In 2015, Starbucks launched its <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-expands-commitment-in-underserved-communities-across-the-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Community Store Program</a> to help strengthen the communities where we live, work and grow. These stores offer unique opportunities for Starbucks partners (employees) to connect with, engage and represent the communities they serve. One way this can be seen is through custom artwork found within these stores. Throughout the world, Starbucks works with local creators of all backgrounds to develop unique art pieces for its Community Stores, celebrating local community customs, traditions and heritage.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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While Starbucks Community Stores serve different groups and different cultures around the world, each of the unique art pieces within these stores depict the power of connection and belonging, core to the company’s mission.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Farming &amp; Cultivation – San Antonio, TX&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Dedicated to the San Antonio community, this store’s mural depicts local culture, traditions and history.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Artist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rubioart/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alex Rubio</a> is a San Antonio native, identifying with Chicano culture. In this mural, Rubio demonstrates his signature curvilinear line design, Zarape, which can be seen dancing around the artwork’s central image. In the mural’s center, two hands are depicted holding newly picked coffee cherries, preparing for their freshly brewed order.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Rubio has a long history of mentorship in the San Antonio community. This commissioned piece was put together with support from the youth program Rubio is mentoring called <a href="https://sanantoniostreetart.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">San Antonio Street Art Initiative</a> (SASAI). Members of the program collaborated with Rubio on the initial sketch and concept phase of the mural, which Rubio finalized for the store.

Unity &amp; Vibrance – Fort Lauderdale, FL&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dedicated to the people of Fort Lauderdale, this mural represents unity and coffee.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.natedee.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nate Dee</a>, a local artist from South Florida, channels his Haitian roots in his artwork and is inspired by the quality of the Art Nouveau movement, Greek art from the Hellenistic and pop surrealists. Dee pulled from these influences to craft a mural depicting animals from regions where Starbucks sources its coffee beans, paired with symbols of unity.&nbsp;

Texture &amp; Movement – Xiulin Township, Hualian&nbsp;&nbsp;

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This store draws on the rich indigenous culture in Hualian, including featured artwork created by indigenous artists <a href="http://miruhayung.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Miru Hayung</a> and <a href="https://www.teclandart.tw/en/artistswork/eleng/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eleng Luluan</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Miru Hayung is a self-taught Atayal artist who was born and raised in the LaLa Mountain region of Taiwan. Of his art, Hayung shares that the abstract approach to his art has given a new identity towards his culture. To create this piece (left), Hayung used vibrant images to illustrate how coffee connects people and the environment.&nbsp;

Eleng Luluan has lived in Dulan, Taitung for the last 20 years, where she specializes in sculpture with composite media and environmental installation. In this piece (right), Luluan used local textiles and embroidery cloth to create an artistic landscape of plants and coffee trees.

Generational Ties &amp; Flourishing Colors – Brooklyn (Bed-Stuy), NY&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dedicated to the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/starbucks-opens-tenth-community-store-in-bed-stuy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bedford–Stuyvesant (aka Bed-Stuy)</a> community, this mural is bright, colorful and community-minded.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Artist <a href="https://jeyifo.us/About-Me" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Olalekan Jeyifous</a> is a Brooklyn based artist whose work re-imagines social spaces that examine the relationships between architecture, community, and the environment. This vibrant mural depicts individuals of all ages coming together, holding up plant-life and watering a city that emulates the beauty and life in the city of Brooklyn.

Inclusion &amp; Togetherness – Seoul

The Seoul <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2021/community-store-in-korea-dedicated-to-disability-inclusion/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Community Store</a>, located in the Seoul National University Dental Hospital (SNUDH), was designed with a specific focus on <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/starbucks-opens-store-focused-on-inclusive-design-in-south-korea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">inclusive design</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The store’s central art piece, created by Starbucks partners (employees), demonstrates the positive impact that Starbucks partners with disabilities have had on the company. It also depicts partners’ hopes to create a place where all people can come together over a cup of coffee. To create this piece, partners across South Korea contributed individual clay pieces, arranged to create the word “Together” in English, mounted on a background of upcycled Starbucks coffee grounds.&nbsp;

Black History &amp; Culture – Columbia, SC&nbsp;

Dedicated to the Columbia, South Carolina community, this custom mural is titled “A Great Cloud of Witnesses” and depicts three Columbia locals – a nurse and two artists – overlaid with photographs honoring local Black history and culture​.&nbsp;

The one of a kind piece came to life from the collaboration of two artists, <a href="https://www.laurenandreu.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lauren Andreu</a> and <a href="https://linktr.ee/jaredowens" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jared Owens</a>. Andreu is a muralist based in Columbia who uses color that draws the eye to show the different parts of the story she is looking to tell. Owens is South Carolina native who began his art practice while incarcerated, where he studied art magazines, books, encyclopedias, and critics reviews in newspapers to inform his artistic style and craft. &nbsp;

These stores offer unique opportunities for Starbucks partners (employees) to connect with, engage and represent the communities they serve.

