Starbucks is reopening 150 stores across the UK this week

Starbucks has announced it will be opening 15% of its UK stores – around 150 sites – in the first phase of its reopening plans. 

There will be a heavy focus on opening those stores with drive-thru as a priority. 

The global coffee chain has said it’s been ‘learning, testing and refining operational standards every day’ behind close doors. It said the reopening plan will focus on ensuring the health and wellbeing of its employees and customers will be a priority. 

The reopening will include Starbucks’ core range of drinks and a limited food range in the UK. Starbucks has already reopened stores in China and the US and will be taking what it has learnt there and applying it to the UK. 

There will be regular hand washing, two metre social distancing, screens at payment areas and the use of contactless payment only, following the measures in the UK. 

Employees have been paid during the closure of UK stores and it was announced that the company will ‘not be accepting any opt-in government support’ during the coronavirus crisis. 

The selected Starbucks stores will reopen from Thursday – details of which sites will reopen is yet to be released.