Starbucks announced Monday that they are leaving Russia after 15 years in business. This comes after the coffee giant paused operations in the country on March 8.
This is the second major exit of a US based company after McDonald’s announced they were leaving earlier this month.
Starbucks said it will continue paying its nearly 2,000 employees at their 130 stores in Russia for six months and help them find new jobs.
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson wrote to partners on Monday:
Partners,
As I communicated Friday, we condemn the horrific attacks on Ukraine by Russia and our hearts go out to all those affected.
We continue to watch the tragic events unfold and, today, we have decided to suspend all business activity in Russia, including shipment of all Starbucks products. Our licensed partner has agreed to immediately pause store operations and will provide support to the nearly 2,000 partners in Russia who depend on Starbucks for their livelihood.
Through this dynamic situation, we will continue to make decisions that are true to our mission and values and communicate with transparency. Thank you for the care and concern you are sharing with me and your leaders.
As always, I’m extremely proud to be your partner.
Kevin
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