Who Founded Starbucks?

As of 2010, Starbucks Corporation is the largest coffeehouse chain company in the world. There are Starbucks worldwide, and their many offerings -from black coffee to lattes and frappucinos, have become famous... but how did this all start?

The origin of this beloved coffeehouse began in 1971. Three good friends, Zev Siegl, Jerry Baldwin, and Gordon Bowker opened a small coffee shop, since all three of them were coffee enthusiasts.

They began by selling fresh roasted gourmet coffee beans as well as roasting and brewing accessories. They were originally called Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Spices. Their company was doing quite well. At that time, they were the largest coffee roaster operating in Washington, having six retail outlets running... but when Zev Siegl sold out in 1980, things started to change.

Howard Shultz's Contribution

Although he may not have originally created the idea, understanding who Howard Schultz is is essential to knowing who founded Starbucks. In 1981, Howard Schultz, a plastics salesman, noticed that many plastic drip-brewing thermoses that were being used in Starbucks were from Hammarplast, his manufacturer.

Schultz became a salesman who supported the company as he saw the huge potential in the company and its product. In 1982, he also added something new to the company. With his vast experience of the coffeehouse and espresso culture of Italy, he decided to start developing and brew the same culture in the US.

Coffee House Culture

Baldwin hired Schultz as their marketing head in 1982. Schultz was also sent to Milan to attend and participate in an international housewares show. On this visit, Schultz immediately found himself smitten by the charming coffee culture of Italy. 

He then went to Verona to have his very first taste of a caffe latte. Aside from discovering the many varieties of coffee, he noticed a coffee following who enjoyed sipping their cups of coffee while leisurely chatting with their companions amidst pleasing surroundings. It was a Eureka moment for him. It inspired him to take some of Italy and bringing to the US. He describes his Italian adventure as an epiphany.

He became inspired to create community-gathering places similar to those elegant coffeehouses in Italy. He wouldn’t just be selling coffee, but places and experiences where people can lounge and relax.  By 1983, he had a vision to create that coffee-induced romance brought about by cups of lattes and espressos and wanted to experiment with the concept of selling it by the cup. 

Starbucks Grows

This idea was opposed by the other partners since they conservatively believed that coffee is reserved to be drunk at home. They went their separate ways and Schultz created Il Giornale, the first ever US grown coffee bar chain.

Starbucks decided to sell the business to local investors in 1987. Schultz was able to raise the money through several investments.  Il Giornale was officially changed to Starbucks Corporation, and Schultz converted the six original Starbucks roasting shops into the Italian-inspired coffeehouses he was so infatuated with.

Starting with 17 stores in 1987, Starbucks expanded to other cities such as Vancouver, Chicago, and Portland. The company officially went public in 1992. With its initial debut, they began to grow exponentially. This was something that has never happened in the coffee industry before. The number of outlets grew tenfold across the world, with locations in the US, Singapore, and Japan.

Other Fun Starbucks Facts

• As of 2010 there is a Starbucks outlet in over 40 countries including Oman, Egypt, Peru, Jordan, Greece, and Ireland. 
• Globally, Starbucks Corporation employs over 175,000 people.
• Based on statistics, Starbucks opened a new outlet every workday during the 1990s.
• In 1996, the very first Starbucks to be established outside of the US was opened in Tokyo, Japan.
• The company name originated from the novel, Moby Dick. Starbuck was Captain Ahab’s first mate.
• The current Starbucks logo is modeled after a 15th century Norse woodcut. It is a twin-tailed mermaid, mixoparthenos, or siren which is a familiar character in Greek mythology. The original logo was a topless siren that had a fully-visible double fish tail. The original logo raised some controversy because of the revealing bare chest, however that logo continues to appear in some of their products.