Starbucks partners with Japanese shochu brewery for retail space powered by sweet potatoes

Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan is famous for producing sweet potatoes and shochu, a spirit distilled from the crop. Kirishima Shuzo, a brewery that's been operating in the area since 1916, has adopted a method to generate biogas and electricity from two brewing byproducts: shochu lees and potato scraps. Last month, Kirishima Shuzo and Starbucks announced a partnership to launch a joint establishment running on sweet potato-generated power.

Scheduled to open in spring 2026, the space will house a Starbucks store with a drive-thru, a store managed by Kirishima Shuzo, and a botanical garden for visitors’ enjoyment. On top of running on power generated from shochu brewing byproducts, the site will also use thermal discharge from the distillation process for winter heating and repurpose food waste for coffee and sweet potato crop fertilizers.

Starbucks is known for its unique branches that pay homage to local culture or tradition, such as repurposing a traditional 100-year-old machiya in Kyoto. It turns each outlet from just another coffee shop to a space for consumers to collect a shareable status story. This latest space adds sustainability to the mix, attracting consumers with the promise of a novel experience while exposing them to circular practices. Can your brand encourage consumers to adopt greener choices through storied offerings? As always, showing beats telling ;-)

As a global brand, collaborating with Kirishima Shuzo gives Starbucks an authentic local anchor and a strong association with local culture. Conversely, the shochu brewery is riding on Starbucks’ global presence to reach a wider audience. Who can your brand partner with to amplify the impact of your sustainability initiatives?