Starbucks has set its sight on tapping coffee lovers in Myanmar as part of its expanded footprint in Asia.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz opens the first community store outside the United States on Lang Suan Road on Monday. (Photo by Wisit Tham-ngern)
Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO, said during a visit to Thailand to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its founding in the country, that Myanmar was one of the targetted countries for the firm to expand its business, which includes more shops in China and India.
"Within the next couple of years, I'd say," Mr Schultz said of the plan to enter Myanmar.
The company plans to boost the number of Starbucks stores in China to 1,500 stores by 2015, up from the current 850 stores in 70 cities after entering the most world's most populous country 13 years ago.
"We've built the kind of business that has garnered a fair amount of trust from multiple constituencies in China," Mr Schultz said. "I think the market is large enough for many people, and I think we have a unique opportunity to maintain our leadership position."
"Success is not an entitlement anywhere in the world," he said. "Certainly not in China. You have to earn it, and earn it every day."
Starbucks plans to open more stores in India, where it operates 12 shops. It has one outlet in Vietnam.
The company plans to double its size in Thailand to 320 branches within the next five years, he added.
Mr Schultz on Monday announced the opening of the firm's first community store outside the United States in Bangkok.
The first three Starbucks community stores are in its hometown Los Angeles, New York and Texas.
A portion of the revenues earned at the Starbucks store on Lang Suan Road will be directed toward farming communities in northern Thailand that grow coffee for the Seattle-based chain. The money will be directed to the Integrated Tribal Development Programme to support education, health and irrigation projects.
"I must say that I'm very proud of what this community store concept means. It is exactly the shared values of what Starbucks has done around the world," he said.
Currently, the firm has 19,000 coffee branches in 62 countries.