Nine years ago, coffee lovers in Croatia were teased with the news that Starbucks, a favorite franchise around the world, would open in the Zagreb Arena. Last week, Croatians were taunted by reports once again.
Fans of the popular coffee chain will have to quench their thirst for Starbucks outside of Croatian borders because, unlike the speculation, they will not be opening in Croatia.
News about the world’s largest coffee chain opening a franchise in Zagreb’s Cvjetni Trg was just speculation. At least this is confirmed by the Starbucks office for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
“We do not currently have plans to open Starbucks in Croatia,” Starbucks revealed to Dnevnik.hr on February 25, 2019, which will probably be welcomed with praise by most Croatian coffee drinkers.
But, for those of you in Croatia yearning to sip a hot beverage from one of the most iconic cups in the world, you do not have to travel too far – Austria, Italy, and Hungary all have shops, or you can visit one of the other 29,865 coffee shops around the world.
Recall, unofficial information emerged last week that Starbucks was finally coming to Croatia. More specifically, the chain was said to be coming to the shopping center in the popular Cvjetni Trg in Zagreb, which the Austrian Supernova company took over from the entrepreneur Tomislav Horvatinčić.
Although Horvatinčić, or his company Hoto, sold the complex in the center to the Austrian company, he kept the underground garages at the location and remained as a leaseholder for the My Way restaurant, which opened in 2016. Allegedly, the My Way restaurant in the center is due to close in March and is precisely where the new Starbucks could have settled.
Blažena Lokin, a spokesperson for Supernova, confirmed at least that much.
“At this point, we are not able to confirm, nor reject the possibility of the arrival of that particular or any other tenant in that space. I can officially confirm that the Supernova Group and the Hoto Cvjetni company have terminated the Lease Agreement in connection with the restaurant My Way,” said Lokin.
Lokin added that Supernova is currently speaking with major foreign brands for the space and that they desire to bring Croatia “something that we still do not have, something different.”
The unofficial news about the arrival of Starbucks in Croatia began to circulate after it was announced that one would open in Serbia as well, at the Rajićeva Shopping Center, in the first half of this year.
The Starbucks story began in 1971 in Seattle where they started roasting and selling coffee. Today, Starbucks operates in 78 countries around the world.
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