News

Starbucks to open first store in Poland

April 7, 2009

WARSAW, Poland — Starbucks Coffee International Inc. and American Restaurants Sp. z o.o., a wholly-owned subsidiary of AmRest Holdings N.V., will celebrate the opening of the first Starbucks coffeehouse in Poland on April 8 in Warsaw.

The coffeehouse segment is the fastest-growing of the culinary sector in Poland. According to horecanet.pl, a restaurant industry report, average annual revenue growth of the Polish coffeehouse market between 1997 and 2007 was estimated to be approximately 40 percent.

"Poland, as well as the rest of Central and Eastern Europe, represents significant growth areas for Starbucks," said Buck Hendrix, president of Starbucks Europe, Middle East and Africa. "To leverage existing strategic business partnerships to accelerate our growth outside the U.S., it is essential that we enter Poland with a strong and trusted partner like AmRest, who understands the market and shares our values and passion for people, quality and service."

In 2008, AmRest opened the first Starbucks store in the Czech Republic and operates nine locations in the country. AmRest also is Starbucks' joint-venture partner for the Hungarian market. There are more than 1,550 Starbucks locations in 27 countries throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa, as of the end of Starbucks fiscal first quarter.