Starbucks’ Scala Mall store, Quito | Photo credit: Starbucks

Starbucks has opened its first store in Ecuador in partnership with franchise restaurant group Delonorte S.A. 
 

The US coffee chain, which now operates 1,700 stores across 25 markets in Latin America and the Caribbean, said the 1,500sq ft store in Quito’s Scala Mall is the first of five sites it will open in Ecuador over the next 12 months. 

“Starbucks has been sourcing high-quality arabica coffee from Ecuador for over a decade, and with our first store opening in the market, we look forward to creating moments of connection over coffee for Ecuadorian customers and continuing the rich coffee traditions inherent to the region,” said Ricardo Arias-Nath, President, Latin America and the Caribbean, Starbucks.  

Delonorte S.A. opened its first licensed Starbucks store in Lima in 2003 and currently operates 120 Starbucks stores in Peru alongside seven in Bolivia. 

Ecuador is Starbucks’ 87th market globally, following launches in Guyana in April 2023 and Paraguay a month later. The Seattle-based coffee chain has also signed an agreement with its Salvadorian licensee Premium Restaurants of America to enter Honduras before the end of 2024.  

Starbucks’ Ecuador debut comes amid a turbulent period for the coffee chain as it appoints its second CEO in 18 months.  

Chipotle’s Brian Niccol will join the 39,000-store business on 9 September 2024 to succeed Laxman Narasimhan, who has stepped down following sluggish US sales, store boycotts in the Middle East and Southeast Asia and reported pressure from activist investor Elliott Investment Management.