Starbucks Dominican Republic Opens First University Store at UNIBE

The university store, in Santo Domingo’s Gazcue neighborhood, marks the eighth store in the market.  

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – As part of its ongoing expansion plans in the market, Starbucks Dominican Republic –operated by Green Star Partners – announced today that it will open its first university store within the campus of the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE), in Santo Domingo, marking its eighth location in the market.

This new concept store, inaugurated with a ribbon cutting in the presence of Starbucks Dominican Republic and UNIBE executives, features a standard counter bar and the full range of Starbucks handcrafted beverages, whole bean coffees, and merchandise.

“We are excited to be part of the UNIBE community, to provide our UNIBE customers with our usual personalized craft, a welcoming environment and a safe space where we are a part of the development process of young students, teachers and administrative staff. We look forward to connecting over inspired moments and sharing a bit of our coffee culture,” said José Luis Gomez, country manager for Starbucks Dominican Republic.

The store was built by using a recycled 30-foot shipping container, resulting in a cozy place where university students, professors and academic staff can enjoy the Starbucks Experience, getting their favorite beverages, lunch or on-the-go snacks.

Remaining true to the essence of the brand, the counter bar and ceiling of this new store are elaborated with detailed woodwork by Dominican artisans, creating a warm and contemporary atmosphere. Handmade green tiles also line the interior. The store also features comfortable seating for those who want to take a few moments to connect and enjoy their order.

Following Starbucks tradition of designing stores that reflect the local culture, a beautiful hand-painted botanical mural, paying homage to the origins of the coffee Starbucks proudly serves, adorns the exterior wall of the container store. The artwork was created in collaboration with local artist Johann Báez, better known as Dovente. In the future, there are plans to conduct an “artists call” with the intention that an art student from UNIBE can add another layer of botanical art to the initial work that embellishes this new store.

Continuing Starbucks commitment in creating job opportunities in the Dominican Republic, eight new partners were recruited for the UNIBE store. Ongoing recruitment will also be available for university students.  

The UNIBE store is open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (Monday to Friday) and from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sundays.