NEWSFLASH

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STARBUCKS OPENS FIRST OUTLETS THROUGH RUSTAN'S

Makati City, Nov. 23, 1997 - The rich and famous, the celebrity seekers and social climbers are all eagerly anticipating the December 4 opening of the first Starbucks coffee bar in Makati, which will be followed by the inauguration of the second Starbucks at Robinson's Place Ermita on December 12.

Starbucks chose Rustan's Group of Companies to be its local partner. According to Starbucks International president Howard Behar, his company took into consideration the fact that Rustan's is one of the country's largest integrated retailing concerns, owning and operating supermarkets, department stores, gourmet/deli cafés and specialty retail stores.

Starbucks is tops in its field in the United Sates, with more than a thousand stores in North American and the Pacific Rim.

In the next 18 months, 10 Starbucks outlets will open in major cities in the Philippines.

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