Starbucks Brazil will expand to three new Brazilian states in 2023 via its local franchise partner SouthRock.

Starbucks, which opened its first store in Brazil in 2006 in the Morumbi Mall, São Paulo, entered a franchise partnership with SouthRock in 2018 and now operates 186 outlets across seven Brazilian states.

Multi-brand restaurant operator SouthRock will open its first Starbucks stores in Ceará, Goiás and Pernambuco this year. The announcement follows SouthRock’s imminent debut in the state of Bahia in March 2023.

“We are very excited to bring the Starbucks Experience to even more Brazilian customers and are confident that our stores will become meeting points for community members to connect with family and friends over coffee,” said Claudia Malaguerra, Managing Director, Starbucks Brazil. 

Starbucks Brazil will also open Starbucks Training Centres in all three states, where it will offer ‘barista certifications, education about the coffee industry and courses on menu quality and food safety’.

Founded in 2015, SouthRock also operates the Subway and TGI Fridays restaurant brands across Brazil. The São Paulo-based company also owns and manages Brazil Airport Restaurants — a multi-brand food and beverage service provider operating across four of Brazil’s largest airports.

In July 2022, SouthRock announced a new licensing agreement with Italian restaurant chain Eataly.