Starbucks opens first drive-thru store in Dominican Republic with expansion to Punta Cana

• Starbucks celebrates its 1,600th store in Latin America and the Caribbean and sixth location in the Dominican Republic with its first drive-thru store located at Blue Mall Punta Cana.

• The new store pays tribute to the popular tourist destination – also known as the “Jewel of the Caribbean” – combining high-quality arabica coffee and a comfortable atmosphere inspired by local culture with the convenience of Starbucks drive-thru service.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – Starbucks – operated by local business operator Green Star Partners in the Dominican Republic – today announced the opening of its first store in Punta Cana. The store, located at Blue Mall Punta Cana in the heart of the Caribbean tourist destination, marks Starbucks 1,600th store in Latin American and Caribbean and its first drive-thru store in the Dominican Republic, underscoring the company’s commitment to continued regional expansion and its efforts to diversify its store portfolio to meet customers’ needs for convenience, connection, and personalization.

“We are tremendously proud to open our first store in Punta Cana and to bring the Starbucks Experience to even more customers across the Dominican Republic” said José Luis Gómez, General Manager, Green Star Partners. “This beautiful drive-thru store pays tribute to the energy, joy, vitality and local coffee tradition of Punta Cana, while also providing the convenience that on-the-go customers are looking for in their daily routine.”

With this new store, Starbucks aims to balance speed and quality while differentiating the customer experience. Located at the entrance to Blue Mall Punta Cana on at Blvd. Turístico del Este, the drive-thru store is specially designed to provide a unique on-the-go experience in a safe and familiar way. Customers will be able to enjoy high-quality, arabica coffee and handcrafted espresso-based beverages made by passionate baristas, along with a wide assortment of exclusive products, fresh food items, and whole bean coffees, including Starbucks Dominican Republic single-origin coffee. The new location marks Starbucks sixth store in the Dominican Republic and will provide employment opportunity to 18 partners (employees) in Punta Cana, with approximately 100 partners proudly wearing the green apron nationwide.

Starbucks store designers are creating experiences that not only meet the evolving needs customers have around the world, but that also honor the neighborhoods where the company operates. The new Punta Cana drive-thru store was designed and constructed to represent the local culture and facilitate the active lifestyles of the Caribbean coast. Built with native materials from the region, such as "cana" (from the palms that abound in the area) and coral stone, the store embodies tropical freshness and exhibits a Caribbean chic style representative of the local culture and environment.

The brand’s iconic image seamlessly combines with local design features throughout the store, such as a miniature garden constructed behind the sidewalk in front of the store. Developed in conjunction with local curators, the garden exhibits the colors, textures and smells of wild gardens found in local Caribbean fields. The store’s furniture was designed and built by Dominican artisans who used authentic, ethically sourced materials in their work, connecting customers with the local surroundings.

The 154m2 store also features murals painted by local artist, Ivanna Candelier, telling the story of Starbucks bond with the Dominican land, the local people, and the magic of the coffee bean. Her pieces feature the mystical siren, emblematic of the Starbucks brand, with an additional element of the birth and transformation of a coffee bean inspired by Dominican identity, exhibited through details including dance of the flowers and dew of the mountains motifs that act as protagonists in her artistic creation.

“I grew up listening to the stories of my grandmother, my mother, and their sisters in the field. My family comes from the heart of San Francisco de Macoris, where they grew coffee most of their lives. Imagining their stories with the same innocence with which they lived them is the inspiration for this series of illustrations called Offerings of the Land,” explained Candelier.

The drive-thru store is located at the entrance to Blue Mall Punta Cana at the Blvd. Turístico del Este and serves customers from 7 A M to 10 P M.