Russian duo hail "Stars Coffee" as Starbucks' replacement brand
The network of coffee shops in Russia that were once owned by Starbucks Corp. were reopened on Thursday under the name Stars Coffee, the latest significant corporation rebranding following a months-long Western corporate flight from the nation. Before the stores open on Friday, rapper Timati and co-owner and restaurateur Anton Pinskiy revealed the new brand at a crowded premiere in the heart of Moscow. The logo depicts an image of a woman with a star over her head. Timati, who claimed they had tried to maintain some continuity after being forbidden from using the Starbucks design, cited the circular form and "feminine gender" as examples. He claimed that these features contrasted favourably with the new brand's dark, cigar-like "masculine colour." People may have different impressions, Pinskiy noted. But if you compare, you won't discover anything in common but the circle. Starbucks pointed to a prior statement in which it said the firm had made the decision to withdraw and no longer had a brand presence in the Russian market but declined to comment on the similarity of the logo and name. Timati claimed that although the team had to find new suppliers because Starbucks has its own production and resource base, there had been no issues. According to Pinskiy, Stars Coffee sources its beans from Latin America and Africa, with suppliers for other goods established in Russia. Read the full article