The quick-service franchise group will seek to build upon Starbucks’ 71 stores in the South American country with a focus on drive-thru and sustainable design
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A Starbucks store within the La Quinta Shopping Center in Bucaramanga | Photo credit: Starbucks
Mexico City-based franchise group Alsea will invest $12m to open 30 new Starbucks stores in Colombia over the next three years.
Announced to mark the US coffee chain’s 10-year anniversary in Colombia, the investment will see Alsea build upon Starbucks’ 71-store presence in the South American country – its fourth largest market in Latin America behind Mexico, Chile and Argentina.
In a press release, Starbucks said it will enter new Colombian cities, introduce new store formats to the market and scale its Greener Store programme – a network of lower-impact stores designed to reduce carbon emissions, water usage and waste sent to landfill.
The US coffee chain is currently present in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena and Bucaramanga. It opened its first drive-thru in Colombia in Cali in December 2022 and currently operates 25 Greener Stores across the country.
“Our future is bright in Colombia, where our partners will continue to deliver exceptional coffee with the passion and expertise that only Starbucks can offer,” said Brady Brewer, CEO, Starbucks International.
Alsea entered a franchise agreement with Starbucks in 2002 and opened its first coffee shop in Mexico City later the same year. The group now operates more than 1,825 Starbucks stores across 12 markets in Latin America and Europe.
In July 2024, Alsea reported Starbucks like-for-like second quarter sales increasing 7% with new outlets in Mexico and robust coffee segment sales growth in South America offsetting pressures in Europe, where the US coffee chain faces consumer boycotts in France and the Netherlands.