Al-Shaya Group Opens First Starbucks Café in Georgia

Located in its prime spot at Access Towers in the Vake district of Tbilisi, the new café welcomed its first customers, marking a significant milestone in Starbucks’ global growth journey and reflecting the ongoing expansion of the Alshaya Group across the Eurasia region.

To celebrate the launch of the first Starbucks branch in Tbilisi, Irakli Nadarishvili, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, and Mikhail Khidoreli, CEO of Enterprise Georgia, attended the opening ceremony alongside Mohammed Abdulaziz Alshaya, Chairman and CEO of the Alshaya Group, and John Haden, CEO of the Alshaya Group. Their presence underscored the importance of this investment in supporting the country’s economic growth and enhancing its attractiveness as a destination for international investment.

Saleh Alshaya, President of Starbucks at the Alshaya Group, said: “We are proud to bring the distinctive Starbucks experience to all coffee lovers in Georgia. This opening reflects how the Starbucks brand aligns with the country’s established café culture and meets the aspirations of young people and modern consumers across the region. Our goal is to ensure that as many customers as possible enjoy the high quality of our products and our distinctive hospitality, while supporting local suppliers and creating new job opportunities in Georgia.”

For his part, Duncan Muir, President of Starbucks Europe, Middle East, and Africa, stated: “With 41,000 cafés in more than 80 countries around the world, we are proud to offer the distinctive Starbucks experience to our new customers in Georgia, in partnership with the Alshaya Group. We are excited to build new relationships with customers as we continue to invest in the communities where we operate.”

Notably, the launch of Starbucks in Georgia was the result of fruitful cooperation and support among various government entities and companies, including Enterprise Georgia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the Georgian Embassy in Kuwait, and the Commercial Consulate of the Turkish Embassy in Tbilisi. The Alshaya Group maintains a strong presence throughout Eurasia, operating more than 800 Starbucks branches in Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan.