Seattle’s Best Coffee Opens Doors of 12 New Locations in Second Half of Fiscal Year

SEATTLE, - Seattle’s Best Coffee, part of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX), today announced the addition of 12 new locations, which have opened since April 2011. In recent weeks, the final two locations planned for this fiscal year opened, completing a portfolio of locations in a variety of venues, such as city centers, college campuses, airports and office complexes. The two newest cafes are among nearly 100 Seattle’s Best Coffee retail locations in the United States and Canada.

The expansion reflects a Seattle’s Best Coffee strategy outlined earlier in the year to bring great coffee everywhere. The new retail locations build upon the brand’s already broad distribution network of franchised locations, company-operated stores, relationships with restaurant chains, and foodservice locations. Today, the brand has more than 50,000 places where its coffee is served.

“Our retail locations are important to our business and franchising will be the engine for our continued retail growth,” said Jim McDermet, senior vice president and general manager of Seattle’s Best Coffee. “Franchisees find us to be an attractive business opportunity, combining the growth of the premium coffee segment with the strength of an established brand like Seattle’s Best Coffee.”

Houston Franchise Serves Commuters

In the Houston market, Amin Gheewalla, president, Hi Rise Amenities, Inc., opened his third franchised Seattle’s Best Coffee location in late August. The new location is in the El Paso Energy Building in the downtown Tunnel System, an interconnected series of walkways, restaurants and shops servicing all those who wish to navigate the city in air-conditioned comfort. The strategy behind Hi Rise Amenities’ expansion has been putting Seattle’s Best Coffee along pathways for downtown commuters.

“I’m excited to grow with Seattle’s Best Coffee,” said Gheewalla. “I am putting great coffee into the hands of hundreds of commuters in Houston each day, and I’m also creating jobs in my hometown.”

Hi Rise Amenities’ existing locations are at Williams Tower and Two Shell Plaza in Houston. Gheewalla plans to continue to expand with Seattle’s Best Coffee and open new locations.

Kenosha Franchise Serves College Students

According to The National Coffee Association 2011 National Coffee Drinking Trends Study, 40 percent of 18-24 year olds drink coffee daily, up from 31 percent in 2010. Most recently, Seattle’s Best Coffee opened the doors of a new franchise location in the student union at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The new cafe is the latest in a series of Seattle’s Best Coffee locations that serve college students at Duke University Medical Center, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, University of Southern California, the State University of New York at New Paltz and Portland State University.

About Seattle’s Best Coffee

Seattle’s Best Coffee LLC has been roasting premium coffee since 1970 and today roasts more than 20 million pounds of coffee every year and millions of cups of our coffee are served every day. A freshly-brewed cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee® is currently available in more than 50,000 locations including cafes, college campuses, restaurants, hotels, airlines, cruise ships, grocery stores and movie theatres. Seattle’s Best Coffee is a featured brand within Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) and is ranked among the 10 best franchise opportunities by QSR Magazine (January 2010). For more information, please visit Seattle’s Best Coffee online at www.seattlesbest.com