Starbucks’ Hawaii Starbucks Coffee Co. has chosen Cafe Hawaii Partners to work with its international division to launch the ubiquitous brand in Puerto Rico.
licensee expanding
A local partnership is tapped
to spearhead the coffee giant's
move into Puerto RicoStar-Bulletin staff
New entities have been created for the expansion, which includes the opening of 10 to 15 Starbucks locations in 18 to 24 months. Cafe Hawaii Partners has created Puerto Rico Coffee Partners, which will team with Starbucks Latin America to open the stores under a joint venture named Cafe del Caribe. Its first store is to open in San Juan by the end of this summer.
"We are very excited to bring Starbucks to a market such as Puerto Rico, which has a strong coffee heritage and coffee drinking tradition," said Cafe del Caribe Chief Executive Officer Dean McPhail.
The expansion represents a huge opportunity for Hawaii-based Cafe Hawaii Partners and its Hawaii employees, according to President Greg Meier.
The company owns and operates 28 Starbucks locations and 11 Jamba Juice stores in Hawaii as well as 7 Jamba Juice locations in Florida.
In Puerto Rico an estimated 75 permanent jobs will be created, while construction and related activities will create temporary work.
Starbucks Coffee Co. is also planning expansion to Germany, Spain and Greece. It operates more than 5,000 retail locations worldwide.