Starbucks Newsroom: Starbucks Coffee Spain Unveils Reconstructed Store in Madrid with Amplified Focus on Coffee Heritage and Environmental Responsibility

News

Sep 30, 2009
Starbucks Coffee Spain Unveils Reconstructed Store in Madrid with Amplified Focus on Coffee Heritage and Environmental Responsibility

MADRID – October 1, 2009 – Today, Starbucks Coffee Spain celebrates the reopening of a store in Madrid that has been reconstructed to reflect the company’s rich coffee heritage and to help reduce environmental impacts. Located at Plaza de Neptuno by the Hotel Palace, this store will be the first in Spain to exhibit Starbucks new design strategy, which is inspired by Starbucks™ Shared Planet™, the company’s ongoing commitment to ethical sourcing, environmental stewardship and community involvement.

The Madrid location is Starbucks second in Europe to be registered for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^®) certification*. “We will aim to achieve LEED certification for all store openings in Spain,” said Álvaro Salafranca, general manager, Starbucks Spain and Portugal. "We look forward to sharing this new store experience with our loyal customers in the landmark Plaza de Neptuno neighborhood.”

The store’s environmental footprint has been minimized through water and energy conservation, waste reduction, local sourcing and the use of reused and recycled materials. Specific examples include:

Efficient air conditioning equipment and LED light bulbs reduce the store’s energy consumption by 30 percent;
Low-flow faucets and waterless urinals in the restrooms reduce the store’s water consumption by 40 percent;
Wood, metal, cement and other waste materials were separated and recycled during construction;
Fifty percent of the wood used to build the store was repurposed from other Starbucks stores;
Ninety percent of the new wood used to build the store is Forest Stewardship Council certified, which means it has been responsibly sourced;
The countertops were made from an old wooden bench that was given a second life;
The community table and leather chairs were found in an antique market and restored;
Scrap leather obtained from shoe and automobile factories was used on the face of the bar;
The walk-off entrance mats were made using recycled rubber from aircraft tires; and
The mural was created using burlap bags from a Starbucks roasting facility – its imagery reflects the origins of Starbucks coffee beans.

“Our local suppliers and construction teams have enthusiastically adopted the sustainability philosophy,” said Marcelo Leporati, head of construction, Starbucks Spain and Portugal. “The LEED green building standard provides a helpful framework for our efforts – it’s rigorous while being flexible and scalable enough for application to various kinds of structures in Spain and around the world.”

As Starbucks Coffee Spain expands in the future, the company plans to build and renovate its stores according to Starbucks global design strategy. This initiative is in alignment with Starbucks long-term goals related to energy and water conservation, recycling and green construction. The company aims to achieve LEED certification for all new company-operated stores worldwide beginning in late 2010.

To learn more about Starbucks™ Shared Planet™ goals, visit www.starbucks.com/sharedplanet.

*The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green building. For further details, please visit www.usgbc.org.

Verónica Barranco / Andrea Acha
Edelman Spain
91 556 01 54
veronica.barranco@edelman.com
andrea.acha@edelman.com

About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality arabica coffee in the world. Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at www.starbucks.com.

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