Business Times

BERJAYA Starbucks Coffee Company Sdn Bhd may invest between RM70 million and RM80 million to open another 100 Starbucks outlets, ranging from retail stores and drive-throughs to kiosks.

Its executive director Datuk Francis Lee said the company hopes to open the new stores faster. Berjaya Starbucks had its first 100 stores in nine-and-a-half years.

"We challenge ourselves to open the next 100 Starbucks (outlets) in Malaysia within five to six years," Lee said at a press conference yesterday following the opening of its 100th Starbucks outlet in Jaya One, Petaling Jaya.

The rate of expansion largely depends on available locations. Starbucks holds about 45 per cent of the gourmet coffee market, Lee said.

So far, Starbucks has secured about five to six locations for openings in the first half of 2008. It added 18 new stores in 2007.

Meanwhile, Starbucks Coffee Asia Pacific Ltd's president John Culver, who was here to celebrate the 100th store, said the group is looking at various formats including drive-throughs or kiosks for Malaysia.

"We continue to evaluate these options," Culver said.

Starbucks in Malaysia is an equal joint venture between Starbucks Coffee International and Berjaya Corp Bhd.

Lee said its business has been growing by 25 to 30 per cent annually over the past three years as it adds news stores and post better sales.

Starbucks opened its first outlet in December 1998 in KL Plaza. Today, its top performing outlets are located at KL International Airport, Berjaya Times Square, Sunway Pyramid and Mid Valley Mega Mall.