6 Must-See Murals at Starbucks Community Stores Around the World

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Stories to inspire and nurture the human spirit

Starbucks Stories

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“Community" means and looks different to everyone – to some it's the neighborhood they grew up in, for others, it’s a group of people rooted in the same values, interests, or culture. At Starbucks, community is about more than serving coffee. Everyday we are working to build more equitable, resilient and sustainable communities around the world. In 2015, we launched our <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-expands-commitment-in-underserved-communities-across-the-us/">Community Store Program</a> to help strengthen the communities where we live, work and grow.

So <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/starbucks-paves-way-for-more-inclusive-and-accessible-experiences-in-stores-around-the-world/">what is a Community Store</a>? These store concepts create environments for Starbucks partners to connect with, engage and represent the communities they serve in unique ways around the world. Community Stores around the world are inclusive of several store models, including Signing Stores dedicated to empowering the Deaf and hearing-impaired community, Military Family Stores designed to hire and honor service members, veterans and their families, and U.S. and International Community Stores that focus on providing economic opportunity in communities and creating impact in partnership with local nonprofit organizations. All of our Community Stores are driven by our partners because after all, our partners know their neighbors best.

Whether your New Year’s resolutions include international travel, community service or both, here are nine of Starbucks most unique Community Stores to add to your 2023 travel plans.

Seoul, South Korea – Latest Community Store in South Korea

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Just last week, Starbucks opened its fifth Community Store in <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2022/starbucks-opens-fifth-community-store-kyungdong-1960-to-support-the-local-community/">Seoul, South Korea</a>. The beautiful store is within a redesigned theater at the historic Kyungdong market, offering a new&nbsp; opportunity for community members to engage with the brand in a known and beloved location. The spacious and unique store interior pays tribute to the historic theater with a retro touch of 1960s style and modern design elements, providing customers their favorite tastes of today with a feel of the past. A portion of all proceeds from the store are donated to the upkeep and vitality of this living landmark, and the store provides employment opportunities to community members to help create more pathways to opportunities in the Korea economy.

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Signing Store

Located just down the street from the Gallaudet University campus in Washington D.C. stands a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/all-signs-point-to-washington-dc/">Starbucks signing store</a> – the first of its kind in the U.S. Like Gallaudet, which is the only university in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to the Deaf and hard of hearing, the store is uniquely <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2018/eight-things-to-know-about-the-new-starbucks-signing-store/">designed to empower the hearing-impaired community</a>. To further Starbucks commitment to serving the community, construction of the store was accompanied by a $50k donation to the National Association of the Deaf. All store partners are proficient in ASL, whether they are hearing, hard of hearing or Deaf. For hearing customers, the store offers an opportunity to learn something, such as how to sign a word like espresso or gain insight into the Deaf experience by observing the way Deaf partners interact with each other or take orders without a word being spoken.

Just inside the doors of the store is a mural created by <a href="http://yiqiaowang.com/index.html">Yiqiao Wang</a>, a Deaf artist, which features a host of letters, signs and symbols representing English, ASL, Deaf culture and coffee. “In the center of the piece, you can see two very strong hands, arms raised up, rising from the bottom of the artwork,” Wang said. “It means community in ASL, and bringing various backgrounds, languages and people all together.”

Gallup, NM – U.S. Community Store

In 2021, Starbucks opened its <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/celebrating-american-indian-and-alaska-native-heritage-month/">first location dedicated to the Navajo Nation</a>, one of the most populous tribes in the U.S. The store, also Starbucks first Community Store in New Mexico, is staffed almost entirely by Navajo partners (employees) and reflects Navajo Nation pride with the store’s art and design.

Specifically, the space features a 20-foot-long mural of a Diné elder titled “Grandmother of Direction”, painted by Navajo artist, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/danieljosley/?hl=en">Daniel Josley</a>, using warm colors to showcase the community of Gallup and the Navajo Nation. The store also features a dedication written next to the front door in both English and Navajo.

Seattle, WA – U.S. Community Store

For customers who like their coffee on ice, the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2021/starbucks-announces-community-impact-partnership-with-seattle-kraken-ice-hockey-team/">Community Store within the Kraken Community Iceplex</a> in Seattle is not to be missed. Since opening in September 2021, the store has become a hometown community fixture. The location also serves as a space to support the Northgate community – one of Seattle’s most diverse neighborhoods. The Kraken and Starbucks partner throughout the year to bring people together and foster a sense of inclusion and belonging through community programming, such as hosting field trips for kids at local Title I schools to visit the Iceplex and learn about the sport of hockey. This fall marked <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/starbucks-celebrates-one-year-anniversary-of-kraken-community-iceplex-store-with-special-guest/">the store’s one-year anniversary</a>, which Starbucks commemorated with a $50,000 grant to directly benefit North Helpline’s Homelessness Prevention program.

Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia Signing Store

Starbucks Indonesia opened its <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2022/starbucks-indonesia-opens-first-signing-store/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first Signing Store</a> in the region in December 2022, dedicated to the Deaf, hard of hearing, and sign language communities. The store offers sign language lessons and coffee workshops in sign language and provides a space for the Deaf community to conduct programs with two nonprofit organizations Starbucks has partnered with to support sign language education for the broader community.

