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Published on October 17, 2007

"Starbucks has 1,400 Starbucks in nine countries in Asia. And the company has seen opportunities to open up to 10,000 coffee houses in Asia-Pacific and greater China," said John Culver, senior vice president and president of Asia-Pacific for the Seattle, Washington-based chain.

He was in Bangkok to commemorate the opening of the 100th Starbucks here yesterday.

About 2,400 Starbucks will be opened globally next year, of which about 900 will be outside the United States, with some 200 of those in the Asia-Pacific, he said. Starbucks operates 14,000 coffee houses worldwide, including 10,000 in the US. Of the 4,00 international outlets, about 1,400 are in the Asia-Pacific. Starbucks serves five million cups of coffee every week in the Asia-Pacific alone.

"We have seen opportunities to open 40,000 Starbucks totally, of which about

 

 

 

 

 

 20,000 will be in the US and 20,000 in international markets. We however have not committed ourselves to a time frame," Culver said.

Loyal customers in the US usually visit Starbucks 18 times a month, he said.

"We will evaluate all the markets in the Asia-Pacific. Our strategy is set to expand within the country as well as to other new potential markets," he said.

"Starbucks' success in the Asia-Pacific and Thailand reflects our commitment to personalising the Starbucks Experience for every customer, in every store and in every market," he said.

Felix Michael, managing director of Starbucks Coffee Thailand, said Starbucks had taken about nine years here to reach 100 coffee houses, opening an average of 10-15 outlets a year.

The first Starbucks opened in Central Chidlom in July 1998 and seven years later in 2005, the 50th opened in Hua Hin.

"We have seen huge momentum since then and we today sit at the 100-store mark. Today, we deliver the Starbucks Experience in many locations from Chiang Mai in the North to Phuket in the South, and from Bangkok stretching to the Northeast in places like Nong Kai, Khon Kaen and even Ubon Ratchathani and to the Eastern Seaboard in Pattaya. It's been a long journey but it has been worth the effort," Michael said.

 Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

 The Nation