Starbucks to Open More Than 170 Coffee Shops in Thailand Over Five Years

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz outside the new Thailand community store

Starbucks has opened its fourth “community store,” its first outside the United States, in the Langsuan neighborhood of Bangkok, Thailand. The company has also announced that it plans to double its retail presence in the Southeast Asian country over the next five years, bringing its total there to more than 330.

The “community stores” are part of the company’s corporate responsibility program, serving as training centers for employees and generating revenue for community-revitalization projects.

Starbucks opened stores in Crenshaw (Los Angeles) and Harlem (New York) last year, and earlier this year unveiled a store in Houston’s fifth ward. For the Thailand store, 10 percent of sales revenue will go toward coffee farming communities in northern Thailand. Here’s more from Starbucks on where the money will go:

As part of this unique collaboration, 10 percent of sales of hand-crafted beverages purchased at the Langsuan community store will be directed to The Integrated Tribal Development Program (ITDP). The funds will contribute to the building of a learning center in Mae KheeMukNoi and Kong Kai village’s, Mae Chaem, Chiang Mai and, thereafter, will be dedicated to supporting sustainable education, health and irrigation projects. Starbucks Thailand has been supporting the farming communities in Thailand for more than 10 years with 5 percent of the Thai sales of Starbucks Muan Jai® blend, sourced from the region being invested back in the local coffee farming communities.