The store is filled with design elements that bring communities together, such as an elongated oval shape community table, and circle details on the floor, both symbolizing the store as a means of uniting the community. However, the most notable feature is the signature artwork that can be seen by passersby in the street: a 4m (around 13 feet) high mural painting by Deaf artist, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/indira_natalia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Indira Natalia</a>, which extends more than 11m (36 feet) outside the store, depicting the warm and welcoming Starbucks experience.

Chicago, Illinois - Military Family Store

In May 2022, Starbucks dedicated its 100th Military Family Store (MFS) near Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, Illinois - the only naval boot camp location in the U.S. The store features unique, military-specific artwork, including a handcrafted wooden American flag made by a local veteran and a military apron, gifted by a local Retired Colonel, who had his old uniforms upcycled for Starbucks partners to wear. Store leaders work closely with non-profits such as Blue Star Families, Midwest Veterans Closet and Canines 4 Comfort to drive impact within the community.

Anacostia, D.C. – U.S. Community Store

Designed to bring the community together, Starbucks Community Store in the historic Anacostia neighborhood in Washington, D.C&nbsp; features a colorful, panoramic mural inspired by its location in Anacostia. The artwork by D.C.-based <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aniekanreloaded/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aniekan Udofia</a> depicts the city skyline inhabited by historical figures and icons beloved by the community: Chuck Brown, the Godfather of go-go and musical movement leader; social reformer and American abolitionist, Frederick Douglass; a woman holding a boombox with a go-go inspired T-shirt; the famous Washington “Big Chair” that represents a seat at the table where everyone can come together; and a compass oriented towards “SE” that acts as a centerpiece of the store.

Located next to the Starbucks Anacostia Community Store is the <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchildrenofminedc.org%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7CLauren.Bushnell%40edelman.com%7Cf1ab80bbdb8e49acc86908dae2d829e0%7Cb824bfb3918e43c2bb1cdcc1ba40a82b%7C0%7C0%7C638071715293792168%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=PrKUeTejB7NPrKQ%2FGkextz9iPDfu%2ByjlFHPOPHl1%2Bs4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Children of Mine Youth Center</a> (COMYC), a local nonprofit dedicated to providing opportunities that are educational and encourage a safe environment for its youth populations. Over the years, Starbucks and COMYC have partnered to&nbsp;provide steadfast support for families in the neighborhood through after-school programs, activities and meals, many of which are not just for children, but for the whole family. The organization has also been recognized by The Starbucks Foundation over the years to help fund local meals and contribute to other community activities, most recently receiving a $5,000 donation through the&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2021/strengthening-communities-through-neighborhood-grants/">Neighborhood Grant program</a>.

Guangzhou, China – First Signing Store in China

Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2019/starbucks-opens-first-signing-store-in-china/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Guangzhou, China Signing Store</a> serves as a welcoming hub for those passionate about improving accessibility and experiences for all and is located near the recognized Guangdong Disabled Association and Guangdong Deaf People Association. The store employs Deaf partners and hard of hearing partners from across China who are fluent in Chinese Sign Language. The store features exclusive artwork and unique merchandise designed by Deaf artists, providing a platform to celebrate Deaf culture and showcase the talent of the local Deaf and hard of hearing community.&nbsp; Wooden frames above the bar area are arranged to express the gesture of love in sign language. To create an inclusive environment and encourage customers to learn more about the Deaf community, the store also offers sign language lessons and coffee workshops in sign language for the community.

Los Angeles, CA – U.S. Community Store

The Watts Community Store was <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-opens-community-store-in-watts-neighborhood-of-la/">Starbucks 17th Community Store</a> opened in the U.S. and the second in the L.A. area. Furthering Starbucks goal of bringing people and communities together, the store houses a training room designed for community events. Store partners are engaged with the community and have supported four local youth-focused nonprofits with neighborhood grants.

The store also features two murals on the exterior of the store, commissioned by local artist <a href="http://mikenorice.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mike Norice</a>. Titled “Community and Love”, this artwork was inspired by the important aspects and events that shaped the Watts neighborhood into what it is today.

Collage of mural from Anacostia Community Store, exterior of Los Angeles Community Store, and mural in Indonesia Signing Store.

Visit Community Stores around the globe where Starbucks partners (employees) connect with and represent the communities they serve.

Nine unique Starbucks Community Stores you must see in 2023

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Ahead of its Annual Meeting of Shareholders, today, Starbucks introduced innovations to its global store portfolio to further strengthen communities and create environments where all feel welcome, part of its continued effort to be a People Positive company. As part of this commitment, the company will expand the number of Community Stores it opens globally, establish tools to help Starbucks better understand the communities it serves and set a new standard for inclusive and accessible store experiences that benefit Starbucks partners (employees) and customers.

Starbucks commitment to be People Positive – a bold aspiration to enhance the well-being of all who connect with the company, rooted in inclusion, opportunity and community – sits at the heart of Starbucks Mission and Values, and comes to life through Starbucks partners and its stores.

“Since our earliest days, we have worked to create a culture of warmth and belonging in our stores – a place where everyone is welcome,” said Katie Young, senior vice president of global growth and development at Starbucks. “We know that the more we design for inclusion, to be welcoming and to strengthen our communities, the better our business will be and the better the Starbucks experience will be for our partners and customers. It inspires and motivates us to make our store and digital environments even more inclusive and accessible at every turn.”

