Starbucks has opened a multitude of new community stores in Asia.
In Korea, Starbucks inaugurated its Community Store Jeju Sehwa Drive-Thru branch situated in Gujwa-eup, Jeju City, in early November.
A part of the cafe’s earnings will be contributed to the K-Green Foundation, aiming to assist the local community and promote increased awareness of sustainable practices.
In February 2023, Starbucks Korea organized a competition in collaboration with the Korea National Council on Social Welfare to identify programs for support through Community Stores. The K-Green Foundation emerged as one of the chosen nonprofit organizations (NGOs) selected by Starbucks partners and customers.
Within the framework of the Community Store program, Starbucks Korea will partner with the NGO to implement environmentally friendly initiatives that involve the local community, generate economic opportunities in Jeju, and launch campaigns promoting sustainable practices throughout Korea.
To mark the inauguration of the new Community Store, Starbucks Korea officially entered into a partnership agreement with the K-Green Foundation at Starbucks Jeju Sehwa Drive-Thru. The signing ceremony was graced by the presence of Ryan Sohn, CEO of Starbucks Korea, Teayoung Jung, director of the K-Green Foundation, and Starbucks Korea partners.
Under the terms of the agreement, Starbucks Korea will contribute up to KRW 100 million ($76,000) annually, derived from a percentage of the café’s revenue. This donation will aid a range of environmentally conscious initiatives, encompassing volunteer activities for Starbucks partners and customers, workshops focused on the environment, the upcycling of Starbucks coffee bean packaging, and the generation of additional economic opportunities for marginalized groups within the local community.
Meanwhile, Starbucks achieved a milestone in Vietnam as it opened its first Community Store in the country.
The focus of the Community Store is to aid youth vocational education in Vietnam, with VND3,000 ($0.12) from each beverage sold at the store allocated to training programs in collaboration with the nonprofit partner, REACH, for the upcoming three years.
As per Starbucks, the Community Store is integral to a worldwide initiative aimed at fortifying communities, fostering economic opportunities, and making a positive impact through collaborations with local nonprofit organizations.
The Starbucks Nguyen Huu Huan Community Store will endorse REACH, an organization dedicated to offering vulnerable youth vocational training, skills development, and employment opportunities, paving the way for a brighter future for them and their families.
Supported by grant funding from The Starbucks Foundation, Starbucks Vietnam initiated a partnership with REACH in conjunction with The Asia Foundation in 2016. This collaboration aimed to deliver vocational training, career guidance, and job placement services within the food and beverage industry (F&B) for young individuals in Vietnam. Starbucks Vietnam partners actively volunteered to mentor youth, and they plan to persist in volunteering for future cohorts with REACH.
Introduced in 2011, the Starbucks Community Stores were established to collaborate with organizations with a demonstrated track record of fostering advancement in disadvantaged communities. In addition to financial contributions, Starbucks frequently shared its business expertise to assist these groups in fulfilling their mission. This involved providing strategic technical and management assistance, collaborating on community service projects, and working with these organizations to bolster their job training and placement efforts.
