American coffee shop chain Starbucks has launched its first store in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
As well as the new store opening in the Santiago Center, Starbucks also celebrates its fifth anniversary of operating in the Dominican Republic. It now has 13 stores in the country and 160 employees nationwide.
As part of its presence in the region, Starbucks is involved in a variety of programs designed to promote sustainable land use, including its partnership with non-profit Plan Sierra.
According to the company, the collaboration has led to impactful initiatives such as reforestation campaigns using guama trees to provide natural shade for coffee plantations, and the planting of more than 1000 trees during Starbucks’ annual Global Month of Good. The Global Month of Good is supported by sales of plant-based beverages and the volunteer efforts of Starbucks partners and local technicians.
In 2024, the collaboration extended with the launch of a new sustainable agriculture project in the Bao sub-watershed Bao sub-watershed (an area of land that drains into a designated stream, river, or lake). According to Starbucks, the initiative established five family-owned macadamia plots, intercropped with vegetables, medicinal plants, and edible herbs.
As part of its sustainable commitment, Starbucks in the Dominican Republic serves 100 per cent Dominican single-origin Arabica coffee sourced from the Cibao region.
