Starbucks operations in Singapore is fully licensed to Maxim's Caterers Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong and a leading restaurant operator of multiple brands across Asia. The first Starbucks store opened on 14 December 1996 at Liat Towers, strategically located along the nation's renowned Orchard Road shopping belt. Starbucks coffee houses offer more than the finest coffee sourced from across the globe. Friendly people, great music and a comfortable upbeat meeting place create the famous Starbucks Experience. The layout and atmosphere of Starbucks stores is specifically designed to be cosy and intimate, while at the same time providing people with their own personal space to use as they wish. The combination of sofas, armchairs, coffee tables and chairs, bars and stools, and meeting room tables means that there is something for everyone. Those looking for peace and quiet away from home or the office can relax and linger in a comfortable armchair and escape into a book, whilst those looking for an intimate place to meet friends can huddle on a sofa and chat over a mug of coffee, as they would in their own home.