Starbucks celebrates summer with stories, smiles and connections

Summer in South Africa is the smell of braais and freshly mown lawns; it’s the sun on your shoulders and the buzz in the malls as people pick out spoils for their family and friends; the first sip of something cold and sweet, like a Starbucks iced latte – all with someone you love, because together is the best place to be.

From the first sip to every smile shared, it’s beginning to look a lot like summer with Starbucks. Your first sign? Everything is turning red! “Usually, Starbucks is all about warmth, connection and celebrating everyday moment. But during the festive season, we think more about gatherings, nostalgia, and comfort,” says Leah McCrae, MD Rand Capital Coffee Licensee Starbucks South Africa. Seasonal beverages and holiday-themed treats are all part of the fun, but the biggest signal that Starbucks is switching to holiday mode is the introduction of its famous red cups, decorated with ribbons and gift motifs, so that they look like a present themselves, and the red aprons worn by partners. “Red is the colour of warmth and celebration, so there is no better way of saying let the holidays begin!

“This is one of the most special times of the year,” Leah continues. “Most of us are looking forward to taking some well-deserved time off and spending more precious moments with family and friends – or simply slowing down. And when you stop off at your local Starbucks, that’s what you’re getting – you’re not just buying a drink. You’re buying a festive memory, a reason to linger.”

That’s why Starbucks is very much part of that change of pace. Always here for you when you need a pause, a reward or a moment of shared connection, your favourite coffee is right by your side as you prepare for the festive season and get ready to make more memories. “We like to think that Starbucks is the taste that marks the start of summer; that moment when you turn the playlist up, put on your sunglasses and say, ‘we made it!’ We’re part of the vibe that is, unmistakably, a South African summer. We might not have snowflakes and chestnuts roasting around an open fire, but I think what we have is even better. Time together, to connect and celebrate each other,” Leah says. “This summer, there’s no better place than Starbucks for holiday gatherings, memories and shared moments.”

She adds that Starbucks is excited to be part of South Africans’ shared moments this summer. More than a coffee shop, your local Starbucks is a place to meet up with friends, laugh over stories and dream about the next year – one sip at a time.

From your road trip down the coast to your precious ‘me-time moment’, from the stories shared around the table to the hugs and the ‘see you next time’- Starbucks is here for it all this summer. Because, after all, together is the best place to be.

Supplied by: Starbucks.

Guzzle Media