Starbucks Arrives in Salvador, Bahia

Store opening reinforces the company’s commitment to job creation and growth in the Brazil market; Bahia is the ninth state in Brazil to welcome the Starbucks brand and marks the start of a northeastern expansion agenda.

Sao Paulo – As part of its ongoing expansion strategy in the market, SouthRock – the licensed retail operator of Starbucks stores in Brazil – today announced the opening of the first Starbucks store in the state of Bahia. Located in Shopping da Bahia, in Salvador—the state’s capital—the store celebrates the siren’s arrival to Brazil’s northeast region and the beginning of an exciting 2023 growth agenda underscoring the company’s­­­­ efforts to bring the Starbucks Experience to even more customers throughout the market. A second Salvador store, in Shopping Barra, is expected to open in the first half of 2023, and the brand will continue to expand up the Atlantic coast, entering the states of Pernambuco (Recife) and Ceara (Fortaleza) this year.

“We are tremendously excited about the opening of our first Starbucks store in Bahia, which is such a culturally rich state and an important coffee sourcing region for Starbucks. It is an honor to bring Starbucks to Salvador and to reaffirm our mission to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time,” said Claudia Malaguerra, Managing Director of Starbucks Brazil.

Starbucks has sourced coffee from Bahia for over a decade, and uses high-quality, arabica beans from Bahia in a variety of coffees the brand produces, most notably Starbucks® Brasil Blend, a coffee specially designed for the Brazilian taste, which also includes beans from Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo states. Developed in 2006 when Starbucks first entered the market, Starbucks® Brasil Blend is a regular whole bean coffee in stores across Brazil and has become a global success story, now exported to markets across the world.

The two new Salvador stores will feature cozy, comfortable environments for customers to enjoy coffees from Brazil and around the world, along with seasonal and year-round beverages and menu items prepared by passionate baristas according to customers’ preferences. In addition to Starbucks® Brasil Blend, the store menu options include several products specifically created for Brazilian customers, such as Starbucks Brigadeiro Frappuccino® Blended Beverage and an exclusive recipe for the traditional pão de queijo, one of the region’s most popular bakery items.

With this opening, Starbucks Brazil provides customers with a place where they can meet and connect with family and friends over coffee and enjoy the best of the Starbucks Experience, which includes delicious, ethically sourced coffee, service from experienced baristas, constant innovation in products and services, and a welcoming environment for all.

Customers visiting the new stores will also have access to the Starbucks Rewards™ loyalty program, which offers exclusive benefits to its members. As one of the program perks, for every R$ 3.50 spent on Starbucks menu items and merchandise, Starbucks Rewards members will receive a star to collect and exchange for store items. All store orders, including beverage customizations, can be made using the Starbucks Brazil app.

POSITIVELY IMPACTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

With the arrival of Starbucks in Bahia, around 60 new direct jobs will be created for the local community. To further support and provide opportunities for community members, in the neighborhoods Starbucks serves, Starbucks Brazil has partnered with Pracatum Social Action Association (Associação Pracatum) and Senac Bahia (National Service For Commercial Education) to offer barista and waitering course. Initially, the partnership will train 20 youth and adults from the Candeal community – one of the oldest and most impoverished neighborhoods of Salvador. After completing the training, participants will be referred to fill open positions at Starbucks stores in Salvador. Any program graduates that do not receive an immediate job offer will have their registration and profile made available in Starbucks Brazil’s opportunity bank and at Senac Bahia.

Created in 1994, by artist Carlinhos Brown, the Pracatum Social Action Association, is a non-profit organization that conducts educational, cultural and community development programs at Candeal, in Salvador, Bahia. Pracatum seeks to strengthen the community through projects focused on the growth of its neighborhoods and professionalization of its residents. The activities promoted by Pracatum are divided into two main programs: Tá Rebocado - Community Development Program and Pracatum - Music, Education and Culture Program.

To further support green apron partners, Starbucks Brazil will also bring the  "I Am" project to Bahia, which offers legal and emotional well-being support for transgender partners to amend their names and genders on their birth certificates. Since its launch in 2020, the project has transformed the lives of more than 100 people in Brazil, supporting partners in stores, corporate offices and other businesses operated by SouthRock in Brazil, as well as members of partner NGOs. The 2023 edition of the project marked a record number of partners registered from Brazilian states where Starbucks currently has a presence.

With the new store openings, Starbucks Brazil also brings several brand initiatives to support and give back to local communities.  Initiatives include:

• Caramel Day: a day in December when the net profit from the sale of all Caramel beverages is donated to the Gol de Letra Foundation in support of youth education programs.
• Pride Month: celebrated throughout the month of June, a special month where Starbucks Brazil supports the LGBTQIA2+ community by donating the net profit from sales of the Pride Frappuccino® Blended Beverage to local nonprofit organizations dedicated to inclusion & diversity.
• Global Month of Good: created to bring together thousands of partners and customers, alongside hundreds of nonprofit partners around the world, to create lasting and meaningful change in the communities Starbucks serves.

The relationship with Bahia expands beyond the shared love of good coffee. In early 2022, The Starbucks Foundation and SouthRock committed joint donations to support immediate relief and recovery efforts on the ground following the intense and devastating rain, flooding and landslides in the state of Bahia. The funding designated to support communities across Bahia was distributed to World Central Kitchen and Gerando Falcões, in partnership with Brazil Foundation, to provide food, water, emergency shelter and other immediate support.

Additionally, as announced in 2022, The Starbucks Foundation awarded an Origin Grant to the non-profit Water.org to support 20,000 people in the coffee communities in Bahia and Minas Gerais with access to improved household water and/or sanitation solutions. In addition, Water.org will develop and distribute water and sanitation awareness materials to 10,00 people with a special focus on women and girls.

Follow Starbucks Brasil on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube.