Alsea de CV : enters into discussions to fully license Starbucks operation in France, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg

ALSEA ENTERS INTO DISCUSSIONS TO FULLY LICENSE STARBUCKS OPERATIONS IN FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG

Mexico City, October 18, 2018. Alsea, SAB de C.V. (BMV: ALSEA *) the leading operator of Quick Service Restaurants, Coffee Shops, and Casual Dining establishments in Latin America and Spain announced today that it has entered into advanced discussions with Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) to fully license and acquire its equity stores in France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

The transaction would result in Alsea having the rights to operate and develop Starbucks stores in these countries. The transaction is subject to the consultation process with Starbucks French and Dutch Works Councils, according to the applicable legislation in both countries.

Alsea has been a strategic partner for Starbucks since 2002, when it opened its first coffee shop in Mexico City. As of today, it has more than 900 stores operating in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay, employing more than 11,500 partners (employees) across the five markets. At the close of this transaction, Alsea will expand its relationship with Starbucks outside of Latin America to Europe and will partner with Starbucks in nine key markets globally.

Renzo Casillo, Managing Director of Alsea commented: "We are proud that for the last 16 years, we have helped deliver every day amazing Starbucks experiences to millions of customers in five countries. With this new agreement, which strengthens our strategic relationship with Starbucks, Alsea will increase its store count significantly and we will add another 4 countries where we will further develop this brand. For the last 5 years, we have built a solid base in Europe by successfully entering the Spanish market, which now represents 20% of Alsea's total revenues; this positions Alsea well to pursuit this new opportunity. This initiative is part of our strategic pillar of continuously strengthening the portfolio of brands and countries where Alsea operates. We value having in our portfolio higher participation of developed and stable economies, especially those where the brands we operate have significant potential for growth.

He added: "Through the years, we have learned how to successfully bring the Starbucks experience to diverse consumers in several countries; we have a deep understanding of the company's values as well as the critical relationship between barista and customer which results in the unique and powerful connection that makes Starbucks a preferred brand. We plan to do the same in these geographies leveraging the talent and scale that we have built in the region. We are honored and thankful with the Starbucks leadership for trusting Alsea with this important opportunity. We look forward to finalizing our discussions and working in close partnership with the European team to bring long-term profitable growth."

"We're very pleased to build on our 16-year history with Alsea, a long-term strategic partner to Starbucks, with the intention to license our business operations in France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg," said John Culver, group president, Starbucks International, Channel Development and Global Coffee & Tea. "These strategic moves would enable us to further accelerate growth across these markets as we position Starbucks for long-term success moving forward."

Starbucks opened its first store in Europe 20 years ago, and it has since grown in partnership with strategic licensees to more than 3,200 stores in 43 markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Starbucks opened its first Paris store in 2004 on the iconic Boulevard des Capucines. Subsequently, the brand came to the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg between 2008 and 2016, creating more than 3,100 jobs for partners (employees) at more than 260 stores across the four countries.

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of Alsea and its management with respect to its performance, business and future events. We use words such as "believe", "anticipate", "plan", "expect", "intend", "target", "estimate", "project", "predict", "forecast", "guideline", "should" and other similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements, but they are not the only way we identify such statements. Such statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in this release. Alsea is under no obligation and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revised any forward-looking statements, whether as a results of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 28,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit our stores or online at news.starbucks.com and Starbucks.com.

About Alsea

Alsea is the leading restaurant operator in Latin America and Spain of global brands in the quick service, coffee shop, casual and family dining segments. It has a diversified portfolio, with brands such as Domino's Pizza, Starbucks, Burger King, Chili's, California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Chang's, Italianni's, The Cheesecake Factory, Vips, El Portón, Archie's, Foster's Hollywood, LAVACA and Cañas y Tapas. The company operates more than 3,500 units and has more than 70,000 employees in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay and Spain. Alsea's business model includes support for its brands through a Shared Services Center that provides all the Administrative and Development Processes, as well as the Supply Chain.

For more information, visit:www.alsea.com.mx

Its shares are traded on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ALSEA*

Salvador Villaseñor Barragán

Investor Relations

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