Starbucks Celebrates 15 Years in Korea with Opening of First Community Store to Create Pathways to Opportunity for Youth

Portion of every Community Store purchase directly supports education and career training programs through Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea

First-of-its-kind program in Korea builds on strong foundation of innovative education, job training and apprenticeship initiatives led by Starbucks around the globe

Celebrating Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) 15 years in Korea and its ongoing global commitment to supporting pathways to opportunities for young people in the community, Starbucks today opened the first Community Store in the Daehakro neighborhood of Seoul. KRW300 (30 cents U.S.) from every purchase at this store will go to Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea (GUCFK) to directly support lifelong skills development for youth through the Starbucks Comprehensive Youth Leadership Program.

Starbucks partners with (center) Lee Je-Hoon, president, Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea; S.K. Lee, president, Starbucks Korea; John Culver, group president, Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific, Channel Development and Emerging Brands; and Jeff Hansberry, president, Starbucks China and Asia Pacific, celebrating the first Community Store in Korea. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Our aspiration for the past 15 years has been to build a different kind of company in Korea – one committed to performance that is driven through the lens of humanity with a focus on giving back to the communities where we do business,” said John Culver, group president, Starbucks Coffee China and Asia Pacific, Channel Development and Emerging Brands. “Through our expanded partnership with Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea to develop the Starbucks Comprehensive Youth Leadership Program, we’re working together to help young people identify and develop the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century economy.”

The Starbucks Comprehensive Youth Leadership Program is an innovative, holistic program that builds on the collaboration with GUCFK to offer academic scholarships through graduation, combined with a unique curriculum focused on business acumen, collaborative communications and social consciousness as part of its aim to prepare young people from disadvantaged backgrounds for educational and career opportunities in Korea’s economy.

“Korea has one of the highest college tuition costs around the globe and the ratio for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend college is low.* Starbucks Comprehensive Youth Leadership Program empowers and engages young people in meaningful and encouraging ways to create a positive change in their lives through education,” said Lee Je-Hoon, president, Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea.

Since 2006, Starbucks Korea and Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea have collaborated to help address social and community needs across Korea, with a strong focus on investing in young people that are seeking opportunities to participate in the economy. From the annual Green Santa Barista event, to Grow the Tree of Hope campaign, to skills development programs for youth, the two organizations have worked together to make a positive difference for young people in the community.

“We are pleased to expand on our relationship with Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea to continue to build and inspire young people in Korea who have made a commitment to serve and lead in their communities,” said S.K. Lee, president, Starbucks Korea. “The investment from the new Community Store in Daehakro will give our customers an opportunity to join us in directly supporting local programs for young people to build lifelong skills.”

Located in the education and arts district of Seoul, the Community Store will be a social hub for the local community celebrating opportunities to create a positive change through an interactive community board and a unique art wall, created by local university students.

Over time, the store will host workshops and seminars facilitated by business and community leaders to create dialogue and engagement on important topics impacting the community.

Today’s Community Store opening is Starbucks eighth Community Store globally and the second Community Store in Asia. The Community Stores aim to be a social hub to find and support smart solutions for the local community. Portion of the sales from each Community Store is shared with a local nonprofit to provide young people in the community the education and career opportunities they need to succeed.

This Starbucks Community Store is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The store is located at 57 Daehakro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea.

Celebrating 15 Years in Korea

Korea continues to be key to Starbucks continued success since the opening of its first store in Seoul in 1999. Today, Starbucks Korea operates more than 697 stores across 62 cities and is the company’s fourth largest market outside of the U.S.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or www.starbucks.com.

*2013 OECD statistics on education

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20140930006954/en/

Starbucks Coffee CompanyMarianne Duong, [e-mail]