Is the Venezuelan Starbucks coffee service real or a knockoff?

A counterfeit Starbucks appeared in Caracas, Venezuela, at the end of December 2021, with a green mermaid logo, staff in green aprons and branded T-shirts, and drink prices under half those of the genuine chain. In August, a similar logo showed up at Glenville State University in West Virginia under the banner We Proudly Serve Starbucks, prompting fresh questions about whether it is imitation or a licensed program.

The key distinction is between the official We Proudly Serve Starbucks licensing program and outright counterfeits like the Caracas shop. Venezuela's economy has declined since 2014, with outages and empty shelves becoming common, yet demand for a higher-end coffee service experience persists, which helps explain why the imitation survived. The campus case highlights how easily the two look alike to customers.

At the end of 2021, a counterfeit Starbucks appeared in Caracas, Venezuela, with a logo highly similar to the genuine one, sparking widespread discussion. Now, a similar logo has appeared on the campus of Glenville State University in West Virginia, USA. Is this the spread of counterfeit behavior, or is there another story? This article will help you clarify the essential difference between "We Proudly Serve Starbucks" and counterfeit Starbucks, and review the entire incident of the counterfeit store in Venezuela. Meanwhile, we continue to follow coffee industry news, and at the end of the article, we have included contact information for Front Street Coffee; coffee enthusiasts are welcome to join the discussion.

At the end of December 2021, a "Starbucks Coffee" that appeared on the streets of Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, sparked a lot of discussion online. Now, the same logo not only continues to exist in Venezuela but has also traveled across the ocean to enter a university campus in the United States. Those who still remember the counterfeit Starbucks may make some associations with this.

According to local media in Glenville, West Virginia, a new coffee shop called "We Proudly Serve Starbucks" opened on the campus of Glenville State University and officially began operating on August 15 local time. Students and faculty at the school have already been among the first to try the store's products.

From the photos accompanying the report, it can be seen that the paper cup sleeves used by this coffee shop are printed with a pattern very similar to the common Starbucks logo, but with an additional line above it reading "WE PROUDLY SERVE." This logo is highly consistent with the logo of the counterfeit "Starbucks Coffee" in Venezuela that Coffee Workshop previously reported on.

Earlier, media visits found that the "We Proudly Serve" coffee shop in Venezuela had a green mermaid logo pasted on its window, employees wore T-shirts printed with the counterfeit Starbucks logo and green aprons, and drink prices were less than half those of the genuine Starbucks.

Venezuela was once a wealthy country, but since 2014 its economy has continued to decline, with water and power outages and empty shelves becoming the norm. However, people's longing for the "high-quality" life of the past has not disappeared. Therefore, even knowing it was a counterfeit Starbucks, locals were still happy to take photos and post them on social media to show off.

Faced with its brand being openly imitated, Starbucks Corporation quickly issued an official response: it had not opened any stores in Venezuela.

As for the "We Proudly Serve" logo, according to official Nestlé information, it actually represents "Starbucks Coffee Services." This program is based on the global partnership between Starbucks and Nestlé, with Nestlé and its directly authorized distributors providing coffee beverage solutions through channels outside Starbucks stores.

The difference between Starbucks Coffee Services and Starbucks Coffee is that the former is a service operated by Nestlé leveraging the influence of the Starbucks brand, and is not a store; the latter refers to directly operated stores of Starbucks' own brand.

According to information on the official website of Glenville State University, this "We Proudly Serve" coffee shop on campus has no connection to the counterfeit Starbucks in Venezuela. The program was a coffee service opened after an agreement was reached with partners in August of the previous year.

Faculty and staff at the school said in media interviews that the coffee shop's presence provided a convenient space for teachers and students to communicate and enjoy coffee, and also improved the campus learning environment.

As for the counterfeit Starbucks in Venezuela, media reported in mid-January this year that one day after Nestlé issued a statement, the accused coffee shop covered its store brand logo and ceased operations. The head of Venezuela's National Commercial and Service Council issued a stern statement regarding the country's counterfeit Starbucks. Some Venezuelan legal professionals pointed out that the behavior of Venezuelan businessmen counterfeiting internationally renowned brands is not legal.

Image source: Internet

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.