Starbucks Puerto Rico is celebrating the opening of its 25th location on the Island, a new café on the Metropolitan University (UMET) campus in Cupey, which is part of the Ana G. Méndez University System (SUAGM). It is the first Starbucks store to open since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in September, destroying homes, damaging the island’s critical infrastructure, and taking many lives.
As the long road to rebuilding continues, leaders from both Starbucks and the company’s local business partner, Baristas del Caribe, reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together to support the Island’s economic recovery. The two companies and their foundations have also collectively contributed more than US$1.3 million toward emergency relief and long-term rebuilding efforts across the region. That includes the creation of the Tacita Verde Fund to provide emergency financial grants to local Starbucks partners (employees) and their families in need, as well as a Starbucks Foundation grant to match US customer donations via the Starbucks mobile app and funding to World Coffee Research to begin the long-term work of supporting coffee farmers impacted by the hurricane.
“Our new store in San Juan, our 25th on the Island, is in honour of our Puerto Rican partners and customers, who continue to demonstrate incredible strength and resilience day after day since Hurricane Maria,” said Michael Conway, Executive Vice President for Starbucks Licensed Stores business across the Americas. In the wake of the devastating impacts of Hurricane Maria in September, Starbucks Puerto Rican partners, like the rest of the citizens on the island, faced a long and difficult road to recovery. Many are still assessing damages to their homes and their communities, a task made much tougher due to the lack of power, limited connectivity, and long lines for necessities like water, ice, gas and food. In response, Baristas del Caribe created the Tacita Verde Fund – its first-ever employee assistance fund dedicated to help Starbucks Puerto Rican partners and their families in need. Through an initial contribution of $50,000 from Starbucks Coffee Company, the Tacita Verde Fund is helping provide financial grants to partners with critical needs ranging from urgent home repairs to food or medical needs. The Fonalledas Foundation is also supporting the partners with donations. In addition to the Starbucks Puerto Rico Tacita Verde Fund, Starbucks Coffee Company, Baristas Del Caribe, and its parent company Empressas Fonalledas Inc., have made the following contributions to support urgent and long-term rebuilding efforts in communities across Puerto Rico: $125,000 from Starbucks Coffee Company to Unidos por Puerto Rico $75,000 from The Starbucks Foundation to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy $20,000 from The Starbucks Foundation to match donations by customers across the U.S. through the Starbucks mobile app. These funds will also support the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. $27,000 from The Starbucks Foundation to World Coffee Research to support rebuilding of the Island’s coffee industry Product/in-kind donations from the business, including bottled water and emergency supplies $1 million from Empresas Fonalledas Inc. to various nonprofit organizations working on relief and recovery efforts across the Island, as well as assistance to employees. Among the nonprofit organizations are Red Cross, Para la Naturaleza, Habitat for Humanity, World Central Kitchen, Ricky Martin Foundation, Boys & Girls Club, Centros Sor Isolina Ferré, Centro para Puerto Rico and Unidos por Puerto Rico.
