Topline
The first of 130 former Starbucks coffee shops resuming business in Russia under the name Stars Coffee opened its doors in Moscow on Thursday — making it the latest rebranding of a Western chain since many exited the country in the wake of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Former Starbucks coffee shops reopened in Russia under the name “Stars Coffee,” three months after … [+]
Key Facts
Photos of a Stars Coffee shop in Moscow emerged online this week, showing a logo resembling the iconic Starbucks mermaid — in this case wearing a Russian headdress called a kokoshnik — and menu items like “frappuccitos” replacing “frappuccinos,” Russian outlet RBK reported.
The rebranding comes two months after more than a dozen former McDonald’s restaurants reopened in Russia under the name Vkusno & Tochka, which translates to “tasty and that’s it.”
The new owners plan to open 90 Stars Coffee shops in Moscow, 15 in St. Petersburg and 15 in other locations, RBK reported — replacing the 130 Starbucks that had been in operation in Russia before the chain left in a mass exodus of Western companies including Adidas, H&M, Ikea, Little Caesars, McDonald’s and Nike.
The reopening was the work of Russian rapper and co-owner Timati, who posted photos of the reopening on Instagram, and restaurateur Anton Pinskiy, Reuters reported.
Starbucks did not respond immediately to a request for comment from Forbes.
Key Background
In addition to Starbucks and McDonald’s, the accounting firm Deloitte’s former business in Russia rebranded as “Business Solutions and Technologies,” after the company suspended operations in Russia and Belarus, The Moscow Times reported. London-based accountancy Ernst & Young’s Russia operation has also been rebranded “Audit Technologies and Solutions Centre,” according to Reuters. The rebranding of the Starbucks locations comes three months after the world’s largest coffee chain cut ties with Russia, where it had roughly 2,000 employees.
Big Number
Less than 1%. That’s how much of Starbucks’ annual revenue came from its 130 shops in Russia, according to analyst estimates reported by CNBC.
Further Reading
‘Tasty And That’s It’: Former McDonald’s Restaurants Reopen In Russia Under New Name (In Photos) (Forbes)
Restaurateur and rapper duo to reopen former Starbucks coffee shops in Russia (Reuters)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/08/18/starbucks-stores-in-russia-reopening-as-stars-coffee/