Starbucks selects Romania as gateway to Eastern European expansion
International coffeehouse company Starbucks has chosen Romania as a launch pad for a major expansion in the region, according to a new report.
Last month, the global chain opened its first Romanian outlet in Bucharest - and now the firm says it wants to use Romania to help expand into other markets in eastern Europe.
Ziarul Financiar reports that Starbucks is looking for new coffeehouses in shopping centres and street fronts across Romania with the help of Marinopoulos, a Greek franchising firm that also operates Marks & Spencer shops in the region.
Cliff Burrows, Starbucks' Europe, Middle East and Africa chairman, remarks: "We have chosen the Romanian capital as a starting point for developments, from which we intend to expand on a larger scale."
He adds that the potential for growth in the region is "very high", since the Romanian people have a "traditional appreciation for coffee".
Recently, McDonald's announced similar expansion plans in Romania. Although the restaurant chain is a more established presence in the country than Starbucks, McDonald's wishes to continue its expansion and double the number of outlets, Ziarul Financiar reported last week.
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