Starbucks Coffee U.K. is planning to create thousands of new jobs as it significantly steps up its ‘drive-thru’ program following three years of development and strong customer response to the convenience of Starbucks coffee on-the-go.

The move will see 200 new ‘drive-thru’ stores opened over the next five years and will establish Starbucks as the market leader in this area. Combined with openings of conventional stores over the same period, the company expects to create 5,000 new jobs.

Starbucks currently has nine ‘drive-thrus’, the first opened in Cardiff in 2008. Around half of the drive-thrus will be operated under license by petrol forecourt retailer Euro Garages, many of these stores will be in the Midlands and north of England.

Starbucks is developing a new ‘drive-thru’ concept store which will bring new levels of comfort and environmental performance to the roadside.

Kris Engskov, managing director of Starbucks UK and Ireland, said: "Customers told us that they now expect the best possible coffee wherever they are and the success of our first ‘drive-thru’ stores shows that this is a huge opportunity. It also means that we are able to create quality jobs at a time when they are most needed and because half of our baristas are under 24 years-old, this will particularly benefit young job-seekers at a time of record youth unemployment."