In May 2025, Starbucks will open two cafés in downtown Reykjavík. The operation will be managed by Berjaya Coffee Iceland ehf., a subsidiary of the Malaysian company Berjaya Food International.
The first café will be located on Laugavegur, while the second one will also be situated in the city centre. These will be the first Starbucks locations in Iceland. The company currently operates in about 80 countries and runs over 40,000 outlets worldwide.
The brand is well known to many Icelanders, who have long wondered whether Starbucks would enter the local market. However, Starbucks coffee has been available in Icelandic stores for several years.
According to a statement published on the Starbucks website in August last year, Berjaya Food International signed an agreement with the American coffee giant to operate cafés in Denmark, Finland, and Iceland.
On the website Alfred.is, Berjaya Coffee Iceland ehf. has advertised full-time positions at Starbucks in Reykjavík. The ad indicates that the jobs are located in the city centre, and a map attached to the listing suggests that one of the cafés will be at Lækjartorg.
What happened to McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts?
International restaurant chains have made several attempts to gain a foothold in the Icelandic market, often with mixed results.
McDonald’s opened its first restaurant in Iceland in 1993 but ceased operations 16 years later, in 2009. Dunkin’ Donuts began operating in 2015 but closed all its locations after a few years.
Whether Starbucks will establish a lasting presence in Iceland remains to be seen.
Source: Ruv.is
