Bulgaria and Portugal Selected as New Territories for 2008 as the Region Lays Foundation for Continued Expansion

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) announced today it will increase its already strong presence in Europe by opening coffeehouses in Bulgaria and Portugal next year as part of its strategy to develop business clusters within Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Starbucks Coffee EMEA recently extended its joint venture agreement with the Marinopoulos Group to open stores in Bulgaria; the first will open in the capital city of Sofia in 2008. It also broadened its agreement with Spanish joint venture partner Grupo VIPS to open stores in Portugal. The first store is expected to open in Lisbon sometime next year.

“Extending the reach of our agreements with established business partners gives us the capability to gain leverage,” said Cliff Burrows, president of Starbucks Europe, Middle East and Africa. “We look forward to bringing our high quality coffees and the Starbucks Experience to these important emerging consumer markets.”

Starbucks successful five year partnership with Athens-based Marinopoulos Group now spans six markets including Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Switzerland, Austria and the addition of Bulgaria. Likewise, its joint venture relationship of more than five years with Madrid-based Grupo VIPS covers three markets including Spain, France and now Portugal.

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