Coffee company Starbucks South Africa, after inheriting 13 stores after five years under its previous owners, is continuing its expansion plans throughout the country under the stewardship of its new licensee – Rand Capital Coffee – in December 2019.

CEO Adrian Maizey and his team set out plans to restructure the business model using economies of scale, with current growth plans being accelerated through a relationship with Shoprite Checkers.

“The new Starbucks kiosks in the FreshX supermarkets is a perfect partnership for us. It helps extend the Starbucks offering into regions and neighbourhoods where we otherwise might not be able to reach and gives us access to their incredible leadership and innovation,” he says.

In 2019, Starbucks South Africa set out to build 30 new stores by March 2022. Despite the macro disruptions in South Africa this year and in 2020 – including the pandemic and related lockdowns, looting, the metal workers strike, as well as load-shedding and water disruptions – the company will have opened 41 new stores by the end of December. This brings to a total 54 stores for Starbucks South Africa.

“We are way ahead of schedule with more stores opening in the New Year,” says Maizey.

VACCINATION DRIVE

Recognising the scientific evidence supporting the power of vaccinations to help stem the spread of Covid-19, Rand Capital Coffee is keen to ensure all its employees, and by association their customers, are protected and has therefore encouraged all employees to be vaccinated.

In this regard, in just one month, over a quarter of all Rand Capital Coffee stores achieved fully-vaccinated status.

In describing the balance of proposing voluntary vaccinations as opposed to making it an operational imperative, Maizey explains that the Starbucks brand is “human-centred” with a strong focus on the wellbeing of its people, the planet and its guests.

“Our mission is to create human connections through coffee and conversations. My hope with the vaccination drive is that our employees will discuss the merits of being vaccinated to protect themselves, their loved ones, and our guests from the virus,” he says.

Further to this, Rand Capital Coffee has provided information and opportunities for everyone to get vaccinated, set out an incentive reward and left it up to the people in its stores to make what they believe to be the right call.

“So far, I am delighted to say that as of the end of November, we already had ten stores with 100% vaccinated status, and we hope to have more by the end of the year,” says Maizey.

The Starbucks outlets boasting 100% vaccination status include the Cape Town stores of Canal Walk, West Coast Village, Constantia Emporium Checkers FreshX, Canal Walk Checkers FreshX; Johannesburg stores of Linden, Rosebank, Sandton City, Rosebank Mall Checkers FreshX; Centurion Mall in Pretoria; and Somerset Mall in the Western Cape.

As South Africa moves into the holiday season, he believes many South Africans will be looking for places and opportunities to gather, celebrate the end of a tough year and safely enjoy each other’s company. “Protecting our people is the right thing to do,” says Maizey.

“It is equally important that we do our best to provide a safe space for our guests. Somewhere they can happily and confidently experience one of the great joys of life — connecting over superb coffee and conversations,” he says.