A Season -- And Coffees -- to Savor; Starbucks Whole Bean Coffees Provide the Perfect Complement to Rich Holiday Meals.

Lifestyle Editors/Business Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 24, 2003

A pair of favorite mugs, filled to the top with smooth, spicy Starbucks(R) Christmas Blend coffee, and shared in front of a roaring fire. A steaming carafe of Starbucks Sumatra passed around the holiday brunch table. Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq:SBUX) imagines these scenarios and many more as friends and families prepare to gather for Thanksgiving and other holiday traditions. The centerpiece of the season's great coffee lineup is Starbucks(R) Christmas Blend, a holiday tradition now in its 19th year. In addition, two new coffee gift packs -- the Organic Coffee Gift Pack and the Global Trio Gift Pack -- provide a variety of exclusive flavor profiles for customers to enjoy.

"The holidays are simply a great time to drink great coffee," said Dub Hay, Starbucks senior vice president, Coffee. "Starbucks has worked tirelessly all year long to find the world's best coffees and roast them to perfection so that our customers will be delighted, whether they're getting together for a big family dinner, selecting a gift for a friend or loved one, or simply in need of a hot cup of coffee to ward off the evening chill."

This week, thousands of customers will look to Starbucks coffee assortment to discover the perfect finale for Thanksgiving dinner; to find the ultimate hostess gift; or to find the best pairing for a rich holiday dessert. Starbucks recommends the following coffees to make any occasion special:

-- Starbucks(R) Christmas Blend: This blend of lively Latin

American beans, full-bodied Indonesian coffees, and rare,

spicy, aged Indonesian beans is the perfect finishing touch

for a rich meal of turkey and stuffing, and goes hand-in-hand

with a sweet and spicy dessert like pumpkin pie. Starbucks(R)

Christmas Blend is available regular and decaffeinated.

-- Organic Coffee Gift Pack: For the holiday party hostess who

would appreciate a variety of coffee flavors, this gift pack

includes three eight-ounce, whole bean coffees -- all of which

are certified organic: Serena Organic Blend(TM), Organic

Guatemala and Organic Sumatra. Organic Guatemala and Organic

Sumatra are offered exclusively as part of this special gift

pack.

-- Global Trio Gift Pack: This new coffee gift pack highlights

each primary coffee growing region, including three

eight-ounce bags of coffee from around the world. Starbucks

Kenya coffee has a wonderful fruity flavor that complements a

fruit sorbet; Starbucks Bella Vista F.W. Tres Rios Costa

Rica(R) coffee has a sparkling acidity to pair perfectly with

a light citrus salad; Starbucks Sulawesi has a full body and

earthy aroma that tastes remarkably smooth and elegant next to

soft cheeses like brie and gouda.

-- Starbucks Espresso Roast: For holiday traditions that include

roasted chestnuts, the caramel-like sweetness and soft acidity

of Starbucks Espresso Roast will pair nicely.

-- Starbucks Sumatra: For a holiday brunch, try a savory mushroom

and smoked ham quiche, accompanied by the heavy full body and

deep, earthy aroma of Starbucks Sumatra coffee.

Other assortments for the holiday season include the Six for the Season Gift Pack, which includes six 2.5-ounce bags of coffee (two bags of Christmas Blend, and one bag each of French Roast, Sumatra, Breakfast Blend & House Blend coffees); and the Dawn & Dusk Gift Pack, which pairs an eight-ounce bag of ground Christmas Blend coffee with an eight-ounce bag of ground Decaffeinated Christmas Blend coffee.

Starbucks(R) Christmas Blend coffee (also offered as Holiday Blend) is available now while supplies last, in one-pound bags (regular $11.95 U.S./ $15.75 CAN; decaffeinated $12.45 U.S./ $16.95 CAN), half-pound bags (regular $6.30 U.S./ $8.65 CAN; decaffeinated $6.55 U.S./ $8.90 CAN) and 2.5 ounce bags (regular only $2.25 U.S./ $2.75 CAN) at Starbucks coffeehouses throughout North America. The Organic Coffee and Global Trio gift packs are $16.95 U.S. ($21.95 CAN). Starbucks Espresso Roast is available all year long in one-pound bags (regular $9.95 U.S./$13.75 CAN; decaffeinated $10.65 U.S./$14.75 CAN). Starbucks Sumatra is available all year long in one-pound bags (regular $10.15 U.S./$14.50 CAN; decaffeinated $10.65 U.S./$15.75 CAN). The Six for the Season Gift Pack is $14.95 U.S. ($18.95 CAN), and the Dawn & Dusk Gift Pack is $12.95 U.S. ($16.95 CAN)

Starbucks whole bean coffee assortment includes more than 20 single-origin offerings and blends from around the world, including many worldwide exclusive coffees: Bella Vista F.W. Tres Rios(R) Costa Rica, Brazil Ipanema Bourbon(TM), Colombia Narino (Supremo), and Panama La Florentina(TM). Three coffee families help customers select their favorites: "Mild," "Smooth," and "Bold." Additional coffee education tools and a coffee taste matcher are available online at Starbucks.com.

Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world, with more than 7,000 retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim. The Company is committed to offering the highest quality coffee and the Starbucks Experience while conducting its business in ways that produce social, environmental and economic benefits for communities in which it does business. In addition to its retail operations, the Company produces and sells bottled Frappuccino(R) coffee drinks, Starbucks DoubleShot(TM) coffee drink, and a line of superpremium ice creams through its joint venture partnerships. The Company's other brands enhance the Starbucks Experience through best-of-class products: Tazo Tea Company offers a line of innovative premium teas, and Hear Music produces and distributes a line of exceptional compact discs.