Starbucks Takes a Novel Approach to Literacy and Reading Groups By Hosting A Nationwide Book Club In Stores Across the Country October 26

Beginning today, Starbucks is giving its customers a reason to curl up and enjoy fall by selling Mitch Albom’s new novel, For One More Day, at its Company-operated stores in the U.S. and announcing "Starbucks Book Break,” a nationwide discussion day on October 26, 2006, to encourage communities to come together to read and engage in meaningful discussion about this book. On this day in a flagship store in each of 25 major markets, Starbucks will host a customer-led book discussion group. A discussion guide, complimentary coffee and a reserved table will be provided for customers wishing to participate in this unique event by joining with other passionate readers to discuss For One More Day. Information about "Starbucks Book Break,” including times and locations of participating flagship locations in 25 major markets, is available online at www.starbucksbookbreak.com. "Community is incredibly important to Starbucks, and we want to make it easy and fun for our customers to discover quality books as part of their daily coffee routines,” said Howard Schultz, chairman, Starbucks Coffee Company. "We think For One More Day will inspire conversations across the country, and Starbucks is the perfect place to host and foster these gatherings.” Mitch Albom’s For One More Day Mitch Albom’s beloved book Tuesdays With Morrie is the best-selling memoir of all time, having sold more than 11 million copies worldwide. His follow-up novel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, has already sold more than 8 million copies, breaking records on sales of a first hardcover novel. His new novel, For One More Day, focuses on the connection between parents and children, and the universal desire to have one more day with someone we’ve lost. Albom’s proven appeal, combined with the new novel’s focus on the importance of family, makes this a perfect first book to introduce to Starbucks customers. With Albom’s encouragement -– and reflective of Starbucks long-standing relationship with the organization –- Starbucks is contributing $1.00 per copy of For One More Day it sells, with a minimum contribution of $50,000, to benefit Jumpstart, a national nonprofit early education organization that ensures at-risk preschoolers enter kindergarten with the foundation of skills necessary for their future success (www.jstart.org). Additionally, starting today, readers can participate in online discussions of the book by logging into www.starbucks.gather.com. Albom will participate in these discussions on a weekly basis, giving readers the opportunity to communicate directly with the author. Customers everywhere also can access Mitch’s exclusive interview with Ellen DeGeneres by logging onto www.starbucksbookbreak.com. Starbucks Coffee Company Starbucks Corporation is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world, with more than 12,000 retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim. The Company is committed to offering the highest quality coffee and the Starbucks Experience while conducting its business in ways that produce social, environmental and economic benefits for communities in which it does business. In addition to its retail operations, the Company produces and sells bottled Frappuccino® coffee drinks, Starbucks DoubleShot® espresso drink, and a line of superpremium ice creams through its joint venture partnerships. The Company’s brand portfolio provides a wide variety of consumer products -- innovative superpremium Tazo® teas and exceptional Starbucks Hear Music™ compact discs enhance the Starbucks Experience through best-of-class products. The Seattle's Best Coffee® and Torrefazione Italia® coffee brands enable Starbucks to appeal to a broader consumer base by offering an alternative variety of coffee flavor profiles.