Orin Smith Strong Quotations

We are extremely pleased with our strong second-quarter results. We are on track to achieve our fiscal 2001 split-adjusted earnings per share target of $0.46 and are as enthusiastic as ever about the company's long-term growth potential.

During the second quarter, all areas of our business, from our retail operations both domestically and internationally, to our specialty businesses delivered strong financial performance, ... Additionally, innovation was prevalent throughout the company and we believe recently announced initiatives combined with our core retail business provide a powerful platform for future growth.

Our third-quarter financial results demonstrate the ongoing strength of our business, ... Starbucks operations are functioning at a more sophisticated level than ever before. Our consistently strong performance positions us well to achieve our aggressive fiscal 2005 goals -- including an acceleration of store growth as we pursue the Company's expanding global opportunity.