Expanding Community Store Initiative Globally

As part of its goal to enhance the well-being of all who connect within its stores, Starbucks will open or dedicate 1,000 Starbucks Community Stores globally by 2030. These store concepts create environments for Starbucks partners to connect with, engage and represent the communities they serve.

Globally, nearly 150 Community Stores already exist, creating a space aimed to help uplift communities in locally relevant ways. These store concepts – led by partners who directly connect to the initiative or cause of that store – provide intentional and dedicated programming and experiences that support economic opportunity in communities, create pathways to opportunity for Starbucks partners, and amplify the positive impact of Starbucks partners and the Third Place. Community Stores around the world are inclusive of several store models, from serving under-resourced and vulnerable communities, to empowering farmers, youth and women, supporting military communities and creating impact in partnership with local nonprofit organizations.

In the U.S., these locations focus on helping provide economic opportunity in rural and urban communities through local hiring, creating dedicated space for communities to come together for events, partnering with local artists and working with diverse contractors and sub-contractors or focus on supporting service members, veterans and military families.

Leveraging New Tools to Better Understand Communities Starbucks Serves

Starbucks will use the American Human Development Index (HDI), developed and calculated by Measure of America (MoA), an initiative of the Social Science Research Council, to identify where its Community Stores could provide the most value and better serve vulnerable communities in the United States.

This information will help inform where and how Starbucks expands its Community Store portfolio in the United States, leveraging insights to create custom, innovative programming focused on inequities across education, food security, health and economic security. In addition to supporting economic development in under-resourced neighborhoods, Community Stores also serve as incubators for how Starbucks can scale locally-relevant programming to nearly 9,000 Starbucks stores across it serves across the country.

The HDI, one of the most widely used indices of well-being around the world, is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and having a decent standard of living.

Designing Inclusive Experiences

With the recognition that one in four American adults has a disability&nbsp;and all people experience changes to their physical or mental health, Starbucks is working to extend disability inclusion and accessibility.

Starbucks is committing to design, test and scale more inclusive design standards and experiences across its store portfolio, starting in the U.S. and then expanding standards globally, with the goal of ensuring that physical and digital Starbucks environments will meet an elevated standard of accessibility by 2030.

These standards will provide customers with more options to enjoy both their in-store and digital Starbucks experiences by creating more ways to communicate both visually and audibly and by offering more tools to help customer navigate physical store environments. To advance these standards, Starbucks is testing technology solutions in select store locations including:&nbsp; &nbsp;

These efforts build on other accessible design improvements over the last year. Since 2021, Starbucks has offered free Aira service, which connects people who are blind or have low-vision to trained, professional visual interpreters who provide instant access to visual information about the customer’s surroundings through a smartphone app. Starbucks also offers multiple formats of the menu including large-print and Braille menus in all stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Globally, Starbucks operates 11 Signing Stores that provide a space for the Deaf and hard of hearing community to connect through sign language and celebrate Deaf culture.

“We applaud Starbucks commitment to designing more accessible in-store and digital experiences that create a true sense of belonging for everyone,” said Jill Houghton, President and CEO, Disability:IN. “This inclusive design methodology helps level the playing field by recognizing disability is part of the human condition and is a natural part of anyone’s identity. We know that by designing a better experience for people with disabilities, you are also designing a better experience for all.”

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Forward-Looking Statements

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 “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “feel,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” “would,” and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements include statements relating to trends in or expectations relating to the effects of our existing and any future initiatives, strategies and plans, as well as trends in or expectations regarding our financial results and long-term growth model and drivers, the anticipated timing and effects of recovery of our business, the conversion of several market operations to fully licensed models, our plans for streamlining our operations, including store openings, closures and changes in store formats and models, expanding our licensing to Nestlé of our consumer packaged goods and Foodservice businesses and its effects on our Channel Development segment results, tax rates, business opportunities and expansion, strategic acquisitions, our future relationship with Starbucks Coffee Korea Co., Ltd., expenses, dividends, share repurchases, commodity costs and our mitigation strategies, liquidity, cash flow from operations, use of cash and cash requirements, investments, borrowing capacity and use of proceeds, continuing compliance with our covenants under our credit facilities and commercial paper program, repatriation of cash to the U.S., the likelihood of the issuance of additional debt and the applicable interest rate, the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our financial results, future availability of governmental subsidies for COVID-19 or other public health events, the expected effects of new accounting pronouncements and the estimated impact of changes in U.S. tax law, including on tax rates, investments funded by these changes and potential outcomes and effects of legal proceedings. Such statements are based on currently available operating, financial and competitive information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual future results and trends may differ materially depending on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: further spread of COVID-19 and related disruptions to our business; regulatory measures or voluntary actions that may be put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19, including restrictions on business operations or social distancing requirements, and the duration and efficacy of such restrictions; the potential for a resurgence of COVID-19 infections and the circulation of novel variants of COVID-19 in a given geographic region after it has hit its “peak”; fluctuations in U.S. and international economies and currencies; our ability to preserve, grow and leverage our brands; the ability of our business partners and third-party providers to fulfill their responsibilities and commitments; potential negative effects of incidents involving food or beverage-borne illnesses, tampering, adulteration, contamination or mislabeling; potential negative 5 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, including the successful expansion of our Global Coffee Alliance with Nestlé; our ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms; the acceptance of the Company’s products by our customers, evolving consumer preferences and tastes and changes in consumer spending behavior; partner investments, changes in the availability and cost of labor including any union organizing efforts and our responses to such efforts; significant increased logistics costs; inflationary pressures; the impact of competition; inherent risks of operating a global business; the prices and availability of coffee, dairy and other raw materials; the effect of legal proceedings; and the effects of changes in tax laws and related guidance and regulations that may be implemented and other risks detailed in the company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the “Risk Factors” and “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company's most recently filed periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and subsequent filings. The company assumes no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.&nbsp;

