Stars Coffee opens 1st unit in Russia to replace Starbucks; see photos

The Russian chain Stars Coffee opened its first restaurant in Moscow this Friday (19), to replace the American group Starbucks, which left Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine.

“Why Stars? The new brand brings together the stars of the food industry,” said in a statement the new owners of the cafe chain, Russian rapper Timati and businessman Anton Pinski, who acquired 130 Starbucks units in Russia at the end of July.

The green and white logo of the American company was given a brown color and the figure of a girl with the “kokochnik”, a traditional Russian hat, which replaces the Starbucks mermaid.

Coffee products will now be local and the food and dessert menu will be completely overhauled by new chefs, according to the statement.

Unlike the “Russian McDonald’s” that opened in June, there was no major advertising campaign for the opening of Stars Coffee’s main restaurant on Novy Arbat Avenue in the center of the Russian capital.

Nearly 80% of the approximately 2,000 employees who worked for Starbucks agreed to work at the new chain.

The Starbucks chain, which had temporarily closed its establishments in Russia at the beginning of the Ukrainian War on February 24, announced its departure from the country at the end of May. The American company has been present in Russia since 2007.