Starbucks opens five more “Military Family Stores,” adding job opportunities for veterans and military spouses

IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOUNDATION - Starbucks recruiter and Air Force veteran Afsheen Saatchi, left, talks with Spc. Shaquille Armstrong, center, during the Washington State Service Member for Life Transition Summit Job Fair on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. The three-day summit is held in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Defense, Camo 2 Commerce, and the U.S. Army. Sponsored by Starbucks, Amazon, Call of Duty Endowment, First Data, Toyota, University of Phoenix, USAA and Verizon, the event is part of a series of collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors to connect veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses to meaningful employment opportunities. The event culminated with a Hiring Our Heroes job fair with more than 4,500 service members, veterans, and military spouses. (Stephen Brashear/AP Images for U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation)

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Starbucks is working to increase employment opportunities for service members and their families through their “Military Family Stores” initiative. On Tuesday, the coffee chain’s Clarksville, Tenn., location became the 37th store designated as a Military Family Store, meaning that it’s now staffed primarily by veterans and military spouses.

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“Seventy-five percent of my business is the military,” store manager and military spouse Shannon Feltz, 47, said. “We are so excited about this announcement. I’ve never felt so supported by a company in my life.”

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In addition to the Clarksville location, Starbucks unveiled four other Military Family Stores on Tuesday, including two in Texas serving Camp Mabry in Austin and Ft. Bliss in El Paso, one serving Naval War College in Rhode Island and one in Massachusetts near Joint Base Hanscom. The stores are part of the coffee chain’s efforts to provide jobs to veterans and military spouses while also serving as a place for service members to come together, connect and share stories. The company has pledged to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses by 2025 and currently employ more than 10,000.

“Service members and military spouses are the best example of engaged citizens.” Starbucks senior vice president John Kelly said. “Long after leaving active duty, they continue to vote, volunteer and serve their communities at a high rate, serving as the best examples of citizenship. We are honored to serve as a place where these American heroes can continue to impact their community in a positive way.”

Matt Kress, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and now manages the veterans and military affairs program for Starbucks, remembered the “frightening period” when he transitioned from active duty life to civilian life.

“Some of our veterans are only with us for a year, while others are here longer,” he said. “This is their landing spot to figure out what they want to do with the rest of their life.”

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