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Starbucks introduced innovations to its global store portfolio to further strengthen communities and create environments where all feel welcome, part of its continued effort to be a People Positive company.

Starbucks paves way for more inclusive and accessible experiences in stores around the world

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2449 E Century Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90002

Today, Starbucks opened a new Community Store in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA as&nbsp;part of the&nbsp;company’s ongoing&nbsp;commitment to invest in traditionally underserved, diverse communities across the country and create pathways for those facing barriers to opportunity.

The Watts Community Store is the 17th Community Store in the U.S. and the second in the L.A. area. Community Stores are dedicated to providing economic opportunity by hiring locally, including working with diverse contractors for store construction and commissioning local artists to create murals in the store.&nbsp;Each store also features a dedicated space that will be used in partnership with local organizations to serve the needs of the community.

The new Starbucks store in Watts has created 22 local jobs by hiring partners (employees) from the area. Hiring local partners is an important part of Starbucks strategy to support economic development and build stronger connections with the community. Both qualifying full-time and part-time partners at the Watts store will able to take advantage of the company’s leading benefits, including full health care coverage and equity in the form of stock; the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, which gives partners the opportunity to get a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University with full tuition reimbursement; and more.

The Watts Community Store has a training room designed for community events, including programs hosted in partnership with local nonprofit organizations. The store also features two murals commissioned by local artist, <a href="http://mikenorice.com/">Mike Norice</a>, on the exterior of the store. Titled Community and Love, this artwork was inspired by the important aspects and events that shaped the Watts neighborhood into what it is today.

Watts store partners have also nominated four community organizations that support local youth programs to receive donations from Starbucks: East Side Riders Bike Club, Sister of Watts, Operation Progress LA, College Track Watts. Each organization will receive $2,500.

This spring, Starbucks opened two other Community Stores in the U.S. in Prince George’s County, MD and Anacostia, Washington, DC. Since launching the initiative in 2015, Starbucks has opened community stores across the country in Jamaica, Queens, New York; Ferguson, Missouri; Phoenix, Arizona; Englewood in the southside of Chicago; east Baltimore; Long Beach, California; Trenton, New Jersey; White Center in south Seattle; Miami Gardens, Florida; Birmingham, Alabama; Dallas, Texas; Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn, New York; New Orleans, Louisiana.

The company has <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-expands-commitment-in-underserved-communities-across-the-us/">committed</a> to opening 100 community stores by 2025.&nbsp;

The Watts Community Store is the 17th Community Store in the U.S. and the second in the L.A. area.

Starbucks opens Community Store in Watts Neighborhood of L.A.

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JONESBORO, Ga. – From the day she was hired at the new Starbucks on Tara Boulevard – the first in Clayton County – Monique Clark hustled.

She took extra shifts, asked questions, volunteered to clean up and tried to soak up as much information as possible. The work didn’t get any easier after she was promoted a couple months later, the first barista at the store to move up to shift supervisor. That meant being a leader, paperwork, handling customer complaints and 3 a.m. wake ups, so she had enough time to drop off her 4-year-old daughter at her grandmother’s and still get everything ready for the 5:30 a.m. opening. 

Not that she’s complaining. Up until now, Clark’s employment history has consisted mostly of on-again, off-again warehouse work, boxing products wherever the temp agencies sent her. Clark, 23, knows what this job means. 

Steady money to take care of the bills. Medical benefits for her and her child. Co-workers and a manager she actually talks to and likes. A career path forward. Stability. The option of college tuition paid for by the company. And for the first time in her life, she’s able to think about ways to give back to her community, something that the Jonesboro Starbucks is focused on as it partners with local non-profits and community groups and hosts neighborhood events to bring people together.

“I was bullied a little bit in school, so I realized that was one thing,” Clark says, “like I wanted to be a voice for maybe others that didn't have a voice, or be a voice for things that weren't always heard. 

“And also for single mothers,” she continues. “That's something that's really close to my heart with different housing and different problems that I faced raising my child. I'd like to (be an example to) other women and younger women that are having children and are by themselves, that someone is here, someone can help you and point you in the right direction and show you different things that you can do to also be successful.”

