Stars Coffee, anyone? Starbucks substitute opening in Russia
MOSCOW — People in Moscow who were disappointed when Starbucks closed its coffee shops after Russia sent troops into Ukraine may now feel a caffeine jolt of hope: A nearly identical operation is opening in the capital. The name’s almost the same: Stars Coffee. The logo could be the separated-at-birth twin of the Starbucks mermaid, with flowing hair, a small enigmatic smile and a star atop her head — though instead of a Starbucks crown she wears a Russian headdress called a kokoshnik. The menu, judging by the company app introduced a day before the store’s formal opening Friday, would look familiar to any Starbucks customer. Starbucks said Thursday it had no comment on the new stores. A visitor speaks with employees at the newly-opened Stars Coffee cafe in Moscow, on August 19, 2022. Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP - Getty Images Seattle-based Starbucks was one of the most visible of the wave of foreign companies that pulled out of Russia or suspended their operations in response to Russia’s...