People prefer tea to coffee and instant rather than freshly brewed in Chile. In Argentina, by contrast, breakfast is usually with a frothy cappuccino, a heart-starting espresso, or a caffe latte. In Brazil, after-dinner coffee is served free at any self-respecting restaurant around the country.

That Latin America is not one great homogeneous culture often surprises travellers. Nevertheless, Starbucks, one of the fastest-growing global brands, have not lost even the most subtle differences in the consumer profile of a Colombian and a Venezuelan.

Every day, Starbucks emplyees go to work hoping to do two things: share great coffee with friends and help make the world a little better. It was true when the first Starbucks opened in 1971, and it is just as true today.

Back then, the company was a single store in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. From just a narrow storefront, Starbucks offered some of the world’s finest fresh-roasted whole bean coffees. The name, inspired by Moby Dick, evoked the romance of the high seas and the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders.

In 1983, HowardSchultz (Starbucks chairman and chief executive officer) traveled to Italy and was captivated with Italian coffee bars and the romance of the coffee experience. He had a vision to bring the Italian coffeehouse tradition back to the United States. A place for conversation and a sense of community. A third place between work and home.

After searches for local partners, and a successful trial run in Mexico City, Starbucks arrived in South America. With no conventional advertising, the Seattle-based company opened stores in Lima and Santiago within 24 hours of each other.

Neither Peru nor Chile has a mass-market café culture, although European and US-style coffee houses have begun springing up in the upmarket districts of both their capitals.

Despite this cultural peculiarity, a Starbucks survey found that Chileans on average drink only 150 cups of coffee a year, compared with 345 in the US and more than twice that number in many European countries. Of the 800g of coffee per capita bought in supermarkets and from speciality shops each year, 90 per cent of it is instant.

In Argentina, per capita consumption is about 4kg a year, mostly in whole or ground coffee beans. Despite being a coffee-grower, Peru has a similar pattern of coffee consumption.

They have always believed in serving the best coffee possible. There are more than 30 blends and single-origin premium coffees. It is Starbucks goal for all of their coffee to be grown under the highest standards of quality, using ethical sourcing practices. Their coffee buyers personally travel to coffee farms in Latin America, Africa and Asia to select high quality beans.

Anyone who knows the Starbucks story can already visualize potential outlets in the most fashionable neighborhoods of the region's capital cities. From a single store in Seattle's Pike Place Market in 1971, today, they are privileged to connect with millions of customers every day with exceptional products and more than 24,000 retail stores in 70 countries. Starbucks 'corners', or mini-outlets, are found in airline offices, sports stadiums, airports, hotels and bookshops. Copy-cat coffee-bar chains have emerged, only to be swallowed by Starbucks or forced to merge with competitors.

Fortune and fame, however, have not come without their critics. Some analysts say the company was forced to globalize because it had saturated its home market. Others say the Japanese experience has not been a happy one. Security concerns forced the company to retreat from Israel, and the anti-globalization movement now has Starbucks stores on its hit list.

They are not just passionate purveyors of coffee, but everything else that goes with a full and rewarding coffeehouse experience. It is not unusual to see people coming to Starbucks to chat, meet up or even work. They try to make sure everything they do is through the lens of humanity – from their commitment to the highest quality coffee in the world, to the way they engage with their customers and communities to do business responsibly.

Starbucks commitment to communities extends beyond their stores to include the regions that supply our coffee, tea and cocoa. Starbucks invests in programs designed to strengthen local economic and social development. They work collaboratively with non-governmental organizations that have experience and expertise in working with farming communities in the countries where coffee, and other agricultural products are raised. Projects include improving access to education and agricultural training, microfinance and microcredit services, improving biodiversity conservation, and increasing levels of health, nutrition and water sanitation.