Starbucks Recreates the Intimacy of the Traditional Coffeehouse with a Collection of Emerging Talent

-- From Ursula Rucker to Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels (of Run-DMC) and from House of Diehl to Joi Cardwell, Starbucks Salon hosts a series of Provocative Performances to Engage and Inspire Audiences in New York; Daily performances are Free and Open to All on First Come, First Served Basis

Building upon the heritage and intimacy of the traditionalcoffeehouse, Starbucks Salon opens today in New York City for a 10-dayseries of engaging performances to entertain and inspire audiences inNew York. Starbucks (Nasdaq:SBUX) selected New York during FashionWeek as the venue for the latest installment of Starbucks Salon, anomadic coffee house, performance venue, and gallery.

"Our goal is to bring together diverse groups of artists toprovoke thought and discussion among culturally-curious audiences andthought leaders, in a traditional coffeehouse setting," said AnneSaunders, senior vice president of global brand strategies andcommunications at Starbucks. "We have an amazing line-up of talent forStarbucks Salon that we hope New Yorkers will enjoy discovering asmuch as we have."

Launched earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival in ParkCity, Utah, Starbucks Salon is designed as a place for an interactiveexchange of ideas and entertainment forms. In an effort to modernizethe traditional role of the coffeehouse, the temporary performancevenue will emerge at cultural events and gatherings to celebratebudding artists, art forms, and established talent yearning to explorenew artistic disciplines.

Artists confirmed to perform at Starbucks Salon in New Yorkinclude:

-- Joi Cardwell -- Prolific singer and songwriter of dance, hip-hop, and house music

-- Jim Carroll -- Famed author of "The Basketball Diaries"

-- House of Diehl - Designers of fashion-art experiences, entertainment, and clothing

-- Darryl "DMC" McDaniels -- Founding member of legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC

-- Jose Gonzalez -- Internationally celebrated classical guitar artist

-- Eugene Mirman -- Acclaimed member of the downtown New York comedy scene

-- Ursula Rucker -- Renowned spoken word artist

Presenting each performance are two hosts as distinct as theStarbucks Salon talent they will introduce. Cat Greenleaf is aLifestyle Contributor to WNBC's Today in New York and is close to thepulse of New York's artistic scene. John Richards is the host of thefamed KEXP Morning Show in Seattle and is best known for his abilityto discover new talent in the music world.

Starbucks Salon offers the opportunity to experience an inviting,eclectic environment featuring an amazing array of current art,constantly evolving music curated by a host of celebrated DJs, dynamicprojected visuals, and free nightly performances. New Yorkers andvisitors to the city are encouraged to come by anytime, settle in, andenjoy the surroundings with a cup of coffee.

Starbucks Salon is located at 76 Greene Street in Manhattan andwill run from Friday, September 8, through Sunday, September 17, withtwo to three headline performances each day. The hours are from 10a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.Wednesday through Saturday, with headliners at 4 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9p.m., with other gallery and experiential happenings throughout theday. All performances are free and open to the public. The completeperformance schedule is available at www.StarbucksSalon.com.

Starbucks Coffee Company

Through the dedication of our passionate partners (employees),Starbucks Coffee Company has transformed the way people in 37countries enjoy their coffee, one cup at a time. Starbucks is thepremier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world, with nearly 12,000retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the MiddleEast and the Pacific Rim. The Company is committed to offering itscustomers the highest quality coffee and human connection through theStarbucks Experience, while striving to improve the social,environmental and economic well being of its partners, coffee farmers,countries of coffee origin, and the communities which it serves.Through Ethos Water, Starbucks demonstrates its long history ofintegrating a social conscience into all aspects of its business. TheCompany surprises and delights its customers by producing and sellingbottled Starbucks Frappuccino(R) coffee drinks, StarbucksDoubleShot(R) espresso drinks and Starbucks(R) superpremium ice creamsthrough its joint-venture partnerships, and Starbucks(TM) Coffee andCream Liqueurs through a marketing and distribution agreement, inother convenient locations outside its retail operations. TheCompany's brand portfolio includes superpremium Tazo(R) teas,Starbucks Hear Music(TM) compact discs, Seattle's Best Coffee andTorrefazione Italia. These brands' unique and innovative personalitiesallow Starbucks to appeal to a broad consumer base.