Starbucks opens first café in Cartagena, Colombia
Marks fifth city entry and 46th store in the market; store design and beverage offerings celebrate Colombian coffee culture ahead of National Coffee Day.
Cartagena ─ As part of its continued expansion plans in the market, Alsea – Starbucks operating licensee in Colombia – today announced the arrival of the company’s first café in Cartagena, a popular port city and beach destination on the Caribbean coast. Located at the intersection of San Martin Avenue and Calle 8 in the Bocagrande district, the new store opens its doors on June 24, inviting customers to enjoy 100% locally sourced Colombian coffee in its handcrafted espresso-based beverages as well as a wide selection of food offerings and seasonal products inspired by the market’s unique coffee heritage.
“Ahead of Colombia’s upcoming National Coffee Day, we are tremendously proud to bring the Starbucks Experience to the beautiful city of Cartagena. Starbucks has been serving some of Colombia’s finest coffees since our founding in 1971, and we continue to be the world’s largest purchaser of premium arabica Colombian beans,” stated Francisco Tosso, Country Manager of Alsea Colombia. “Our new café not only honors our longstanding commitment to the market but also our dedication to generating jobs here in the department of Bolívar,” Tosso added.
Starbucks designs its stores to enhance the human connection made over a cup of coffee and to reflect the communities they serve. The new Cartagena café features a simple, elegant design with a mix of both traditional and contemporary elements. The interior of the store is inviting and cozy, layered with a variety of textures and warmer tones, and the patio embodies the Third Place experience with a large canopy and comfortable seating to provide a welcoming gathering spot for customers.
The café also features a striking mural painted by Yurika, a Colombian artist known for his eclectic style and colorful street art designs. Yurika’s mural reflects the essence and colors of Cartagena – the rhythms of its cumbias and the beauty of its people. It also celebrates Colombia’s local flora and fauna, including the market’s beloved coffee trees.
Since Starbucks arrival to Colombia in 2014, the brand has been committed to delivering innovative, unique, and extraordinary experiences through coffee. Together with Alsea, Starbucks continues to expand in the market with 46 stores – in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, and now Cartagena – and over 520 Starbucks Colombia partners (employees) proudly wearing the green apron market wide.
To learn more about Starbucks Colombia, visit: https://www.starbucks.com.co/.