Starbucks Invests $100M in Southeast Expansion

Starbucks is making plans to grow business in the southeast U.S. In an April 21 message to employees, Starbucks’ Chief Partner Officer Sara Kelly says the brand is investing $100 million to expand its presence in the region, establishing an additional support office in Nashville, Tenn.

The Nashville office will be a complement to Starbucks’ global and North America headquarters in Seattle where it will maintain a large presence, Kelly says. Over the next five years, the brand plans to have 2,000 support jobs in Nashville. Many of the jobs will be directly tied to growth in the south and east.

“Our new office in Nashville reflects three key advantages: proximity to key suppliers, access to a deep and growing talent pool in the region, notably in technology, and alignment with where we expect future coffeehouse growth,” Kelly says.

Starbucks will open a temporary office in a building in the Gulch next month while it builds out the interior of its full-time location, a new building in the Peabody Union district. It expects to move into the space in 2027.

“As Starbucks continues to expand across North America, Nashville gives us an opportunity to support that growth with great talent and proximity to our growing number of coffeehouses and suppliers across the Southeast,” says Brian Niccol, chairman and CEO of Starbucks, in a company press release. “This city offers a deep, diverse talent pool and a strong sense of community, making Nashville another ideal place to invest for the long term.”

Kelly says positioning Starbucks for sustained, long-term growth, including significantly expanding the number of U.S. coffeehouses, is part of delivering on the Back to Starbucks commitment. In other news, the brand recently finalized its anticipated joint venture with Boyu Capital.