0913 ET - Starbucks is expanding further in the Middle East even as sales in the region have suffered following a boycott in response to the war between Israel and Hamas. The coffee chain plans to open about 500 new stores in the next five years in the Middle East, according to an interview that Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol gave to Bloomberg TV. Niccol said information around the boycott was false and that Starbucks has never supported any militaries. "We're focused on what we know to be true. We're focused on growing our brand around our mission," Niccol said. (denny.jacob@wsj.com; @pennedbyden)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
February 14, 2025 09:14 ET (14:14 GMT)
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