NANJING, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Starbucks on Friday announced a plan to build a coffee innovation park in eastern China, the largest manufacturing investment by the world's leading coffee chain outside the United States.
The innovation park, located in Kunshan Economic and Technological Development Zone, Jiangsu Province, will incorporate the entire supply chain, including import and export of coffee beans, roasting, packaging, warehousing, distribution and training.
With an initial investment of 130 million U.S. dollars, the construction of a roasting plant will start in the latter half of this year.
The facility is projected to be put into operation in the summer of 2022 and will provide fresh high-quality coffee for all stores on the Chinese mainland.
"Starbucks has always taken a long-term view in China, and our commitment to the market has never been stronger," said Belinda Wong, Starbucks China chairman and CEO.
"Starbucks has spent the past 20 years sharing its passion for coffee across China," she said, adding that the coffee innovation park will set a blueprint for the future of coffee roasting and supply chain management and further elevate China's coffee industry "while supporting Starbucks' growth in China, with China."
Starbucks has opened more than 4,300 stores on the Chinese mainland, with over 58,000 employees.
