The CEO of Starbucks (SBUX.US), Brian Niccol, has indicated the coffee chain possesses significant potential for aggressive expansion in markets outside the United States. The company's stock price closed up 2.7% on Tuesday.

"I know we don't talk about it all the time, but look, we have 22,000 stores outside the U.S. today, and there's an opportunity to double that number over time," Niccol stated during a presentation at the Evercore Consumer & Retail Conference on Tuesday.

Niccol further added that the company has the capacity to add at least 5,000 more stores within the United States, a view consistent with his previous remarks. He identified expansion opportunities in regions such as the area between Texas and Virginia, and the broader U.S. heartland, noting, "We've historically been more biased on the coasts, and we've been underdeveloped in the middle of the country."

Including licensed stores, Starbucks currently operates over 41,000 stores across 89 global markets, with nearly 23,000 located outside the U.S. and Canada.

Previously, on April 28, Starbucks released its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026. The report showed total net revenue reached $9.53 billion, an increase of 8.8% compared to $8.76 billion in the same period last year, setting a new historical record.

The CEO's renewed emphasis on store expansion following strong financial performance demonstrates the company's ongoing confidence in its brand's growth momentum and the long-term market opportunity. This new aggressive expansion phase is poised to become a core engine for the company's next stage of revenue growth.