This archive report was first published on 10 July 2019.
Published on July 10, 2019, a report in local media claimed that US coffeehouse chain Starbucks was planning to enter the Kenyan market.
However, Taste Holdings, the South Africa-based franchise holder of Starbucks, has denied these claims, stating that there are no plans to open in Nairobi.
"We have no plans as a company to open in Nairobi...not any that I know of at the moment," a representative of Taste Holdings said.
Starbucks had previously announced plans to launch a research and support center in central Kenya in 2009, but later abandoned the plan due to a tough operating environment and the effects of the disputed 2007 presidential election.
Despite this, several global food brands have successfully entered the Kenyan market in recent years, including KFC, Subway, Teriyaki Japan, Burger King, Hardee’s, and Pizza Hut.
Starbucks currently operates 12 coffeehouses in three South African cities: Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban.
