Malta's first Starbucks outlet, which is situated on the Valletta Waterfront, will welcome its first customers on Saturday.
Vice-President of Retail Operations of Starbucks Europe, the Middle East and Africa Robert Lynch spoke of his pride and satisfaction at introducing the "Starbucks Experience" to Malta and said that he hoped that the store will become not only a destination for exceptional coffee, but also a gathering place for the local community.
That experience is not only about the coffee, Lynch said; it is about creating a genuine connection between the barista and the customer, and between the store and the community. At the core of everything, Lynch said, the Starbucks Mission Statement is to inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time.
Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world, with 30,000 stores spread across 80 countries - Malta being the 80th - and is committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality Arabica coffee. The franchise was brought to Malta by db Group, who hold the exclusive license for operating and developing the Starbucks brand in the country.
"Everything we've done on bringing Starbucks to Malta has been done with our customers at the centre", Malcolm Saliba, the general manager of Starbucks Malta said before adding that "while the experience will be consistent with the values and store atmosphere that Starbucks is known for globally, what customers in Malta will see is an environment created bespoke for them, reflecting the beauty of the island's dynamic culture."
Starbucks will be bringing a range of their classic coffees such as the Espresso Roast and their flagship coffee, the Pike Place Roast, along with other more innovative products such as the nitrogen-infused cold brew.
The company will also be implementing various environmental initiatives such as offering a 25 cent discount to all customers who bring in a reusable mug or tumbler, while also offering plastic cutlery only upon request. The company has also pledged to completely eliminate plastic straws from its stores globally by 2020, while it is pioneering global, industry-leading programmes such as the NextGen Cup Challenge, which seeks to develop a more widely-recyclable paper cup.
The outlet is situated inside one of the Valletta Waterfront's 17th century vaults and is designed in such a manner to incorporate the historic limestone features with wood and marble finishes. The setting and the design is also reminiscent of Starbucks' own mercantile roots in Seattle's historic Pike Place Market, where the company began in 1971 by selling whole-bean coffee and incorporates the franchise's main motif - the Starbucks Siren - in an artistic piece of floor-to-ceiling wood marquetry.
Photos by Eva Krins