
Coffeehouse chain Starbucks has announced plans to open a total of eight new stores in Brazil as part of its plans to expand its footprint in the country.
The eight locations will be opened by SouthRock, the licenced operator of Starbucks stores in the country, in the state of Minas Gerais.
Two of the locations, situated at Aeroporto Internacional de Belo Horizonte and Boulevard Shopping, have recently started operations.
The remaining six locations will be opened in the upcoming weeks. These stores will be located at BH Shopping, Minas Shopping, Shopping Cidade BH and Uberlândia Shopping, as well as including two further stores at the airport.
The stores will offer handcrafted beverages to customers. The menu will include Starbucks Brasil Blend, prepared using Brazilian beans, and other locally relevant offerings.
Starbucks Brazil managing director Claudia Malaguerra said: “It is with great excitement that we announce our arrival in Minas Gerais with eight unique store locations offering high-quality arabica coffee from Brazil and around the world.
“As we celebrate our 15th anniversary in Brazil, we are happy to share our passion for coffee and bring the Starbucks Experience to our customers, while creating job opportunities and using our scale for good in this key coffee-producing region in Brazil.”
Earlier this year, the coffeehouse chain selected Minas Gerais as the destination of the first Starbucks Farmer Support Center in the country. The centre is located in Varginha and offers key resources to local coffee communities to ensure responsible coffee sourcing.
Once the new stores in Minas Gerais start operating, Starbucks will have 142 stores in Brazil.
Last month, the coffeehouse chain opened a new, cashier-less concept store in New York, US.