Strange brew: Starbucks copycat opens in Russia, minus the bucks (PHOTOS)
Starbucks closed 130 stores in Russia earlier this year, but the country seems to have created its own copycat version, Stars Coffee.
The branding bears an almost uncanny resemblance to the Seattle-based coffee maker’s aesthetic, minus the bucks. There’s even a Stars Coffee app.
With the help of Google Translate, the Stars Coffee website suggests that the former vice president of Starbucks in Russia and Kazakhstan, Ernesto Gonzalez, is involved in the project.
https://stars-coffee.ru/
The website claims the new shop has improved the coffee bean game.
“The coffee is still dark roasted, but softer — coffee oils are on the verge of coming to the surface of the beans. This allows them to come out only when crushed, which guarantees a brighter balanced taste and aftertaste.”
The Starbucks copycat also claims they’ll have amazing food options like fresh croissants with various fillings, inventive sauces, salads, bowls, and multiple pasta options, all created by top talent in Russia.
“Everything here is like an unmotivated act of beauty. For example, a dessert in the form of a coffee bean with raspberry confit and a flourless chocolate biscuit. Or three types of cookies: shortbread with raspberries and raspberry caramel, three chocolates and a large American cookie with a soft, crumbly texture.”
The aesthetic inside Stars shops also bears a striking resemblance to Starbucks based on posts shared on social media.
STARS COFFEE opens in Moscow, after Starbucks exits Russia ! The queue is longer than McDonald’s … pic.twitter.com/Yn4MFky8BK
— حسن سجواني 🇦🇪 Hassan Sajwani (@HSajwanization) August 19, 2022
Along with the closure of its Russian stores in May, Starbucks also laid off nearly 2,000 employees.
A Russian fast-food chain also ripped off McDonald’s iconic golden arches earlier this year.
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