Why China is causing headaches for Starbucks

Why are some restaurant chains suddenly struggling in international markets? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joel Silverstein. Silverstein is a periodic guest on the podcast. He is the founder and CEO of the hospitality consulting firm Canyon Springs Advisors. He has helped a lot of companies grow in overseas markets. I wanted to talk with him about the state of international development. We talk quite a bit about the state of the industry in China, where a number of U.S. chains have suddenly struggled but which are still intent on growing there. We focus particularly on the coffee market, where Starbucks is struggling as is Tim Hortons. Both are watching as several aggressive upstarts, notably Luckin Coffee, have grown rapidly with low-priced coffee. We talk about that competition and what it means for the market there. We also talk about the global economy and its impact on restaurant brands, as well as overall conditions in the U.S. It’s a great conversation about international development on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.