New initiatives and expansion strategies were outlined by Antonio Romero during a meeting with journalists at the new establishment in Bernabeu Stadium. Romero expressed the company’s intent to persist with their current expansion rate and to explore new models, such as drive-thru stores expected to launch by 2026, alongside smaller outlets in shopping centers and airports.
After 23 years in Spain, Starbucks, the American coffee chain, launched 13 company-owned stores and three franchises in the Peninsula in 2025, bringing its total to 225, including 32 in Portugal.
The aim is to sustain “solid and consolidated growth” for Starbucks, according to the general manager, who detailed the addition of 260 new employees this year, reaching a total workforce of over 3,000 at Alsea Iberia.
In light of increasing competition from specialty coffee shops, Romero emphasized the importance of “continuing to nurture customer connections,” citing their loyalty program, which boasts over a million members and accounts for more than six million transactions annually.
