QUITO, Ecuador – As part of its continued expansion across Latin America and the Caribbean, Starbucks Coffee Company, in partnership with licensed business operator Delonorte S.A., today announced the opening of its first store in Ecuador, representing the brand’s 25th market in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and 87th market globally. The opening also marks Starbucks 1,700th store in the LAC region.
Located at Scala Mall, a three-storied dining and shopping hub in Quito’s Cumbayá neighborhood, the new café is the first of five Starbucks stores planned for Ecuador within the coming year. A second store will open at Condado Mall on August 22, followed by a store at Centro Comercial Iñaquito in October and two additional stores in 2025.
Starbucks stores in Ecuador will be operated by Delonorte S.A., a subsidiary of Delosi, which manages 120 Starbucks locations in Peru and 7 locations in Bolivia. Delosi has been Starbucks trusted licensed business partner since 2003 when the operator unveiled Starbucks first store in the Andean region in Lima, Peru.
“We are tremendously proud to celebrate our 1,700th store in Latin America and the Caribbean with the opening of Ecuador’s first Starbucks café in the historic and vibrant city of Quito,” said Ricardo Arias-Nath, svp and president of Starbucks in Latin America and the Caribbean. “Starbucks has been sourcing high-quality Arabica coffee from Ecuador for over a decade, and with our first store opening in the market, we look forward to creating moments of connection over coffee for Ecuadorian customers and continuing the rich coffee traditions inherent to the region.”
Cristel Delgado, brand manager of Starbucks Ecuador added, “Our commitment to Ecuador is long-term. We are very happy to be able to connect with the market’s coffee culture and traditions, and we are honored to open our first store in Ecuador. We aim to make a positive impact in our communities by creating jobs, establishing a Third Place for our customers, elevating everyday moments, and providing flavorful experiences for our partners and customers. This is just the beginning of our efforts to foster connections and celebrate the vibrant spirit of our community.”
Sustainable Café with Design Inspired by Local Coffee Culture
Known for its rich history in coffee production, Ecuador is a market with a thriving coffee culture. The new store adds to this by offering a warm and familiar coffeehouse experience alongside Starbucks signature handcrafted beverages.
With a café and indoor terrace overlooking the Scala Shopping mall with combined seating for up to 50 people, the 140 m2 store has been meticulously designed to ensure that every visitor feels the passion for coffee that defines Starbucks. The store maximizes its impact by accentuating the bar, where the magic of coffee comes to life, and features modular wood panels, marble counters, and digital menu boards.
The art in Starbucks Scala Mall store is a celebration of local culture, thanks to the talent of renowned Ecuadorian artist Apitatán (also known as Juan Sebastián Aguirre Ríos), whose central mural intertwines themes of ancestry, nature, and coffee. It features a woman, symbolizing nature and coffee’s origins, who is flanked by local animals, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The side columns display a blooming Guayacán Andino tree, native to Ecuador, and a toucan over a coffee farm, with a jaguar-masked man inviting exploration on the opposite side. This detailed artwork reflects the local landscape’s beauty and diversity, balancing realism with artistic interpretation. The installation connects customers with Ecuador’s coffee culture, celebrating the bond between nature, heritage, and the coffee community.
The café is also certified as a Greener Store, as Starbucks accelerates the international expansion of its open-source Greener Store Framework in support of its global goal to reduce carbon, water, and waste footprints by 50% by 2030. Following extensive evaluation, industry benchmarking, and external expert consultation, the Greener Store program was designed around eight key dimensions: Site Criteria, Energy Efficiency, Water Stewardship, Waste Diversion, Renewable Energy, Responsible Materials, Engagement, Health & Well-being. These dimensions are strategically chosen to maximize the mitigation of Starbucks environmental impact.
When fully implemented, Greener Store design standards deliver more than a 25% improvement in energy performance and an absolute reduction in energy use of 10-15%. They also deliver more than a 30% improvement in store water usage. Lastly, Greener Store design and operational standards can deliver between 10-75% landfill diversion based on local infrastructure. Supporting packaging and reuse strategies will also reduce store waste, improve the recycling and composability of packaging, and promote reusability.
