1st Starbucks store in Haikou opens on Jan 31
Starbucks, the largest U.S. coffee-shop chain, has opened its first Starbucks store in Haikou on Jan.31.
As one of the world's best known coffee brands, Starbucks was founded in Seattle in 1971, and it is currently operating in 58 countries around the world with more than 18,000 stores.
China is the most important and the largest market for Starbucks outside North America. Since the opening of the 1st Starbucks store in Mainland China at the China World Trade Building in Beijing in January 1999, the growing interest and appreciation of high quality coffee and the Starbucks Experience by Chinese consumers has resulted in its steady expansion throughout China. There are now over 700 stores in China, and that figure is expected to reach 1,500 by 2015.
The Vice President of Starbucks Development Departments in China Andy Adams said that the Starbucks store in Haikou will integrate the Starbucks experience with local customs to serve the finest coffee in the world alongside new products for local tastes.