Starbucks stores to open in "coffee-loving" Serbia

The largest publicly listed restaurant operator in Central Europe has announced its plan to open Starbucks stores in Serbia.

"The first Starbucks store will be opened in Belgrade later this year, the city with a long coffee-loving history," AmRest Holdings announced in a press release.

The company said it was the lead operator of Starbucks stores in the Central European region, while Serbia will be "another new market for the company to open the first Starbucks store."

"We are very happy to bring the unique Starbucks Experience to Serbian customers, with our first store in Belgrade," said Adam Mularuk, Starbucks president at AmRest.

"This country has a rich coffee culture and we look forward to being a part of it, providing a place where customers can enjoy
high quality coffee and discover our passion," Mularuk is quoted as saying.

AmRest opened the first Starbucks store in Prague in 2008, and currently operates over 300 in Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

Starbucks was established in 1971 in the US city of Seattle, and now has more than 28,000 stores around the globe. The company is considered "the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world."