Starbucks sets up shop in Ecuador

Starbucks’ first store in the country, located in Quito, was opened in partnership with licensee operator Delonorte. Ecuador is the coffee company’s 25th market in Latin America and the Caribbean, and its 87th market worldwide.

The Quito coffee shop is the 1,700th Starbucks to open in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Delonorte, a subsidiary of Delosi, manages 120 Starbucks locations in Peru and seven in Bolivia. Delosi has been a Starbucks licensing partner since 2003, when the operator opened the first Starbucks store in the Andean region in Lima.

Starbucks plans to open more shops in Ecuador, starting in Guayaquil in 2025.

“We are tremendously proud to celebrate our 1,700th store in Latin America and the Caribbean with the opening of the first Starbucks coffee shop in the historic and vibrant city of Quito,” said Ricardo Arias-Nath, president of Starbucks in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Starbucks’ entry into the Ecuadorian market was guided by law firm Noboa, Peña & Torres, which led the initial negotiation, the incorporation of the company in the country, its investment program, the operation in key aspects, the preparation of all model contracts with suppliers and advice on tax, commercial, regulatory and labor issues, among other legal aspects.

Noboa, Peña & Torres’ team was led by partners Patricio Peña Romero and Francisco Larrea Naranjo, with associates Patricio Peña Aguilar, Jorge Luis Carrión, Camila González, Gabriel Aguirre, Alejandra Chaves, José Carlos Portilla and Yohana Valero.