Starbucks is one of the world’s famous and largest coffeehouse chains. Starbucks is famous because, apart from providing irresistible coffee, this place also provides a good atmosphere and ambiance. Despite being overpriced, many feel it is worth it for the quality and ambiance. People say Starbucks gives them a level of superiority and this luxury coffee brand also follows many marketing strategies. This is why Starbucks gained a lot of customers and is popular all over the world.
Starbucks History
Starbucks was first opened on March 31, 1971, near the historic pike place market in Seattle, Washington. Three partners founded Starbucks: Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl. They all met while they were students at the University of San Francisco, and all three love coffee and tea. They wanted to sell high-quality coffee, so they invested and borrowed money to open their first coffee shop and named it “Starbucks,” the name of the chief mate in the classic book Moby-dick.
Alfred Peet, a coffee-roasting entrepreneur who opened his first coffee shop, Peet’s Coffee, in 1966, was the biggest inspiration to the founders of Starbucks. Peet was so successful and changed the expectations of American coffee lovers. He specialized in importing first-rate coffees and teas, so initially, Starbucks purchased green coffee beans from Peet’s. Later the partners purchased a used roaster and experimented with Alfred Peet’s roasting techniques and created their own blend and flavors. Within a decade, Starbucks opened four stores in Seattle and became popular among people for its top-quality and fresh-roasted coffees. One of the partners, Zev Seigal left the company in 1980 to pursue other interests.
When Was the First Starbucks Opened?
- A. 1970
- B. 1971
- C. 1972
- D. 1973
In 1981, Howard Schultz, a sales representative for a Swedish kitchen equipment company, stepped into a Starbuck store. From his first cup, he was impressed with the coffee and the company’s orders, so he decided to pursue a career in Starbucks. He introduced several aspects for the welfare of the company.
Starbucks History Timeline
In 1983, the company sent Howard to Italy to attend an international show. Howard was impressed by cafés in Italy, and he wanted to bring the same Italian coffee house tradition to Starbucks. He wanted the coffee shop to be a place for conversation and a sense of community, in short, the third place between work and office. Baldwin and Bowker didn’t encourage his idea as they did not want Starbucks to deviate from their traditional business. So Howard decided to leave Starbucks and started his brand called II Giornale coffee houses. Within a few years, Howard’s brand became so successful, expanding it in multiple cities. In 1987, Starbucks owners decided to sell, and Schultz purchased it with the help of local investors. Today, Howard is the successful CEO of the world-famous coffee house chain “Starbucks.”