Starbucks coming to Finland in April
First location at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport
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The world’s largest coffee shop chain, Starbucks, plans to open its first café in Finland at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in April.
The new Starbucks will be located in Terminal 2 in an area accessible both to arriving passengers and others. Later in the year another Starbucks will open in the departures area for passengers flying to destinations outside the Schengen zone.
The Starbucks cafes will be operated by SSP Finland, which is responsible for restaurant services at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.
“The airport has become more international and has grown quickly, but what has been missing is a recognisable international brand. Starbucks could fill this gap”, says CEO Kalle Ruuskanen.
If Starbucks is a success at the airport, the chain could consider opening up in other locations in Finland.
“The reception will define the pace at which we move ahead. Already now we can say for certain that the goal is to open in several places”, Ruuskanen says.
He expects that between 15 and 20 Starbucks cafes could open around Finland.
Starbucks would have some competitors in the field of upscale coffee shops.
There are already three chains, Robert’s Coffee with 33 locations, Coffee House with 18, and the Swedish Wayne’s Coffee, with its 21 cafes around Finland.
Ruuskanen believes that there is room on the Finnish market for a multinational player.
“Starbucks will bring more variation and will challenge other players. It is quite healthy and will move everyone forward. On the other hand, there are so few large-volume cafes in Finland that there is still room.”
Starbucks, which was established in Seattle in 1971, operates in 57 countries, and it has more than 17,000 outlets. This week the company said that it is expanding to India.
Airports were the first locations for Starbucks in the other Nordic countries as well.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 1.2.2012 - TODAY |
 Starbucks coming to Finland in April |
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