Restaurateur Pinsky revealed the cost of buying Starbucks in Russia

The assets of the American coffee chain Starbucks after its withdrawal from the Russian market were sold for about 500 million rubles. About it informed in an interview with TASS restaurateur, co-owner of Stars Coffee Anton Pinsky.

The businessman said that he himself contacted the company’s representatives and announced his desire to buy the Starbucks business in Russia. According to Pinsky, when the tender was announced, he turned out to be “a little more agile and faster than his colleagues.”

“We were buying, in fact, a closed business that did not bring profit. The Starbucks chain has announced that it is leaving Russia. Her clients went elsewhere for coffee. We had to return them,” the restaurateur continued.

In this regard, it was decided to invite Timati (real name Timur Yunusov) as a partner. Pinsky explained that his name is known in the niche restaurant segment, but not to the general public. For the new business, he needed a “powerful additional marketing element,” which Timati became, the businessman added. According to Pinsky, he is responsible for operational work, and Timati is responsible for marketing and PR.

The restaurateur said that back in November, the Stars Coffee chain lagged behind Starbucks, but already in February it overtook the company that left Russia. At the same time, the average check in the establishment increased from 430 to 580 rubles, Pinsky noted. According to him, this happened “due to the expansion of the range.”

Starbucks suspended operations in Russia in early March due to the launch of a Russian special operation in Ukraine. The company stopped supplying its products and closed coffee shops. At the end of July 2022 Pinsky and Timati you bought Russian business of the Starbucks coffee chain. The opening of the first point of the updated network called Stars Coffee on Novy Arbat took place on August 18.