Starbucks alters name for Quebec
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MONTREAL - Starbucks has teamed up with a Quebec pizza franchiser to open as many as 75 coffeehouses in the Francophone province, marking the first time the biggest coffee-shop chain will modify its name for cultural reasons.
The first Cafe Starbucks Coffee opened last week in Montreal with a blend that appeals to Quebecers' tastes for a stronger coffee, according to company officials.
Seattle-based Starbucks, which operates 3,333 stores in North America, is modifying its name to avoid attracting attention from Quebec language officials, who make sure French is more prominent than English on outdoor signs.
Starbucks is "an Anglo brand," said Michael Aronovici, president of Vision Caf, Starbucks' Montreal licensing partner. Aronovici is associated with Interaction Restaurants, which also runs 38 Pizza Hut restaurants in Quebec.
"The reason we're getting involved is because it's our intention to make it a great Quebec brand, too," he said.
As many as 75 Starbucks coffee shops in the province are planned, with about 50 in Montreal, Aronovici said. The stores will be opened over five years.
On Oct. 5, three stores belonging to Starbucks rival Second Cup were bombed by an anti-English group.
The Brigade d'Autodefense du Français claimed responsibility for the attacks, protesting a government ruling that allowed Second Cup to keep its English names in Quebec.
Separately, Starbucks' Japanese unit plans to sell shares to the public, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing an unidentified person familiar with the plan.
Starbucks Coffee Japan has hired the Goldman Sachs Group to work on the initial share sale, the report said.
It isn't clear how much money the share sale would raise for the unit's two owners, Starbucks and Sazaby, its operating partner in Japan.