This archive report was first published on 10 July 2019.
On July 10, 2019, Starbucks, a US-based coffeehouse chain, denied reports of plans to enter the Kenyan market.
According to Taste Holdings, the South Africa-based franchise holder of Starbucks, there are no plans to open a coffeehouse 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 stated.
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 set up shop in Kenya in recent years, including KFC, Subway, Teriyaki Japan, Burger King, Hardee’s, and Pizza Hut.
Taste Holdings currently operates 12 Starbucks coffeehouses in three South African cities: Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban.