Finding ways to help others and strengthen the community is at the heart of Starbucks, which has 30,000 stores around the world and a mission to “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

How does that mission statement show up in a place like Jonesboro, located in the least affluent county in the metro Atlanta area, where vacant storefronts and empty parking lots dot the seemingly endless strip-mall sprawl and community-health quantifiers such as median income, employment, high school graduation and economic development lag behind? And what does it mean for Clark, who moved here when she was 12 years old, one of 14 kids raised by a mostly single mother? 

When Starbucks opened in Jonesboro in July, it marked another step in an ongoing commitment initiated by former Starbucks chief executive officer Howard Schultz. In 2014, he visited Ferguson, Mo., following the protests around the fatal shooting of teenager Michael Brown Jr. and decided to open Starbucks stores in economically depressed neighborhoods around the country. 

The goals of these branded Community Stores are to create local jobs and career pathways for people who need them, especially youth, give opportunities to diverse vendors and contractors and use the store as a focal point to work alongside local organizations on strengthening the community. 

This spring, Starbucks will fulfill a company commitment to build 15 Community Stores, when it opens one in Prince George’s County, Md. Going forward, in partnership with United Way, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-expands-commitment-in-underserved-communities-across-the-us/">Starbucks plans to expand the Community Store model to 100 neighborhoods across the country by 2025</a>.

Jonesboro is a different world from booming Atlanta, which is located about 15 miles north on Interstate 75. United Way of Greater Atlanta recently scored Jonesboro 30 out of a possible 100 points in a survey of 14 child well-being indicators, the worst rating in the metro-Atlanta area.

“What being a 30 means is that you don’t have enough resources for all children in that community to thrive, for families to be self-sufficient,” says Michele Jacobs, director of youth development programs for United Way of Greater Atlanta. 

‘On Being a Good Neighbor’

Trent Allen is the store manager at the Jonesboro Community Store, Clark’s boss. Sometimes, on his way to work, he passes by the <a href="https://thekingcenter.org/">King Center</a>, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is buried alongside his wife, Coretta Scott King.

The tomb is located a few blocks from King’s childhood home on Auburn Avenue, where he was born Jan. 15, 1929, and his childhood church, Ebenezer Baptist, where he preached alongside his father. 

“It's a constant reminder about what the Civil Rights leaders did and the progress that's been made,” Allen says, “but also where we still need to go and what strengthening communities needs to look like.”

In 1963, five years before his assassination in Memphis, King released a book of meditative sermons called “Strength to Love,” some of them composed in jail. In one of them, titled “On Being a Good Neighbor,” he wrote about the story of the Good Samaritan, who prioritized concern for others above concern for himself, even at the risk of his own position and prestige. 

One of the great tragedies of history, King explained, is the limiting of neighborliness to one’s own tribe, race, class or nation. And while philanthropy is commendable, King believed something more important is identifying and improving the conditions that make philanthropy necessary.

This month, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it’s worth wondering: Can a corporation sell coffee, and truly be a good neighbor? 

A self-proclaimed Navy brat born in Charleston, S.C., Allen attended four different elementary schools and three different middle schools. He bounced between houses and trailers with different family members after his parents split, including some time with an aunt who was also a foster parent. He describes snapshots of his childhood with words like poverty line, food insecurity and meager.

A turning point came in middle school, when a family friend introduced him to <a href="http://campbigheart.org/">Camp Big Heart</a> in Fort Valley, Ga., which provides summer camp experiences for children and adults who are developmentally challenged. Allen attended as a youth volunteer.

He went back the next summer, and all the summers after that, for about 15 years, eventually joining the camp board of directors as president. Those experiences helped push him to get his degree in special education with a concentration in reading, and he started working with students with emotional and behavioral disorders.

“I think that it really changed me to understand that service to other people is part of the absolute beauty of life,” Allen says. “And that really kind of kickstarted my love and desire to fulfill what I think life’s purpose is, which is to touch lives for the better and to leave the world a better place than when you came to it.” 

He taught in schools for a short while then worked in restaurants and retail before a recruiter told him about the Starbucks Community Store opportunity. Intrigued, he applied and was chosen to be the store’s first manager.&nbsp;&nbsp; 

Allen, 31, is a deep wellspring of endless energy, with a clean-cut beard, a fan of obscure movies and working out. He grew up queer in the South. And because of his humble roots and his work with individuals with developmental disabilities, he feels he has a deep empathy and appreciation for a wide range of people.

He sifted through about 400 applications after he was hired, picking 24 employees in a six-week blur – all new to Starbucks, most new to retail and customer service, all living within 15 miles of the store. Part of the hiring occurred at a local non-profit called Hearts to Nourish Hope, which is where Allen first met Clark.

Since then, along with running a store full time, Allen and his team have quickly built relationships in the community. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People started meeting at the store; the group, led by Clayton County chapter president Synamon Baldwin, works on increasing civic engagement. This past November, <a href="https://www.unitedwayatlanta.org/">United Way of Greater Atlanta</a> hosted a health and wellness block party in the Starbucks parking lot, focusing on families and youth.

“Jonesboro has had historically some challenges,” says Milton Little, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Atlanta. “What’s exciting is how Starbucks has been able to come in and help us bring a focus on, how do you help young people really get a second chance? How do you bring economic development conversations to ordinary folks that have been witnesses and bystanders, as economic development has seemed to take place and flourish in other parts of the region?

