In 1997, Winter — born Rafael Antonio Lozano, Jr. — decided to make it his mission to visit every Starbucks location in the world. As of November 2021, he has visited 16,000 Starbucks locations, but is still finding his groove. The 52-year-old is a little more than halfway there. Starbucks currently has more than 30,000 stores worldwide. During his travels around the world, Winter has visited nearly 13,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, plus more than 3,000 locations in 55 countries. When it comes to his favorite, Winter says he considers the design and physical attributes of each store. So far, his favorite location was the Starbucks in Fukuoka, Japan. “The architecture is amazing,” he said. “The wooden beams go all the way back.” His next top pick is in one of his favorite cities: Paris, France. He describes the Capucines location in the City of Light as “the most beautifully ornate store in the entire world.” The café features chandeliers, stone columns and an ornate ceiling. Winter won’t, however, be visiting any Starbucks locations in Israel or Russia, as the coffee giant closed their stores in those locations — Israel in 2003 and Russia in 2022. As a freelance computer engineer who travels to different locations for work, Winter is able to travel the world without disrupting his regular life.
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| Starbucks in Fukuoka, Japan |
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Starbucks at Capucines in Paris, France
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