As part of the Russia sanctions, the US company Starbucks has completely withdrawn from the country. Now the Kremlin rapper Timati takes over the business. The name is new, but the logo of the successor chain is strongly reminiscent of that of its predecessor.
The first former cafés of the US group Starbucks have reopened in Russia under a new name. The new chain welcomed its first customers to its Moscow branches under the "Stars Coffee" logo, which is also visually reminiscent of Starbucks. Starbucks withdrew from Russia as a result of the Russian military offensive in Ukraine.
The pro-government rapper Timati and a Russian restaurant owner have now taken over the management of the successor. The new company logo is green and brown with white lettering, the well-known Starbucks mermaid has been replaced by a woman with a traditional Russian headdress. The menu has the usual drinks, but no frappuccinos, a type of Starbucks-patented iced coffee.
The new chain also wants to continue the Starbucks tradition of writing the customer's name on the beverage cup when ordering. Stars Coffee owners said all of the chain's locations across Russia would open by the end of September. Most of them should therefore remain cafes, some are to be converted into restaurants. According to the information, about 80 percent of the 2,000 former Starbucks employees have decided to stay after the change of ownership.
