SSP opens UK’s busiest Starbucks at Heathrow

SSP, Starbucks and Heathrow have opened their busiest store in the UK at Terminal 5. At 252sq ft, the store has 50 seats and nine coffee machines able to serve hundreds of customers every hour on the way to their gate.

The coffee shop, located in the terminal’s airside departures area, was officially opened today, in time for the busy peak summer travel season, by SSP’s Group CEO Patrick Coveney, UK and Ireland CEO, Kari Daniels, Starbucks EMEA President Duncan Moir and Retail Director at Heathrow Fraser Brown. It features two separate counters to help serve busy travellers efficiently, whether they order at the till, or in advance via their phone.

“This new store at Terminal 5 is our flagship Starbucks at the country’s flagship airport,” said Kari Daniels, CEO of SSP UK & Ireland. “We know how important it is for our customers to be served promptly – especially when they have a flight to catch. The customer journey and efficiency are at the heart of our operations, and we’ve made sure that the design of this new store allows for quick and easy service for passengers on the go. We’ve also ensured the store is future proofed to manage growing customer numbers into the future.”

Duncan Moir, Starbucks EMEA President, said: “We are delighted to welcome passengers and staff to our new store in Heathrow. The UK remains a key market for Starbucks and this opening marks another important step in our growth and investment plans, in partnership with our long-standing licensees, including SSP. We are focused on meeting our customers where they are, bringing the iconic Starbucks Experience to more people right across the UK, whether that’s in the heart of local communities, or offering a vital rest stop while travelling”.

This store opening builds on SSP and Starbucks long-term partnership, which began 17 years ago. The first joint store opened at Heathrow in 2012 and SSP now operates four across the terminals. This store demonstrates the shared commitment to meeting customers where they are such as Terminal 5, in addition to new the store format’s innovations and designs. Meanwhile, this summer, Heathrow expects to see more records broken with an estimated 30 million passengers travelling through its terminals. The forecast comes after Heathrow served a record-breaking 81.5m passengers in the 12 months to May.

Inspired by the natural landscapes of coffee-growing regions, the new store is designed to offer an immersive experience focused on the centrally-positioned bar. The layered curved ceiling nods to the mountainous terrain of the coffee farms, complemented by a natural colour scheme. There are also clear walkways to help passengers navigate their way through the store quickly and efficiently, whether ordering to take-away or drink in.

Fraser Brown, Retail Director at Heathrow, said: “Heathrow is proud to launch Terminal 5’s newest Starbucks location, designed with passengers in mind. In partnership with SSP and Starbucks, we have created an innovative dining experience to suit each passenger’s journey through the airport. As a record 30 million passengers are set to travel through Heathrow this summer, this latest launch demonstrates the success of our retail strategy and Heathrow’s commitment to making every journey better.”

Embracing the spirit of summer, passengers are invited to enjoy Starbucks summer menu, which launched yesterday, now available at Starbucks stores nationwide. This includes the brand-new Iced White Mocha with Strawberry Cream Cold Foam, Iced Caramel Latte with Crème Brulée Cream Cold Foam, Pink Coconut Starbucks Refresha® drink with Matcha Cream Cold Foam, Cold Brew with Cookies and Cream, Cream Cold Foam, Iced White Chocolate Pistachio Oat Shaken Espresso. Starbucks® UK proudly serves a broad range of dairy alternative options for free.