Starbucks Celebrates 20 Years of Coffee and Connections in Peru, Further Commits to Sustainability

• Starbucks marks two decades of retail presence in the market by announcing three Peruvian stores are now certified under the company’s Greener Stores framework, including the newly constructed Frutales location in Lima’s La Molina district.
• Aligned with its sustainability commitment and through the Greener Stores program, Starbucks aims to reduce global carbon emissions, water usage and waste sent to landfills by 50% by 2030.
• Announcement comes on the heels of launching Starbucks® Perú Mujeres de Junín, a new single-origin coffee produced by a group of all-women farmers in Peru’s Central Highlands as well as the “We Are All Coffee” initiative to uplift coffee communities.   

Lima, Peru – Starbucks, operated in Peru by local licensed retail partner Delosi, is proud to celebrate its commitment to the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region and two decades of retail operations in Peru by announcing bold environmental commitments and programs to support local coffee communities.

Since opening its first South American store in Lima, Peru, in 2003, Starbucks has captured the hearts of local coffee lovers across the region with its high-quality arabica coffee and a warm and welcoming atmosphere where customers can enjoy handcrafted espresso-based beverages prepared by passionate baristas. Currently, Starbucks has 1,635 stores across 24 markets in Latin America and the Caribbean.

To aid in its regional expansion, the company has established strong relationships with trusted licensed retail operators, such as Delosi. Through its industry knowledge and market expertise, Delosi currently operates over 110 stores across 10 cities, with nearly 1,700 Starbucks Peru partners (employees) proudly wearing the green apron.

As part of the anniversary celebration, Tom Ferguson, senior vice president and president of Starbucks in Latin America and Caribbean, joined Rodrigo Isasi, CEO of Delosi, and Cristel Delgado, brand manager for Starbucks Peru, for a special event to inaugurate the Frutales store which, together with two other stores in Lima, is now certified under Starbucks Greener Stores framework and will open its doors to the public on August 14.

“Together with our long-term business partner Delosi, we are tremendously proud to be celebrating 20 years of fostering moments of connection over coffee in Peru,” said Tom Ferguson, Starbucks president of Latin America and Caribbean. “As we look ahead to the future, we will continue to prioritize supporting our partners, elevating the customer experience, honoring our coffee heritage, and protecting the planet we share,” he added.

Protecting the Planet We Share

To mark 20 years of retail presence in Peru, Starbucks and Delosi are proud to announce the certification of the market’s first Greener Stores, as the brand accelerates the international expansion of its open-source Greener Store Framework in support of its global goal to reduce carbon, water, and waste footprints by 50% by 2030.  The stores are located in Lima’s Wong Plaza in San Miguel; MallPlaza in Comas; and Frutales in La Molina.

“With this initiative, we seek to push ourselves to be better and motivate other industry players to join in our commitment to sustainability, accelerating the transformation of retail towards stores with less environmental impact. Greener Stores reflect Starbucks efforts to put sustainability at the center of our operations and business,” said Cristel Delgado, brand manager of Starbucks Peru.

The three certified stores adhere to the Starbucks Greener Store Framework though a more efficient use of resources, including 100% LED interior and exterior lighting, grease interceptors, and utilizing electricity instead of natural gas. The stores are designed to reduce water usage by 30% through a combination of proper sizing of water heaters, filters, and low flow plumbing fixtures and processes. Furthermore, Peru is focused on waste management, donating 100% of coffee grounds through Starbucks Grounds For Your Garden program, which first launched in the market in 2022.

Currently, the brand operates 90 Greener Stores across 16 markets in Latin America: Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, and Chile, which had the region’s first certified Greener Store. In efforts to further sustainability efforts across the region, Starbucks has committed to build all new stores in the LAC region under the Greener Stores framework by the end of 2023. Globally, Starbucks has certified over 3,500 Greener Stores across 20 markets, which sets the company well on its way to achieving its goal of 10,000 Greener Stores by 2025.

Honoring Coffee Heritage & Supporting Communities

Starbucks has been sourcing high-quality coffee from Peru since the company’s founding in 1971. On June 27, 2023, the brand unveiled Starbucks® Perú Mujeres de Junín – the first Peruvian coffee grown and developed exclusively by women – to celebrate Starbucks 20^th anniversary in the market. Inspired by Pachamama, or “Earth Mother,” this exquisite single-origin coffee represents the essence of the mountains, valleys and biodiversity of Peru’s Central Highlands. The medium-roast coffee was cultivated by a group of over 130 women-farmers, part of a larger producer association known as “Caniari,” located in the Junín region of Central Peru. It will be available in Peru – and 20 markets across the region – until August 21, 2023.

With the launch of Starbucks® Perú Mujeres de Junín – and through the support of the “We Are All Coffee” (“Todos Somos Café”) initiative, which ran from May to June 2023 – Starbucks Peru and Starbucks Coffee Company will also be funding 40 coffee drying beds and a coffee quality lab for the community of Pangoa in Junín. This will have a significant impact on the quality of coffee production, as it will allow local coffee growers to better evaluate important characteristics of the coffee, such as aroma, flavor, and acidity.

The “We Are All Coffee” initiative complements The Starbucks Foundation’s goal to positively impact 1 million women and girls in coffee-, tea- and cocoa-growing communities by 2030. In March 2023, The Starbucks Foundation and international nonprofit organization TechnoServe announced the launch of the Mujeres CAFÉ initiative to help uplift women in Peruvian coffee communities. Leveraging the work of the Coffee Alliance for Excellence (CAFE) program, a USAID initiative, Mujeres CAFÉ will work with 1,300 women in coffee farming communities across Peru to develop their leadership and communications skills and take on a greater role in household and community decision-making.

Elevating the Customer Experience

Since arriving to Peru, Starbucks has continued to evolve its strategy to meet customers’ ever-changing needs and lifestyles.

In recent years, the brand has expanded its connection with customers in Peru through digital media. For example, the Starbucks Rewards loyalty platform enhances Starbucks digital relationships with its customers and rewards them in a more personalized and convenient way. This year, Starbucks Peru will relaunch its Starbucks Rewards program offering customers a more personalized interactions that promotes accessibility and a level-up experience. With the relaunch of the program, customers will be able to choose their preferred payment method, accumulate benefits and have access to different convenience channels.

“Innovation in experience has always been our priority. Today, by embracing the digital environment, we want to promote personalization and accessibility to strengthen the connection with our customers where they are,” said Rodrigo Isasi, CEO of Delosi.​

Finally, for the 20th anniversary, a lineup of Starbucks Peru merchandise will be available to customers for a limited time. The merchandise – which includes a tumbler, mug, and cold cup – is inspired by the beloved Peruvian retablo motif and designed to underscore the market’s unique connection to coffee.