Starbucks Canada and We Wai Kai Nation have opened a new Starbucks café and drive-thru store in Campbell River, British Columbia. The new location is the chain’s first to be licensed and operated by the Nation.

The move is in line with Starbucks’ strategy to strengthen its relationships with Indigenous communities, and comes a month after Starbucks Canada opened its first licensed store on ATR (addition to reserve) land with Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatoon.

“These kinds of incredible moments mark the beginning of what is possible for Starbucks and Indigenous communities in Canada as we continue to look for opportunities to work side-by-side,” Shannon Leisz, VP of store development for Starbucks Canada, tells strategy.

The 1,700-square-ft. store is located on the We Wai Kai reserve, and it caters to the 1,200 nation members and surrounding communities. As part of the We Wai Kai Nation’s mission to strengthen the local economy, the store employs 20 people from the community to serve as baristas.

“The nation’s leadership fully understands that achieving true reconciliation will not be possible without vibrant Indigenous economies, characterized by economic self-sufficiency and socio-economic equality with the rest of Canada,” says Ronnie Chickite, We Wai Kai Nation chief councillor. “Our new licensed Starbucks store helps us further move towards economic self-sufficiency as we continue to build our own-source revenues.”

Leisz says the Starbucks’ team first met members of We Wai Kai Nation while attending a conference with the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers. “We were given the opportunity to learn about their community, their values and their goals and explore how we could work together,” she says.

In line with Starbucks’ strategy to design stores that are welcoming and reflective of the diverse communities it serves, the store’s new design pays homage to the culture and origins of the We Wai Kai Nation. The store features cedar cladding to represent the local landscape, along with brown leather and woven fixtures inspired by local craftwork.

The store also features a mural by local First Nations artist Jessica Chickite. The mural weaves together elements of Indigenous culture, including the Nation’s creation story of the Great Flood, with the iconic Starbucks siren.

With both Starbucks and the We Wai Kai Nation believing in contributing positively to their communities, the store plans to identify local food banks to support.

“At company-owned stores across the country, store partners participate in the Starbucks FoodShare food rescue program, which has stores rescuing 100 per cent of food available for donation to provide people in need with ready-to-eat meals, while helping to eliminate food waste,” Leisz says. “We intend to roll this program out to our licensed stores in the future as well.”

She adds that, in recent years, Starbucks efforts at Indigenous reconciliation have taken many forms, including establishing the Canada Indigenous Partner (employee) Network, becoming a committed organization in the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business’ Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program and supporting various Indigenous-led organizations and charities in collaboration with The Starbucks Foundation.

“We feel that our journey towards reconciliation is in the early stages, and [we] are committed to continuous improvement as we deepen our understanding of Indigenous Peoples’ experiences and foster meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities,” Leisz says.