Starbucks opens first SA outlet in Joburg

JOHANNESBURG caffeine lovers lined up in the shopping hub of Rosebank yesterday to buy a first cup of Starbucks coffee in sub-Saharan Africa.

Starbucks, brought in under licence by Taste Holdings, is the latest US chain to court brand-conscious consumers in South Africa.

The same queues snaked out from Krispy Kreme when the doughnutmaker opened its first store 50 metres up the road last year.

Taste Holdings chief executive Carlo Gonzaga said last month he planned to open up to 15 Starbucks outlets over the next two years.

While Johannesburg has a wide choice of coffee shops, Starbucks brings a range of syrupy lattes that are less common in South Africa.