The entry of the Starbucks brand into Laos reaffirms the company’s long-term commitment to continued growth across Southeast Asia.
As part of the Starbucks brand’s continued expansion across Southeast Asia, Coffee Concepts Limited, a subsidiary of Maxim’s Caterers Limited, today opened the doors to the first Starbucks store in Laos, representing Starbucks’ 15th market in the Asia Pacific region and 84th market globally. Located in the capital city of Vientiane, the store opening reaffirms Starbucks’ long-term commitment to continued growth across Asia with more than 12,000 stores in the region.
“We’re excited to reach this highly anticipated milestone of opening our first store in Laos,” said Emmy Kan, senior vice president and president, Asia Pacific. “Having operated in Southeast Asia for more than 25 years, we are honored to welcome our newest partners in Laos to join us in bringing the unparalleled Starbucks Experience to local customers through unique store designs, handcrafted beverages, thoughtful coffee experiences, and welcoming environments.”
Starbucks® stores in Laos will be operated by its licensee partner Coffee Concepts Limited, a subsidiary of Maxim’s Caterers Limited. Through Coffee Concepts Limited, the Starbucks brand comes to life in more than 900 stores across Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore and Thailand.
“As we celebrate our first store in Laos, we are committed to delivering the best experience to our new partners and customers in the market,” said Michael Wu, Chairman and Managing Director of Hong Kong Maxim’s Group. “We look forward to creating more rewarding opportunities for partners and fostering more connections between partners and customers as we continue to grow in Laos.”
Known for its rich history in coffee production, Laos is a market with a thriving coffee culture. The new store adds to this by offering a warm and familiar coffeehouse experience alongside Starbucks signature handcrafted beverages. Inspired by the layers and symmetry of Laos’ architecture, the store is designed to bring the coffee experience and Starbucks’ brand heritage to life.
The handcrafted, textured door handle welcomes customers with an authentic touch from the moment they enter the store. The ceiling of the entire store is covered with Siren scale wood tiles, mimicking the brand’s signature Siren and the historical housing architecture in Laos. Ceiling tiles are adorned with botanical wood craft, inspired by coffee plants and the natural scenery of the country, creating a welcoming, and familiar setting for customers.
The store builds on Starbucks approach to deliver the Starbucks Experience to its partners and customers in locally relevant ways, while honoring the heritage and beauty of Laotian art and folklore. In collaboration with a local artist, a hand painted piece of artwork features a Siren boldly looking ahead, holding a coffee branch. The coffee bar is located in the center of the store, putting customer connection at the heart of the experience.
To celebrate the arrival of the store in Laos, the first 300 Starbucks customers to visit the café will receive a free limited-edition drinkware and a Starbucks Bearista® Bear upon purchase of a Grande or Venti size handcrafted beverage, as a token of gratitude.
As the Starbucks brand expands into Laos, the company is committed to using its scale for good and creating a positive impact in every community it serves. Guided by the Starbucks Mission and Values, Starbucks is committed to attracting and retaining an industry-leading team of partners, and creating opportunities to develop fulfilling careers in the coffee industry.
Across its markets in Asia, including China and Japan, Starbucks today operates more than 10,000 stores and employs more than 149,000 partners (employees) who proudly wear the green apron.