“This partnership’s been nothing short of instrumental in helping set a stage for what a new era for people living in Jonesboro could possibly look like.”

The store has also partnered on literacy events with the local library system and hosted a “Coffee with a Cop” event with local police. Plans for next year include tax-preparation and financial literacy workshops, pop-up food pantries and encouraging civic engagement in the community. 

‘It was all of us pulling together’

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Deborah Anglin arrived in Jonesboro about 25 years ago. A third-degree black belt, she opened up a karate studio with her sister and a friend, and they convinced a local judge to let them work on a diversion program to keep troubled teenagers out of jail. 

They added a food pantry soon after, and then a GED program and officially became a non-profit called <a href="http://www.heartstonourishhope.org/">Hearts to Nourish Hope</a>. Since then, responding to whatever she’s felt Jonesboro’s needed, Anglin has stacked piece upon piece into what’s now a 74,000-square foot building that also houses a recording studio, a boxing ring, immigration legal services, counseling offices and various job placement and training programs.

The <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/community/starbucks-foundation">Starbucks Foundation</a> recently gave Hearts to Nourish Hope a $20,000 grant to help with youth workforce development programs.

About 12 years ago, Clark’s mother, Tanya Woodhull, came into Hearts. She’d just moved from Long Island, trying to get away from a rough neighborhood in New York, looking for more space and a better cost of living. 

Hearts to Nourish Hope provided after-school care for the younger children, helped the teenagers find work and gave Woodhull a job onsite. Clark was in middle school then. Over the next decade, she took advantage of drama classes, summer camps and tutoring, provided by Hearts.

When Clark found out she was pregnant, right after graduating from high school, she needed a place to stay. Anglin gave her a job and a generous rental rate at a house she owned nearby. When Allen started looking for employees for Starbucks, Anglin recommended Clark.

“If you look at Monique, it wasn’t just Hearts that had an influence that helped her get through everything, it wasn't just even her family,” Anglin says. “It wasn't just that she got the job at Starbucks, and then everything was OK. It was all of us pulling together and working together. And if we don't do that, the job can't get done.”

Starbucks partners at the Jonesboro store say they see each other as a family – there to help each other be their best. It happens in ways large and small. Clark remembers her exhilaration – and frustration the first week after she got promoted. 

It was her first time in a leadership position and orders came in fast, at the drive-through window and inside the bustling new store, much hyped over the summer. Some upset customers complained they got the wrong drinks. The morning crew looked to her for answers. 

Clark remembers that she started to shut down. 

“I just stopped talking,” Clark recalls. “I was mad.”

But then Allen pulled her aside and asked her what was wrong. He confided some of his own struggles with anxiety and anger and gave her a few tips. Close your eyes, calm down and take a breath. Don’t take things personally. Remember that the customer might be having a bad day too. 

It was encouraging, Clark remembers. The next morning, she tried again. It’s getting better, she says.

“That was probably the biggest thing I was scared of because I never led anybody before,” Clark says. “If I don't do this right, we won't have coffee or we won't have sandwiches. I’m just proud of myself for actually having a job, staying on one job for as long as I’ve been. I just feel like now that I'm really doing it, and I just can't wait to see what next year holds. I just want to go as far as I can go, just as far as I can get.”

A few weeks later, taking advantage of a break during a rainy week, Clark and her four-year-old daughter, Heaven, drove to Independence Park in Jonesboro, where Clark often walked when she was pregnant. Heaven ran to the playground, next to the tennis courts where Clark played as a child herself, mostly with her twin brother Malik.

Heaven’s chatty and a bit precocious, especially about the environment. Every once in a while, she chides her mom for using plastic straws – “We need to save the turtles” – and explains how they can’t waste food. She just got her ears pierced. She’s growing up fast.

“She’s a great child,” Clark says. “Really, my future revolves around her.”

Heaven does regular four-year-old things – throwing sticks, climbing to the top of play structures, racing down the slide with her doll, a mermaid named Flower. Her favorite is the swing set. She always runs back to the swings. 

Heaven asks her mother for a push, but then she’s determined to try it alone. So her mother swings beside her. Together, they stretch their feet towards the sky. And with every leg kick, they reach higher and higher and higher. 

Living MLK’s legacy: Hope, help and new beginnings in Jonesboro, Ga. - Starbucks Stories

https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2020/01/SBX20200114-JonesboroCommunityStores-Feature.jpg

Living MLK’s legacy: Hope, help and new beginnings in Jonesboro, Ga.

How a new Starbucks, local groups, customers and baristas in an area near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthplace are creating a stronger community that’s both a safety net and a launching pad.

https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/how-does-a-corporation-live-its-values-as-a-good-neighbor/

https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2020/01/SBX20200114-JonesboroCommunityStores-Feature-1024x498.jpg

First of several new stores opens in early 2020, building on Starbucks commitment to social impact in local communities

Announcement came at the Managers’ Leadership Conference in Goyang, the largest-ever gathering of Starbucks partners in South Korea

South Korea is one of three Starbucks markets with Community Stores — the first opened in Daehakro, Seoul in 2014

Seoul, KOREA — Today, Starbucks Korea announced the expansion of its profit-sharing Community Store program, with a second Community Store location to open in the first half of 2020 with more to follow.

