Euro Garages has opened a ’drive-thru’ Starbucks coffee store at one of its forecourts in Wales. The Blackburn-based independent retailer

said it had signed a licensing deal with Starbucks to open up to 30 such coffee stores in the UK – some on forecourts, some as standalone outlets. The first ’drive-thru’ opened its doors last week and is based at

Euro Garages’ BP site in Deeside, North Wales, which also has a Spar convenience offering and Burger King. The next sites with the offering are in Shrewsbury and Runcorn, Cheshire, and are due to open next month. Another seven sites will open in the next 12 months with the remainder opening by 2013.

According to Euro Garges, the licensing agreement is the first that Starbucks has signed for a drive-through coffee store in the UK and is expected to create 600 jobs. It marks the rollout of the Starbucks drive-thru concept in the UK following the success of its pilot store in Cardiff which opened in March 2008.

A Euro Garages spokesman said some of the ’drive-thru’ stores would be on existing sites but would be separate to the forecourt. Others were planned for land which the company has bought but is yet to develop. The retailer, number three on our Top 50 Indies listing 2010, is equally looking at standalone sites.

Euro Garages director Mohsin Issa said: "It’s essential for us to work with strong brands who share our commitment to innovation. Our partnership with Starbucks will complement the offer on our existing estate, as well as enable us to accelerate our growth with new standalone ’drive thrus’ across the UK.”

Darcy Willson-Rymer, managing director of Starbucks UK & Ireland, (pictured) said: "Our customers want Starbucks coffee when they’re on the go, but they don’t want to compromise on the quality of the coffee or the service they get in our coffee houses. With this deal they won’t have to do either.

"We’ve had a great success with our first ’drive thru’ and Euro Garages’ commitment to customer service and innovation makes them the right partner for us."

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