As lifelong caffeine fiends, we are just amazed as Howard Schultz that this American invention of a fern bar selling veinte-sized cups (20 ounces) of coffee and muffins nearly the size of your head would succeed anywhere but in the States. We’re also surprised seeing Dunkin’ Donuts across central Europe, but that’s another discussion. Coffee drinkers in other countries like what Starbucks offers.

This global acceptance is good news for Starbucks shareholders — and for anyone thinking about international markets. Total net revenues for the U.S. in Starbucks second quarter of fiscal 2005 increased 21% over the same quarter in 2004. International sales rose even more over the previous year — 31%.

This higher-than-at-home growth has motivated Starbucks to push international expansion. The president of Starbucks Coffee International said in a news conference on 20 May that the company’s long-term goal was to have 30,000 stores — half in the U.S., half outside with a high percentage in traditionally tea-drinking China. This year Starbucks will open around 1,175 stores in the U.S. and 425 in other countries. It already operates or franchises more than 300 stores in greater China and inspires local imitators. On a speaking trip to Taipei last fall for an APEC conference we noted that many Taiwanese coffee shops have copied the round shape or green coloring of Starbucks’ logo in local homage to a successful global brand.