Starbucks is expanding its sign language-themed stores.

Starbucks, which places inclusivity at the heart of all its operations, continues to expand its Signing Store concept in Türkiye. With the consultancy of the Association for Educational Activities for the Hearing Impaired (IEEF), Starbucks has implemented its second Signing Store concept in Türkiye at its Eskişehir İsmet İnönü Bulvar 2 store, offering an innovative store experience that supports the active participation of hearing-impaired individuals in society and focuses on sign language.

StarbucksStarbucks is bringing its Signing Store concept, which offers a brand new meeting point for the hearing impaired and deaf community, to different cities in Türkiye. Continuing its Signing Store journey, which began at its Göztepe Loft store in Istanbul, Starbucks has transformed its İsmet İnönü Bulvar 2 store into a more accessible and inclusive "Community Store Starbucks Hand in Hand" store in Eskişehir. In collaboration with the Association for Educational Activities for the Hearing Impaired (İEEF), the store has been redesigned as a meeting space where hearing impaired individuals can both easily place orders and come together as a community.

Alshaya Starbucks Eurasia Senior Vice President Figen Ilgaz, Regarding the store opening, he said: “At Starbucks, we place inclusivity at the heart of how we do business. As a concrete step in this understanding, our Signing Store concept stores create more space for the hearing impaired and deaf community, offering an experience where communication can be established through sign language. Because we believe that an inclusive Starbucks experience is more than just a cup of coffee; it's about building a meaningful connection. We will continue our inclusivity journey in our stores across different cities in Türkiye.”

Coffee Experience Through Sign Language

At "Community Store Starbucks Hand in Hand" locations, visitors can order coffee using sign language thanks to a "Coffee Dictionary" designed to support communication in sign language at every stage, from the menu to the service process. This special dictionary, positioned at the cash register and on digital screens, also makes it easy to access the menu. Starbucks, in collaboration with the Association for Educational Activities for the Hearing Impaired (IEEF), also provides sign language training to all partners working in the stores, thereby removing communication barriers and supporting the strengthening of social awareness.

Through training sessions, workshops, and gatherings held in-store throughout the year, the goal is to create a more accessible and inclusive Starbucks experience for everyone.