of its drink sales</a>.&nbsp;

“Green Apron Blend has to fire on a lot of different levels and not just live on the shelf as a packaged coffee, so how can we reinvent it in different ways and bring it to life?” Wolford says.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“When you experiment with this coffee, whether brewing it as hot in the Bunn brewer, Clover Vertica or in a coffee press, you really get more of the citrus notes from the African origins and the toasty graham cracker notes from the Latin American components. Then when you introduce it in a cold style such as iced or cold brew, that's going to be more sweet-forward. It's super refreshing and it has an energy which I think is really going to be exciting over ice.”&nbsp;

The input gathering process was meaningful for Wolford as well. Store partners were coming off the isolation and stress of the COVID-19 pandemic when the Green Apron Blend project launched, and while themes emerged about the direction of the coffee itself, partners also responded deeply and emotionally to the open-ended questions, Wolford says.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We offered up a bunch of questions: What’s your favorite coffee? How do you celebrate coffee? How do you like to drink coffee? What’s your favorite origin? Really coffee-related,” Wolford says. “But threaded through were all these narratives about self-care, being a group that supported each other, not being left behind, diversity and inclusion.”&nbsp;

“My takeaway is when we are sharing this coffee and celebrating it, everyone can feel proud. We really wanted to make sure that our partners voices were heard.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Roaster and the coffee&nbsp;

Long before he was promoted to the role of master roaster at the Starbucks Augusta Roasting Plant in Georgia, Ryan Kirkland worked as a chemical operator, helping build an organic compound used for synthetic fibers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Never in a million years,” he says, could he have imagined himself not only appreciating new coffees, but searching for subtle tasting notes of honeybell orange and graham cracker.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“At that point in time, it was, coffee tastes like coffee. I couldn't taste the difference in any of it,” Kirkland says. “But now going through sensory (experience training) and really focusing in on these different attributes… My wife calls me a coffee snob.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

At Augusta, Kirkland oversees the production of the Green Apron Blend, a 50/50 blend of coffees sourced from Latin America and Africa that – after it’s roasted light and fast – give it the aforementioned flavors. The overall profile is sweet, citrusy, fruity and nutty.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“The roast profile we chose to run this coffee on is extremely fast,” Kirkland says. “It's much lighter than what we would normally run most Starbucks coffees to. Because of how we roasted it, we didn't generate quite as much acidity as we would have with other coffees.&nbsp;

“By having something that's really well-rounded, it makes it really easy to brew, no matter what brewing method you choose.”&nbsp;

Augusta, which opened in 2012, is Starbucks newest roasting plant. It produces almost all the Frappuccino powder that’s used at Starbucks around the world and much of the Starbucks Blonde Espresso sent to stores. It roasted the initial batches of Green Apron Blend that were <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/starbucks-partners-taste-first-sip-of-starbucks-green-apron-blend-a-new-coffee-created-by-partners-for-partners/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first tasted by partners</a>, last October during the District Manager Leadership Experience and with in-store partner tastings across the United States and Canada.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As a master roaster, Kirkland makes sure his plant’s systems are set up to be reliable and consistent, so each particular coffee tastes the same today as it will five years from now and tastes the same as what’s made at other Starbucks roasting plants around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Having a bag of coffee and having the plant partners taste it and pick up on the attributes, that is rewarding because we're actually doing the coffee justice,” Kirkland says. “We're taking the time to not only roast the coffee, but pick up on the attributes that could have gotten lost had somebody else gotten a hold of that coffee.”&nbsp;

Behind the new bag design

Once the recipe and the roast were perfected, Bridget Shilling in the Starbucks Creative Studio was tasked with the design for the packaging. A bag of Starbucks coffee is like a blank canvas for designers to tell the story of the coffee inside. 

For her composition, Shilling was drawn to the stories of Wolford, Kirkland and the thousands of partners who submitted their ideas, as well as the distinctive flavor notes of Starbucks® Blonde Roast coffee.&nbsp;

“Celebrating green apron partners is the heart of this design and some of my favorite details are the apron strings that flow about the composition,” Shilling say. “They shine through in a silver foil and celebrate our partners tying on the green apron, weaving in and out of each other behind the bar, crafting beverages, passing cups, knowing exactly where to be around one another. There’s also the perspective of synergy in how the coffee was created from our partners in the roasting plants, our coffee buyers and the farmers who grew the coffee trees.”

The design of Green Apron Blend celebrates the contributions of partners in the journey of coffee with symbols representing the care that goes into each step from bean to cup:&nbsp;

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Andy Brawner, lead copywriter on the project, wants partners to see their contributions reflected in the design when they pick up a bag of Green Apron Blend.&nbsp;

“I hope partners see themselves in it; that it feels like the story they would want to tell,” Brawner says. “This paying tribute to our green apron partners, and I hope they feel pride and that it resonates with them.”&nbsp;

Green Apron Blend is Starbucks newest coffee, created with the help of Starbucks store partners from nearly 24,000 submissions.

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Bachelor’s degree in philosophy

Jon Liechty had always considered himself a good student. In high school he got good grades and took so many advanced placement classes that he started college at the age of 17 at the level of almost a junior. But then he quickly flunked out.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“It was such a shock for me, because, you know, academics had not been something I ever struggled with,” said Liechty. “I was always highly successful but got to a point where I required more discipline and self starting than I had at that point in my life. And, you know, I was entirely lost.”&nbsp;

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