Starbucks Korea delivers coffee to 5,000 neighbors in month-long 'My Star Coffee' campaign

Starbucks Korea said Monday it had delivered coffee to more than 5,000 community members over the past month through its "My Star Coffee" campaign.

The campaign works on a pay-it-forward model: every Monday, when a customer buys a participating brewed coffee, Starbucks sets aside the same number of drinks to be handed out to caregivers, school faculty, sanitation workers and others. Deliveries are made by Starbucks partners using a mobile coffee trailer called "S:Buk Cha."

The campaign kicked off Sept. 28, with the first on-site visit to the Seoul Nowon-gu Municipal Junggye Elderly Care Facility and its attached day-care center.

In October, the campaign moved to schools — starting with Sangseo High School in Daegu on Oct. 1, followed by Bundang Aram High School on Oct. 7 and Ansan International Business High School on Oct. 14. The following day, the team visited the Bucheon Resource Recycling Center, providing coffee and food to sanitation workers and center staff.

Starbucks is also extending a free size-up perk — originally set to run through Nov. 2 — to Dec. 28. Customers who purchase a participating brewed coffee on any Monday and select a drink size will have the upgrade applied automatically.

Last month, Starbucks invited store partners to submit nominations, asking them to recommend a memorable customer or neighbor as their "My Star." The company plans to deliver coffee to the people behind the selected stories in November.

"We will continue to develop a variety of activities so that a single cup of coffee can become a force for good," said Shin Dong-woo, chief executive of Starbucks Korea.