Starbucks : Opens its First Store in Slovakia

The Aupark Shopping Centre in Bratislava is now home to the first Starbucks in the Central European country of Slovakia. Starbucks partnered with AmRest - the largest independent operator of restaurant chains in Central and Eastern Europe - to open the store recently (May 31).

'With this new store, AmRest celebrates its 250th Starbucks store in Central Europe,' said Rhys Iley, Starbucks vice president, licensed operations, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and UK retail. 'We are very proud of our partnership with AmRest in the region and look forward to opening two more beautiful stores in Bratislava before the end of the year.'

The new location was designed to reflect the community it will serve and celebrate Starbucks history. At the entrance of the store is a line drawing of the first Starbucks® store at Pike Place Market in Seattle. The mythology associated with Starbucks Siren logo and Moby Dick heritage is also reflected in beautiful art work.

Custom-made coffee branch wallpaper, as well as black and white photographs honoring coffee agriculture are core design features in the store. Behind the coffee bar there is a quiet area with two community tables and a long countertop, to encourage greater connection between customers and partners (employees).

'We are delighted to bring Starbucks to the Slovak market and to Bratislava, a city with a long history of coffeehouses,' said Adam Mularuk, President of AmRest. 'We hope local customers will love the unique experience and fantastic customer service offered by Starbucks, and share with us a passion for the highest quality coffee.'

For more information on this news release, contact the Starbucks Newsroom.