Starbucks Celebrates the Opening of its First Store in Athens, Greece.

Business Editors & Food Writers

ATHENS, Greece--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 2002

Continued strong acceptance in European markets validates the

tremendous potential for expansion into Central Europe 

Starbucks Coffee International, a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks Coffee Company (Nasdaq:SBUX), and its Greek partner, Marinopoulos Brothers S.A., today celebrated the opening of the first Starbucks store in Athens.

The two level store is located in the heart of the city center, at 4 Korai Street, near the neo-classical buildings of Athens University, the Academia and Library.

"We are very optimistic about the potential of the market for Starbucks in Greece," said Panos Marinopoulos, president, Marinopoulos Coffee Company S.A. "We look forward to sharing the Starbucks Experience with our Greek customers at our first store in Athens. We are confident that the Starbucks coffee house experience will gain strong acceptance in Greece, which has a very strong and sophisticated coffee tradition.

"We are also very proud to welcome Dimitri Hatzigeorgiou as the general manager of Marinopoulos Coffee Company S.A.," added Marinopoulos. "It is a home coming for Hatzigeorgiou as he grew up in Greece before moving to the United States in his college years. Hatzigeorgiou, who was with Starbucks in North America for eight years, brings considerable experience in operations and management to his leadership role in building the Starbucks brand and culture in Greece."

Starbucks Coffee International and Marinopoulos Brothers S.A., one of Greece's leading retail, commercial and industrial groups, formed a joint venture in February this year to open Starbucks retail locations throughout Greece.

"Our entry into Greece comes at a time when our European operations are gaining an incredible momentum," said Peter Maslen, president, Starbucks Coffee International. "In addition to our recent store openings in Spain and Germany, we have been extremely impressed by the tremendous excitement and reception for the Starbucks brand and our retail presence in Switzerland and Austria. Strong acceptance of Starbucks in the European markets validates our ongoing belief of the tremendous potential for further expansion in Central Europe and reiterates Starbucks many global opportunities."

Starbucks opened its first store in continental Europe in Zurich, Switzerland, in March last year, and currently has 12 stores in Zurich, Basel and Bern. Following Switzerland, Starbucks achieved a major milestone with its successful entry into Austria, the birthplace of the European coffee house culture, with the opening of its first store in Vienna last December. Starbucks now has five stores in Austria, and has also opened five stores in Spain and four in Germany. Last month, Starbucks opened its first stores in Puerto Rico and Mexico City.

"The opening of the first store in Athens is a celebration of the commitment and passion of our outstanding partner, Marinopoulos Brothers S.A.," said Mark McKeon, president of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Starbucks Coffee International. "We believe our customers in Greece will regard the Starbucks stores as their `third place' - their place to relax between home and work. Our decision to open stores in Athens prior to the 2004 Olympic Games will also allow us to enter the Greek market at a very exciting time for this historically significant city".

As part of Starbucks commitment towards contributing positively to the communities where it does business, Starbucks and Marinopoulos Coffee Company S.A. announced its collaboration with SOS Children's Villages. SOS Children's Villages revolves around the effort to give children who have lost their parents, or who are no longer able to live with them, a permanent home and a stable environment. Marinopoulos Coffee Company S.A. will initially provide support for the 20th anniversary celebrations of SOS Children's Villages in Greece on 29th September.

Marinopoulos Brothers S.A. is one of the leading commercial and industrial groups in Greece. Among its operations are Carrefour Marinopoulos S.A. (a joint venture with Carrefour), Sephora Marinopoulos S.A. (a joint venture with LVMH), and its Marks & Spencer franchise. The group is also active in the industrial sector with FAMAR S.A., one of the leading European pharmaceutical manufacturers with plants in Greece, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

Starbucks Coffee International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks Coffee Company, the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world, with more than 5,700 stores in North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim.