Russia's Starbucks successor, Stars Coffee

After Russia sent troops into Ukraine, Starbucks closed its Moscow branches. But a nearly identical shop is now opening.

Stars Coffee is almost the same name. With flowing hair, a small enigmatic smile, and a star on top of her head, the logo could be the separated-at-birth twin of Starbucks' mermaid, though she's wearing a Russian headdress called a kokoshnik instead of a Starbucks crown.

A day before the store opened, the company introduced an app that shows all the menu items. Starbucks said Thursday it had no comment on the new stores.

Seattle-based Starbucks was one of the most visible of the wave of foreign companies that pulled out of Russia or suspended their operations in response to Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. Others include McDonald’s, IKEA and fast-fashion giant H&M.

20 August 2022