Starbucks to leave Russia and permanently close its 130 coffee shops

Starbucks to leave Russia and permanently close its 130 coffee shops

Image of Starbucks logo. Credit: Twitter@StarbucksNews

Starbucks has announced its intention to exit Russia completely and close its 130 coffee shops.

In a statement released today, Monday, May 23, American coffee giant Starbucks has announced its intention to pull out of Russia completely. The company had already suspended its business in the country last March, following the invasion of Ukraine.

Starbucks has a total of 130 coffee shops throughout Russia, employing around 2,000 people. The company has pledged to look after them and will cover the salaries of these employees for six months. 

“As we mentioned on March 8, we have suspended all business activity in Russia, including the shipment of all Starbucks products. Starbucks has made the decision to exit and no longer have a brand presence in the market”, read the company statement.

It added, “We will continue to support the nearly 2,000 green apron partners in Russia, including pay for six months and assistance for partners to transition to new opportunities outside of Starbucks”.

All Starbucks locations in Russia are operated exclusively by the Alshaya Group, based in Kuwait. By pulling out of Russia they are following in the footsteps of fast-food burger giants McDonald’s, who recently announced a similar action to close its 850 restaurants.

The very first Russian Starbucks opened in 2017, and by 2015 the company expanded its presence to 100 cafes across the country. In 80 countries worldwide, it is one of the biggest and most instantly recognisable coffee brands, with around 32,000 locations.

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Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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