Starbucks greeted the opening of a Luckin Coffee outlet in Manhattan by plastering the windows of a vacant store across the street with advertising, highlighting how seriously it is taking the threat from the Chinese competitor.

The front and side of the empty shop at 757 Broadway is covered with the Starbucks Coffee Company logo, glossy photos of a model and beverages, and the message “Hello Summer”. A Starbucks advert flashes on video screens above a subway train exit next to Luckin’s exterior brick wall. 

Starbucks’ marketing campaign cannot be avoided by customers entering the Luckin shop at 755 Broadway, one of two Manhattan stores that opened in June as part of the company’s entry into the US market. More will open in August, a store employee told the Financial Times.