Starbucks is to dramatically step up its drive-thru presence in the UK over the next five years.

The coffee chain will open 200 new drive-thru sites over the period, around half of them in partnership with in partnership with Euro Garages. Starbucks currently has just nine drive-thru sites in the UK, having opened its first in 2008.

Some 5,000 jobs will be created as a result of the expansion.

“Customers told us that they now expect the best possible coffee wherever they are and the success of our first drive-thru stores shows this is a huge opportunity,” said UK managing director Kris Engskov.

“It also means that we are able to create quality jobs at a time when they are most needed and because half of our baristas are under 24 years-old, this will particularly benefit young job-seekers at a time of record youth unemployment.”

Euro Garages managing director Zuber Issa said the company’s partnership with Starbucks had been “a huge success to date”.

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