Starbucks has been facing multiple boycotts for months related to the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East and its stance on unionization efforts happening at its stores in the United States.
In early January, several viral social media posts claimed that some Starbucks locations, including one in Ireland’s Dublin Airport, recently rebranded as Vista Coffee to allegedly mislead customers into buying their coffee and other drinks during the boycott.
One post says in part: “It looks like Starbucks has started rebranding to ‘Vista Coffee’ in some locations, as they continue to lose billions over the boycott.”
Recent online search trends show many people are wondering if these claims are true.
THE QUESTION
Is Starbucks changing its name to “Vista Coffee” in order to mislead customers?
THE SOURCES
- Starbucks
- Dublin Airport
- Graeme McQueen, media relations manager at Dublin Airport
THE ANSWER
No, Starbucks is not changing its name to “Vista Coffee” in order to mislead customers.
WHAT WE FOUND
Starbucks has not rebranded under the name Vista Coffee. One Starbucks location in Ireland’s Dublin Airport was turned into a “Vista Coffee” after Starbucks’ contract expired, but the two companies are separate and the change, which is temporary, only affects that particular location.
The claims show pictures of the cafe in Dublin Airport that used to be a Starbucks and is now called Vista Coffee. Some of the signage says Vista while the displayed menus still show Starbucks branding and drinks.
In an email, Graeme McQueen, the media relations manager at Dublin Airport, said a Starbucks location in Terminal 1 closed at the end of December when its contract ended.
VERIFY also contacted Starbucks, and a spokesperson confirmed that that particular Starbucks location is now closed.
“We regularly review our portfolio to ensure our stores are in places that are relevant for our customers while also maintaining healthy business growth. We can confirm the Starbucks store in Dublin Airport closed on 31st December when our lease expired,” the spokesperson said in a statement. Three Starbucks locations remain open in other areas of the airport.
A new coffee company that’s local to the area will permanently move into the location in the spring, according to McQueen. He did not share the new company’s name.
In the meantime, McQueen told VERIFY the new company has temporarily opened in the same location under the Vista Coffee brand name “to ensure passengers can continue to get their caffeine fix.” It is not affiliated with Starbucks, according to Dublin Airport.
McQueen also addressed the claims that Starbucks is secretly running Vista Coffee under the new name because some Starbucks signage is still on display. He said the new company has “done a deal with the previous occupier to use their fixtures and fittings and for them to supply them with their products on a temporary basis.”
“This change is part of a major overhaul of the food and beverage offerings in T1 and T2, which will happen over the coming months. This will see a number of units operate on a temporary basis — under generic brands — for short periods, while fit-out works are completed,” McQueen said. Additional details about these changes will be announced soon.
It’s not uncommon for non-Starbucks cafes to sell the company’s coffee. For example, food service vendors can get Starbucks products through the “We Proudly Serve Starbucks Coffee Program.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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