Panama.- The American coffee chain Starbucks announced this Thursday that it will open its first flagship coffee shop in Latin America and the Caribbean in El Salvador, and that it also plans to expand to Honduras and Guatemala.
The company announced the opening of Casa Bou in El Salvador, the first flagship coffee shop in Latin America and the Caribbean focused on art and youth, according to a press release issued this Thursday in Panama.
This flagship store will be located in the historic center of San Salvador, and will celebrate Starbucks’ 15th anniversary in the market and function as a space for youth empowerment through art, education, and community connection.
In addition to this opening, Starbucks announced its intention to expand to other new cities in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Tegucigalpa in Honduras, and Las Flores and Mazatenango in Guatemala.
According to the company, the company currently has more than 1,800 stores in 26 Latin American and Caribbean markets, with the participation of more than 24,000 employees, an investment that reflects its “long-term strategy in the region: to grow steadily, invest in local talent and offer community-driven retail experiences in new and existing markets”.
“América Latina y el Caribe son parte central de la historia de Starbucks: no solo como el origen de gran parte de nuestro café, sino también como una de nuestras regiones de mayor dinamismo en crecimiento minorista”,
afirmó el vicepresidente senior y presidente de Starbucks Latinoamérica y el Caribe, Ricardo Arias-Nath, de acuerdo con el comunicado.
This expansion contrasts with Starbucks’ announcement on September 25th, when it reported that it will close about 400 stores in North America and lay off about 900 employees as part of a $1 billion restructuring plan.
