A summer to celebrate: 20 years of Starbucks in France
Starbucks partners are welcoming the world to Paris this summer with a special collection of food, beverages and merchandise.
When Starbucks first opened its doors in France in 2004, the Associated Press declared, “Mon Dieu! France finally gets a Starbucks.”
At the time, Starbucks had more than 7,000 stores around the world, serving more than 30 million customers each week. That included 500 stores in Europe, starting in London in 1998 and soon following on the continent with new stores in Switzerland, Germany and Greece.
Yet France was elusive. Many wondered if a global coffeehouse would mesh with the country’s iconic coffee culture. At a press conference for the grand opening, Howard Schultz, who was then Starbucks global chief strategist, acknowledged these concerns. “We’re not coming in here assuming we’re going to be successful,” he said. “We have to earn the loyalty of the French customer. We are coming here in a very humble way.”
Customer by customer, and store by store, Starbucks started to connect with the people of France. Twenty-year partner Nicole, a shift supervisor at the Rue de Rivoli store, joined Starbucks in Paris as a barista in 2004 after seeing the brand on the hit show, “Sex in the City.”
“When I started at Starbucks, there was a strong sense of family and I felt free to be myself,” Nicole said. “Parisians were curious and excited to discover this new brand and its unique beverages, especially Frappuccino beverages and iced coffees, which were completely new to them.”
Two years later, Rachid, a 25-year partner, joined the Starbucks France team when he moved back to his home country from the UK in 2006. “When I returned to France two years after the opening of the market, I was struck by how amazing the power of the brand had become, the long queues of customers before each opening of our stores, and the passion for the brand,” he said.
By Starbucks fifth anniversary in France in 2009, Starbucks had locations in Paris and Lyon, and cut the ribbon on its 50th store in the market with a groundbreaking new store at Disneyland Paris in Disney Village. Over the next few years, the company’s footprint would grow to new cities like Marseille and Bordeaux. Designers completed a dramatic renovation of the Boulevard des Capicines and opened the first Starbucks Reserve store in at Les 4 Temps in La Défense. The company expanded to grocery stores and bustling airports and train stations.
Store designers listened to French customers and tailored its stores to French customers with more seating and patios. Menus adapted too, with pastries and treats that were less sweet than some other markets, including local breakfast staples like croissants and pains au chocolat pastries.
Rachid, who now oversees Safety & Security, Quality Assurance and Information Technology for Starbucks in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, said that coffee remains at the center of the Starbucks Experience.
“Coffee is deeply ingrained in the daily lives of the French people,” he said. “At Starbucks, we want to be able to accompany them daily, to be their coffee partner, by offering a range of products that meet their needs at different times of the day – the morning latte, the lunchtime espresso, the afternoon Caramel Macchiato.”
Today, Starbucks and partner Alsea operate 248 stores throughout France that welcome a mix of visitors and locals, with dozens of languages spoken each day. Starbucks and Alsea continue to open new stores, like the new one at Forum des Halles, and beautiful new renovations at Arcade Champs Elysees and the original location at 26 Avenue de l'Opéra.
Reflecting on Starbucks 20th anniversary celebration, Nicole feels that the core spirit of the brand has endured over her two decades with the company. “The essence of Starbucks, which is about creating a welcoming environment and focusing on customer satisfaction, has stayed the same,” she said. “The soul of the brand, which aims to make the customer feel special and to introduce them to our unique offerings, remains unchanged.”
“We are l’amour”
This summer, Starbucks is welcoming the world to Paris with a message of love in both English and French (frenglish), “We are l’amour.” Partners at Starbucks stores around the city will be wearing special aprons and pins identifying the languages they speak to quickly connect partners and international guests. And stores are offering a special collection of food, beverages and merchandise. Limited-time items include Starbucks Reserve™ Paris Blend coffee — roasted at the Starbucks Reserve™ Roastery in Milan — Paris city merchandise, cœur (heart) and golden donuts, and an adorable Bearista Bear that is complete with a beret and a baguette – the perfect way to commemorate such a special time in the City of Light.
