Coffee Break with Álvaro Salafranca, CEO of Starbucks Spain

Last Friday, March 23, a Coffee Break took place at the Vivero de Empresas in Moratalaz.
On this occasion we have Álvaro Salafranca, General Director in Spain of Starbucks.

Founded in 1971 in Seattle (United States), it currently has 17,800 stores in 49 countries and is listed on the NASDAQ, being the largest company in the world in its sector.

Starbucks has been operating hand in hand with Grupo Vips in Spain for more than a decade, and has positioned itself as one of the most recognized and admired brands in the hospitality industry.

The achievement of a dream

Álvaro affirms that the success of the brand lies in the innovative vision it brings to the market, not because of what it sells, but because of how it is done. For this reason, he affirms that "Starbucks has not invented anything, it only sells coffee, but it is different because of its values and because it is the fulfillment of a dream." Around this idea of commitment to that dream they structure their action.

The differentiating values

Starbucks aims to differentiate itself not only as a brand, but also as a socially responsible company. To one of the questions about why Starbucks coffee is more expensive than other brands, Álvaro explains that they buy from suppliers for a fair price.

Take care of the customer and employees

Starbucks distributes stock options to the entire human resources chain of the company, in order to include all its employees around the company's values, because, in his words, “Starbucks is not a coffee business. We are a business of people who serve coffee.” Taking care of the employee so that they transmit these values is the basis of the company: “If I make my people fall in love, they will fall in love with the customer. Imposing does not work and it is not good to lead with the negative”.

Perspectives before the crisis

Starbucks has not lost customers and is positioned as the Grupo Vips brand that is growing the most. Why? In Álvaro's opinion, because they have not betrayed their principles or renounced their values, something that has been appreciated by clients.

never look for shortcuts

Álvaro tells us how the Starbucks philosophy is based, above all, on quality. From this premise, everything develops: “the formula for earning money is to do things well, you cannot look for shortcuts”. It also emphasizes the idea of contributing what we master and removing arrogance from our minds: “When we started, we only did what we knew how to do. If you want to appear what you are not, in the end you fail.

Where do you want to go?

The ability to excel is for Álvaro Salafranca the key point in any entrepreneurial project and he affirms that "sometimes it does not matter so much what you are or not, but what you want to become". His last piece of advice to entrepreneurs was: “One of the most precious things you can have is a dream. As long as you have one, do not ignore it, because there are not so many”.

After talking with those attending the Coffee Break, Álvaro Salafranca wrote a sentence on a window of the Moratalaz Nursery: «Do not betray your dreams».