Starbucks will make a complete overhaul in its European stores and open hundreds of new cafes across the continent. This week, 350 senior managers will gather in Amsterdam to discuss the renovation plan.

Photo: a Starbucks store, from www.telegraph.co.uk

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph Michelle Gass, the president of Starbucks Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), said: «It is about the heritage of Starbucks, the 40 years of history, and then re-awakening ourselves, renewing ourselves.» She said she wanted to see Starbucks becoming as familiar across Europe as it is in Manhattan. We will invest in the millions of dollars range and it will be significant.»

At present there are 700 cafes in the UK. This number will be increased to over 1,000 over the next three to five years. Starbucks will try to expand to service stations, drive-throughs and concessions in airports, stations and hotel lobbies such as an outlet in the lobby of the Novotel in Paris.

The company is currently redesigning its London stores to add more local feel using British designers’ products and fabrics. The company makes a £8 million investment into this redesign to keep pace with America. It’s latest results in January showed that the Starbucks Europe was underperforming the USA devision.

Starbucks has recently opened its first outlets in Norway and Sweden and is intended to rapidly expand in France and Germany as well as in the Middle East and North Africa. It has announced its plans to open the stores in India within a year.