It’s undeniable that Starbucks is a well-known cafe in the world. It’s available in many countries, and it’s popular even with those who are not fans of coffee.
Starbucks is also the go-to cafe for most coffee enthusiasts because it uses authentic recipes and high-quality coffee beans.
If you’re a fan of Starbucks cafe, have you ever wondered about Starbucks’ history?
Like when did it start? Who founded it? How about its background and origin?
If you are curious about those questions, you’ve come to the right place because, in this article, we will talk about the whole of Starbucks’ history and the other things we need to know about this cafe.
So let’s get into it.
Starbucks History
Starbucks began on the busy street of Seattle’s pike place market, where its first store was in 1971. The Starbucks idea was from Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl.
These founders love coffee enough to think of opening a coffee shop they never knew will be a worldwide popular cafe.
They came up with the name “Starbucks” from a novel by Herman Melville called “Moby-dick.” There, they started to sell fresh roasted coffee beans and coffee makers.
Starbucks wanted to ensure that the coffee beans, tea, and spices they were selling were authentic and first-class.
That’s why Alfred Peetm, the owner of Peet’s Coffee and Tea and a Dutch immigrant importing fine Arabica beans to the United States, became their supplier of green coffee beans.
A new milestone
Howard Schultz, a New Yorker, joined the Starbucks family in 1982 after becoming fascinated not only with coffee but also with Starbucks itself.
During that time, he was hired as the head of marketing at Starbucks.
He was inspired to make a significant change in Starbucks coffee after visiting Italy and seeing the coffee house concept there.
Schultz proposed that instead of selling coffee beans, tea, spices, and coffee maker equipment, they should start selling espresso-based drinks.
However, the remaining owners of Starbucks (since Siegl’s withdrawal in 1980) appear to be dissatisfied with Schultz’s proposed changes.
Unable to convince them, Schultz left Starbucks and started his own coffee business venture called IL Giornale, which also became successful.
Later on, Baldwin and Bowker decided to sell the business, and Schultz, without hesitation, bought the company from them, and that’s where the new story of Starbucks began.
Since he’s now the owner, he started to implement his plans for Starbucks all along. He combined his existing business and Starbucks as a result of a coffee house that became popular as we know it today.
He’s also the one who changed the color of the Starbucks coffee company from brown to green.
Starbucks coffee did not stop with the standard roasted coffee on its menu.
They gradually began to improve their menu as the Starbucks corporation expanded with a large number of Starbucks stores all over the world, beginning with the Chicago Starbucks, Vancouver, Canada, California, Washington D.C., New York, and others.
Starbucks Logo
Logos are important as the sign and trademark of a business. If you’re a fan of Starbucks coffee, you might be familiar with its logo.
I decided to talk about it because I am also wondering how they came up with their logo and what’s the meaning behind it.
Starbucks’ first logo was brown and circular with a drawing of a seductive siren, implying that Starbucks seduces coffee lovers.
“Starbucks. Coffee, Tea, Spices” was written on the side of the circular logo.
Since Howard Schultz merged his newly bought business and his existing one, he also decided to merge its logos.
IL Giornale has a green circular logo that portrays the Roman God Mercury.
As a result, Terry Heckler, the logo creator, came out with the Starbucks logo we’re seeing today.
He still used the concept of the siren from the original Starbucks logo but covered the chest with the siren’s hair to make it less seductive.
The green circle in the logo was from IL Giornale. It was then named “Starbucks Coffee”.
When did Starbucks become popular?
Similar to what has already been stated. Starbucks’ new concept provided numerous opportunities for the company to become a well-known cafe.
Starbucks became even more popular four years after its reintroduction and began to have a number of stores in Seattle and in North America in 1996. As of 2022, there are 34,317 Starbucks stores and licensed store Starbucks kiosks around the world.
Starbucks is now popular by selling not just high-quality coffee beans/green coffee beans but also espresso-based drinks.
Aside from that, they also serve frappes, juices, and snacks, making it the go-to place for those who love coffee and pastries.
Indeed, the Starbucks brand is the most popular in the coffee industry!
5 facts about Starbucks that you may never heard before!
Now that we know the history of Starbucks and how it evolved over time, let’s get to know it even more by discussing 5 facts about Starbucks Stores.
1. Starbucks has its own coffee farm
Yes, you read it right. Starbucks has its own coffee farm. It’s called the Hacienda Alsacia and it’s located in San Jose, Costa Rica.
It’s a 240-hectare farm where they plant and grow their own coffee beans. It also serves as their Research and Development facility.
A lot of coffee farmers have been given the opportunity to work on their farms, and they’re not just there to work but to be trained on how to produce quality coffee beans with the help of their Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices.
In addition, Starbucks also operates 8 farmer support centers and 1 satellite agronomy office. They acknowledge that the key to a better cup of coffee is the quality of the beans.
That’s why they’re so invested in producing high-quality coffee beans for the coffee industry.
Starbucks opened Hacienda Alsacia for visitors. If you want to take a look and visit their farm in Costa Rica, you can visit their website for more information regarding the exact location.
2. There’s the world’s largest Starbucks
Starbucks opened the world’s largest store in Chicago – The Starbucks Reserve Roastery.
This five-story Starbucks store was settled on 35,000 square feet of land. It’s massive compared to other stores that you typically see.
There, they serve freshly roasted coffee beans roasted on-site so you can enjoy your coffee more. They also have a wide variety of food and pastries to choose from.
There are a lot of things to do at Starbucks Reserve Roastery.
Visiting there won’t only take you to a cup of coffee but also to a little tour where you can see the different spaces, the interiors, and the different vibes on each floor.
3. 87,000 possible drink combination
Starbucks doesn’t limit its offering to what’s written on its menu.
There are a lot of coffee combinations in the world, and it could be hard for them to write it all in.
So don’t worry if your favorite variety of coffee drinks is not written up there.
Starbucks baristas are open for special orders where you can describe to them the combination of coffee you want to have, and they will do it for you.
You have to know exactly what you like and give a reference if possible.
4. The black apron
Have you ever seen a Starbucks barista who wears a black apron?
If you have, then you must be wondering, what is the difference between the black and the normal green aprons that a typical barista wears?
They are the ones who have completed the coffee master program and gained coffee expertise. They know everything there is to know about coffee.
So, if your coffee was made by a barista wearing a black apron, it would undoubtedly be extra delicious.
5. Starbucks owns a record label
Starbucks also has its own record label called Hear Music.
It may seem very far from a coffee house to a record label, but Starbucks wants to improve the experience of the customers in their cafe by making sure that they hear great music that adds different vibes and moods to the environment.
Conclusion
Behind every successful business, a venture is a history. And behind every successful coffee shop is great coffee beans.
Many Starbucks fans aren’t really familiar with the story behind their favorite Starbucks store.
It’s still good to know it, even though it doesn’t seem relevant today.
The story of its success is inspiring, and although Starbucks also went through a lot throughout the years, especially during this pandemic, they remain the most popular coffee house in the world.
FAQs
How many Starbucks are in the U.S.?
Starbucks has a number of stores in the U.S. As of 2022, Starbucks has 15,778 stores in the United States, with California having the most, with 3,050 stores.
Where is the first Starbucks store?
The first Starbucks store was located in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Before, Starbucks stores sold just coffee beans and coffee maker equipment and not espresso-based beverages.
Is Starbucks the largest coffee chain in the world?
Yes. Starbucks is the largest coffee chain in the world.
How long has Starbucks been around?
Since 1971. The first store was opened in Seattle’s Pike Place market.