The upcoming Community Stores will focus on the three pillars of Starbucks Korea’s social impact initiatives: investing in young people seeking opportunities, promoting environmental sustainability and celebrating Korean cultural heritage. Through the Community Store profit-sharing model, Starbucks works together with local non-profits and community organizations in South Korea to fund innovative programs that empower the local community. 

“For nearly 50 years, Starbucks has believed that one of the most important contributions we can make is to serve as a catalyst for positive impact in the communities where we do business,” said John Culver, group president, International, Channel Development and Global Coffee &amp; Tea. “As a company, each year we try to live up to this responsibility in new and meaningful ways. I’m proud to announce that this year, we’re introducing a plan that will increase our commitment to building more Community Stores across South Korea.”

Culver announced the Community Store expansion plan to a packed hall of more than 1,600 Starbucks Korea partners (employees) who had come together for a full day of learning and engagement at the Store Managers’ Leadership Conference in Goyang, the largest gathering of partners in South Korea. With the announcement, Culver presented a unique Community Store green apron to David Song, president and CEO of Starbucks Korea.

“This year marks the 20th anniversary of Starbucks in Korea. Throughout our history, we have challenged ourselves to build a different kind of company in Korea by staying true to our mission and values, embracing new ideas and innovation that are meaningful to our customers and inspiring to our partners,” said Song. “We opened the first Community Store in Korea five years ago to help create pathways to opportunity for young people. We are pleased with the positive impact we’ve made in the neighborhood, and are excited to elevate our commitment with the opening of more Community Stores starting next year.”

The first Community Store in Korea opened in 2014 in the Daehakro neighborhood of Seoul.&nbsp;KRW300 (30 cents U.S.) from every purchase at this store is donated to Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea (ChildFund Korea) to directly support lifelong skills development for youth through the Starbucks Comprehensive Youth Leadership Program. Over the past five years, customer purchases at the Daehakro Community Store have generated over 830,000 USD, which Starbucks Korea has invested in supporting aspirational young people in Korea.

The Starbucks Comprehensive Youth Leadership Program is an innovative, holistic program that builds on the collaboration with ChildFund Korea to offer academic scholarships and leadership development opportunities to young people. It also features a unique curriculum focused on business acumen, collaborative communications and social consciousness as part of its aim to prepare young people from disadvantaged backgrounds for higher education and future careers. 

Lee Jehoon, Chairman of ChildFund Korea said, “The Starbucks Community Store is an ideal example of a for-profit company using its scale to give back to society in a meaningful way. Together we have nurtured 50 students through our program over the past five years, and I am very excited that Starbucks will continue building this momentum of positive change through more Community Stores across South Korea.”

Around the world, Starbucks stores are at the heart of Starbucks mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. Community Stores serve as important Third Places that can create pathways of opportunities, invite conversation and connection, and drive locally relevant and meaningful community impact in partnership with local stakeholders.

Starbucks announces Community Store expansion in South Korea in 2020 - Starbucks Stories

https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2019/10/SBX20191008-Korea-Community-Store-Featured-Image.jpg

Starbucks announces Community Store expansion in South Korea in 2020

Through the Community Store, Starbucks works together with local non-profits in South Korea to fund innovative programs that empower the local community.

https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2019/starbucks-announces-community-store-expansion-in-south-korea-in-2020/

https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2019/10/SBX20191008-Korea-Community-Store-Featured-Image-1024x498.jpg

One of the most fun things about moving into a new place is figuring out where to hang the art. 

In Jonesboro, Ga., Starbucks partners admire the collection of pieces from local artist Marryam Moma as they get ready to open Starbucks newest <a href="http://starbucks-opens-community-store-in-jonesboro-ga">Community Store</a> on July 12. Moma’s collage art celebrates Atlanta’s rich cultural heritage of human connection, empowerment and beauty. The store itself was designed to celebrate community, creating a warm and welcoming environment for customers as well as providing space for programs by local non-profits and community organizations.

See below for more scenes from the pre-opening ceremony.

Welcome to Jonesboro, Ga., Home of Newest Starbucks Community Store - Starbucks Stories

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Welcome to Jonesboro, Ga., Home of Newest Starbucks Community Store

Starbucks partners are joined by community leaders as they get ready to open the latest Community Store in Jonesboro, Ga., showcasing local artist Marryam Moma.

https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/welcome-to-jonesboro-ga-home-of-newest-starbucks-community-store/

https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2019/07/SBX20190711-Jonesboro-Photo-Essay-Featured-Image-1024x498.jpg

6564 Tara Blvd, Jonesboro, GA 30236

On Friday, July 12, Starbucks will open a new store in Jonesboro as&nbsp;part of the&nbsp;company’s ongoing&nbsp;initiative to&nbsp;support economic development in diverse, underserved areas of the country.&nbsp;

Each location, including the store in Jonesboro, aims to support the community by creating new jobs, engaging minority-owned businesses and collaborating with local nonprofits to support and create needed opportunities for the community.

community stores