AUSTRIA: Starbucks opens its first coffee house in Austria’s coffee capital

Plans to open 10-15 coffee houses in Austria over the next 12-18 months

VIENNA, Austria–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In recognition of Austria’s legendary and rich coffee culture, Starbucks Coffee International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq: SBUX – news), and the Bon appetit Group AG, today celebrated the opening of the first Starbucks coffee house in the heart of Vienna.

The Starbucks coffee house is located in the old center of Vienna at the corner of Karntnerstrasse — Walfischgasse, adjacent to the Vienna Opera House.

“Vienna, a city celebrated as Austria’s coffee capital, is a perfect home for Starbucks,” said Howard Schultz, chairman and chief global strategist of Starbucks Coffee Company. “We are very mindful of the Viennese coffee house tradition, which is considered an institution in Europe. Just like the Viennese cafes, our customers worldwide consider the Starbucks coffee houses as the ‘third place,’ their place to relax, between home and work.”

Following its successful entry into Switzerland earlier this year, Starbucks and the Bon appetit Group AG signed a joint venture agreement in July to open Starbucks coffee houses in Austria. Starbucks opened its first store in continental Europe in Zurich, Switzerland, in March this year, and currently has six coffee houses in Zurich, Basel and Bern.

“We take great pride in launching the Starbucks Experience in Austria,” said Franz Holzschuh, managing director at Austrian Star Gastronomie GmbH. “The high level of interest leading up to the opening of this first coffee house makes us believe that Austrians will welcome Starbucks to Vienna. We look forward to opening 10 to 15 coffee houses in the next 12 to 18 months.”

In addition to Switzerland and Austria, Starbucks recently announced its plans to enter into Spain and Germany. The first Starbucks coffee houses are scheduled to open in these markets in spring 2002.

“Starbucks complements the coffee house culture in Austria,” said Peter Maslen, president of Starbucks Coffee International. “We believe that our Austrian customers will enthusiastically embrace the Starbucks Experience. In addition to our planned entry into Spain and Germany, our goal is to bring the Starbucks Experience to another two continental European markets by the end of fiscal 2002.”

Bon appetit Group (www.bon-appetit.ch) is Switzerland’s leading listed food trade company and is a unique player in its core business: food retailing and the provision of services for the catering and retail sectors. It operates through its three fields of activity Retail Services, Catering Services and Logistics Services. In 2000, Bon appetit Group posted consolidated sales of CHF 3.321 billion with a workforce of approximately 7,300.

Starbucks Coffee International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks Coffee Company, the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world, with more than 4,900 retail locations in North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim.