Starbucks Opens new Community Store in Houston’s East End.

Starbucks has long given the image of a very community supportive and environmentally friendly company.  One glance at the “Responsibilities” section of Starbucks’ website is enough to see a list of “green” commitments and supported community programs.  In keeping with these stated commitments, Starbucks recently opened a new “community store” on the east side of Houston.  These community stores are different from the run of the mill Starbucks in that they are ‘profit sharing’.  Depending on how well the community store performs, profits will be given to AAMA, the Association for Advancement of Mexican Americans.

From a business point of view, a large chunk of Starbucks’ business strategy is being a very friendly and green company.  In that respect, these community outreach programs are a great way of killing two birds with one stone:  Starbucks upholds its claim to stated social responsibilities while gaining exposure to new markets, in Houston’s case the Mexican demographic, without drowning people in ads.  Of course, it may not be the most attractive option in terms of profits, but it could be argued that it is an investment that will help the company’s customer base to grow further on down the line.

This community store program is a recent concept for Starbucks and is in the pilot stage.  There are already two other stores, one in Los Angeles’ Crenshaw neighborhood and the other in New York’s Harlem neighborhood.  These two stores, opened in 2011, have already generated $245,000 between the two of them.  How favorably those results are in the eyes of Starbucks management remains to be seen, but the fact that they opened Houston’s community store implies we may see more pop up later.

It’s programs such as these that enhance Starbucks’ image and sets it apart from other coffee stops.  Whether or not we can forgive Starbucks for its overpriced coffee is another matter entirely.

Kaplan, David, (2012, September 25). Starbucks sweetens the pot. Houston Chronicle.

Raji, Bayan, (2012, September 25). Starbucks designates profit-sharing community store in Houston. Houston Business Journal. Retrieved October 4, 2012, from http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2012/09/starbucks-announces-third-community.html