Peet’s Coffee goes global with cafe in Shanghai
Fifty-one years after the first Peet’s Coffee shop opened in Berkeley, the specialty coffee company has gone global, unveiling a new 3,900-squarefoot cafe in China.
Peet’s Coffee Shanghai, which debuted Nov. 13, has an in-house roastery. It’s the Emeryville company’s first international location.
The new cafe will have a “discover bar” offering tasting flights, custom cups and coffee courses. Seating consists of community tables and an outdoor patio.
“Expanding internationally is a
“China is a fast-growing market with a flourishing base of coffee lovers seeking distinctive experiences.” Shawn Conway, Peet’s Coffee
natural progression of our United States success, and Peet’s recognizes that China is a fast-growing market with a flourishing base of coffee lovers seeking distinctive experiences,” Shawn Conway, Peet’s Coffee chief operating officer, said in a statement.
Peet’s will find a formidable rival in Starbucks, which was founded in 1971 — five years after Peet’s — and has stores in about 70 countries, including hundreds in China. Blue Bottle, a newer hometown rival with a growing number of cafes in Japan, also has its eye on China — and it should have substantial resources after its $500 million deal this year to sell a controlling stake to Nestlé.
Peet’s has been owned since 2012 by JAB Holding Co., a German company that has since spent billions acquiring Stumptown, Keurig Green Mountain and Intelligentsia in order to build its presence in the coffee market. Peet’s Coffee China represents an independently run venture by Peet’s Coffee and Hillhouse Capital.