A Starbucks store in Cluj Napoca, Romania | Photo credit: June Andrei George
Starbucks is set to open its first store in Montenegro in the first quarter of 2024 via Turkish franchisee Zeren Group.
Istanbul-based Zeren Group announced it had acquired franchise rights to develop the US coffee chain in Montenegro in October 2022 and had planned to open its first Starbucks store in the capital city Podgorica before the end of last year.
Following a series of delays, Zeren Group CEO Mustafa Yiğit said ‘all necessary procedures’ are nearing completion ahead of the coffee chain’s debut next year.
In a government press release, Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazović highlighted the significance of global brands such as Starbucks entering the country.
Starbucks currently operates more than 37,500 stores across 86 markets globally.
The Seattle-based coffee chain’s presence in the Balkans currently comprises 56 stores in Romania, 16 in Bulgaria and five in Serbia.
Founded in 1973, Zeren Group currently operates a portfolio of 16 brands across seven industries, including energy, logistics, trading and hospitality. The group has eight offices in six markets, including Turkey and Montenegro.
