Starbucks opens first store in Ecuador
Starbucks first store in Ecuador ribbon cutting with partners. Image: Starbucks
As part of its continued expansion across Latin America and the Caribbean, Starbucks Coffee Company, in partnership with licensed business operator, Delonorte SA, is opening its first store in Ecuador, representing the brand’s 25th market in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and 87th market globally. The opening also marks Starbucks 1,700th store in the LAC region.
Located at Scala Mall, a three-storied dining and shopping hub in Quito’s Cumbaya neighbourhood, the new café is the first of five Starbucks stores planned for Ecuador within the coming year. A second store will open at Condado Mall on 22 August, followed by a store at Centro Comercial Iñaquito in October and two additional stores in 2025.
Starbucks stores in Ecuador will be operated by Delonorte SA, a subsidiary of Delosi, which manages 120 Starbucks locations in Peru and 7 locations in Bolivia. Delosi has been Starbucks trusted licensed business partner since 2003 when the operator unveiled Starbucks first store in the Andean region in Lima, Peru.
“We are tremendously proud to celebrate our 1,700th store in Latin America and the Caribbean with the opening of Ecuador’s first Starbucks café in the historic and vibrant city of Quito,” said Ricardo Arias-Nath, SVP and president of Starbucks in Latin America and the Caribbean. “Starbucks has been sourcing high-quality Arabica coffee from Ecuador for over a decade, and with our first store opening in the market, we look forward to creating moments of connection over coffee for Ecuadorian customers and continuing the rich coffee traditions inherent to the region.”
Cristel Delgado, brand manager of Starbucks Ecuador added, “Our commitment to Ecuador is long-term. We are very happy to be able to connect with the market’s coffee culture and traditions, and we are honoured to open our first store in Ecuador. We aim to make a positive impact in our communities by creating jobs, establishing a Third Place for our customers, elevating everyday moments, and providing flavourful experiences for our partners and customers. This is just the beginning of our efforts to foster connections and celebrate the vibrant spirit of our community.”
Sustainable café with design inspired by local coffee culture
Known for its rich history in coffee production, Ecuador is a market with a thriving coffee culture. The new store adds to this by offering a warm and familiar coffeehouse experience alongside Starbucks signature handcrafted beverages.
With a café and indoor terrace overlooking the Scala Shopping mall with combined seating for up to 50 people, the 140 m2 store has been meticulously designed to ensure that every visitor feels the passion for coffee that defines Starbucks. The store maximises its impact by accentuating the bar, where the magic of coffee comes to life, and features modular wood panels, marble counters, and digital menu boards.
The art in Starbucks Scala Mall store is a celebration of local culture, thanks to the talent of renowned Ecuadorian artist Apitatán (also known as Juan Sebastián Aguirre Ríos), whose central mural intertwines themes of ancestry, nature, and coffee. It features a woman, symbolising nature and coffee’s origins, who is flanked by local animals, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The side columns display a blooming Guayacán Andino tree, native to Ecuador, and a toucan over a coffee farm, with a jaguar-masked man inviting exploration on the opposite side. This detailed artwork reflects the local landscape’s beauty and diversity, balancing realism with artistic interpretation. The installation connects customers with Ecuador’s coffee culture, celebrating the bond between nature, heritage, and the coffee community.
The café is also certified as a Greener Store, as Starbucks accelerates the international expansion of its open-source Greener Store Framework in support of its global goal to reduce carbon, water, and waste footprints by 50% by 2030. Following extensive evaluation, industry benchmarking, and external expert consultation, the Greener Store programme was designed around eight key dimensions: Site Criteria, Energy Efficiency, Water Stewardship, Waste Diversion, Renewable Energy, Responsible Materials, Engagement, Health & Well-being. These dimensions are strategically chosen to maximise the mitigation of Starbucks environmental impact.
When fully implemented, Greener Store design standards deliver more than a 25% improvement in energy performance and an absolute reduction in energy use of 10-15%. They also deliver more than a 30% improvement in store water usage. Lastly, Greener Store design and operational standards can deliver between 10-75% landfill diversion based on local infrastructure. Supporting packaging and reuse strategies will also reduce store waste, improve the recycling and composability of packaging, and promote reusability.
Dedication to Ecuadorian community
Guided by Starbucks Mission – with every cup, with every conversation, with every community, we nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection – the company is committed to attracting and retaining an industry-leading team of partners and creating opportunities to develop fulfilling careers in the coffee industry. With the five stores expected for Ecuador by the end of 2025, Starbucks will positively impact the Quito community by supporting more than 50 local jobs.
Furthermore, Starbucks green apron partners for the Scala Mall store underwent several months of barista training in Peru where they learned how to prepare Starbucks signature handcrafted coffee beverages. In addition to Starbucks core beverages, customers visiting the Scala Mall store will be able to enjoy a selection of premium whole bean coffee, Frappuccino Blended Beverages, and local delights such as yuca bread.
Starbucks has a longstanding commitment of investing in the communities it serves worldwide, and The Starbucks Foundation will provide a grant of USD$10,000 to local nonprofit organisation Fundación Forge Ecuador. Awarded as part of the Global Community Impact Grants initiative, this grant will support Fundación Forge Ecuador in improving the economic and social conditions of 29 youth in Ecuador with soft skills training and job placement that enables them to build transferable skills and secure high quality formal jobs.
In an effort to positively impact communities around the stores set to open soon, Starbucks Ecuador partners celebrated the market entry by participating in a volunteer initiative with the nonprofit organisation Junior Achievement Ecuador, focusing on cleaning the San Pedro River in Quito.
