Introduction:After Starbucks withdrew from the Russian market, its former assets were taken over by a local team, which is now planning to launch a new brand. The latest news indicates that the Russian side has filed trademark applications, including one for "Sturbucks," drawing significant public attention. What form will the new brand take? This article provides a detailed analysis of the trademark application specifics, the story behind the rebranding, and netizens’ reactions to the new logo and branding strategy—bringing you up to speed on the latest developments in Russia’s coffee market.

Following the handover of Starbucks’ assets in Russia, the naming of the new brand and its trademark registration have become focal points of market interest. According to information released by the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) of the Russian Federation on August 12, an application has been received for a chain coffee shop named "Sturbucks" (note: this is the correct spelling, not a typo), along with three related trademark applications. However, the final brand name remains to be determined.

Even before the applications were submitted, well-known Russian rapper Timur Yunusov announced on his Instagram account that he, together with Anton Pinsky, head of the Russian restaurant group Pinskiy&co, and Sindika, a company owned by Russian Senator Arsen Kanokov, had jointly acquired Starbucks’ former assets in Russia and would take full responsibility for subsequent brand operations and management.

In his post, Yunusov stated that he hopes to run the new brand even better than the international chain known for its "mermaid" logo, and publicly invited Russian netizens to join in the brainstorming process for naming the new brand and designing its logo.

It is understood that the new brand name "Sturbucks" was conceived jointly by Yunusov and Pinsky. At the same time, Pinsky also plans to apply for the registration of three trademark options under his own name: "Stars Pinskiy Coffee," "Stars Kanokov Coffee," and "Stars Coffee." These applications have been confirmed by the company responsible for trademark production, but the final option to be adopted has not yet been announced.

Although the brand name and logo are still in the selection stage, the new chain coffee shop has confirmed that it will officially open in mid-August and is expected to allow media visits on August 16. Notably, the brand team initially planned to use a creatively designed Lego bear as the new logo and aimed to overturn the traditional operating model of coffee chains by turning the stores into spaces for singer-fan interaction—even planning to attach each cup of coffee with a singer’s autograph. However, due to the high complexity and workload involved, the idea was ultimately changed to using thermal printing technology for signatures, and the Lego bear logo concept did not materialize.

As for why the Lego bear was ultimately not chosen as the brand’s visual symbol, rumors suggest it may be related to the opinion of a key team member—Senator Kanokov. Although there has been no official confirmation, this decision has sparked considerable discussion among netizens. Public opinion on the new brand name and logo design is divided, with some believing that more elements from the original brand should be retained to maintain customer recognition, while others support a complete overhaul to create a genuinely Russian-style coffee chain.

Overall, the transfer of Starbucks’ Russian assets and the preparation process for the new brand not only reflect the impact of geopolitics on the layout of international brands, but also highlight the innovative attempts of the local team in brand reshaping and market adaptation. Whether the future "Sturbucks" or "Stars Coffee" will succeed in capturing the market is worth keeping an eye on.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.