Coffee Information Information Research

Tell a Friend about this Site

Starbucks Coffee History


To summarize something as phenomenonally successful as Starbucks coffee history might be a challenge. Many volumes have been written on the subject, it is examined and taught in business schools, and whole semesters are dedicated to the marketing genius of the company. The amazing success of Starbuck's business model certainly deserves commendation if not adoration in the business world.

The story of Starbucks coffee history begins in Seattle in 1971, when three friends with a passion for fresh coffee, Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker, opened a small shop and began selling fresh-roasted, gourmet coffee beans and brewing and roasting accessories.

In 1980 Zev Siegl sold out to pursue other ventures. By that time Starbucks was the largest roaster in Washington with six retail outlets. In 1981 the small coffee company caught the attention of Howard Schultz, a plastics salesman that noted the large quantity of plastic drip-brewing thermoses that they were buying from Hammarplast, the Swedish manufacturer that Shchultz represented here in the U.S.

In 1982 Starbucks coffee history was changed forever when Baldwin hired the energetic Schultz as the new head of marketing and shortly thereafter sent him to an international housewares show in Milan, Italy in 1983. Schultz found himself infatuated with the vibrant coffee culture of Italy. While in nearby Verona, Schultz had his first caffe' latte' and, as he observed the cafe patrons chatting and laughing joyously while sipping their coffees in the elegant surroundings, inspiration struck.

In what he describes as an epiphany, the idea hit him, "why not create community gathering places like the great coffee house of Italy in the United States?" he wondered. This idea would place Starbucks coffee history into the annuls of business journals for decades to come.

However, his idea was not well received by Baldwin as he wasn't too keen on getting into the restaurant business and distracting him from his original plan of selling whole beans. But he did let him test a small espresso bar in the corner of one of the stores. It was an immediate success and Schultz branched out on his own and opened Il Giornale, a coffee house named after Italy's largest newspaper, 'The Daily'.

In 1987 Starbuck's was up for sale and Schultz raised the $3.8 million by convincing investors of his vision, one hundred and twenty-five outlets in the next five years. Schultz modified the Starbuck's bare-breasted mermaid logo into a more socially acceptable figure, changed the name of Il Giornale to Starbuck's and converted the six existing Starbuck's roasting shops into elegant, comfortable coffee houses. Starbucks coffee history was just was beginning to take shape.

Shultz exceeded his goal of one hundred and twenty-five stores in five years, in 1992 there were 165 cafes in operation. Today there are over 8,000 stores in 30 countries and annual revenues in excess of $7.5 billion.

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

You can find more articles on coffee such as Coffee Breaks, Coffee and Health and Coffee Colonics.


MORE RESOURCES:

Pioneer Square coffee: Cherry Street warned about sidewalk board, Elliott Bay ...
Seattle Times
A city inspector sent warnings this month to Cherry Street Coffee House and three other Pioneer Square businesses, saying their sidewalk boards were ...

and more »


Metro Detroiters wake up and join the Coffee Party
Detroit Free Press
A national grassroots political effort called the Coffee Party has cropped up in metro Detroit. Troy resident Kelly Jones helped create the ...
Quillen: Politics and beveragesDenver Post

all 0 news articles »


India Talkies

Dark coffee 'good for your tummy'
Times of India
Espresso, French roast, and other dark-roasted coffee are not harmful for the tummy as was previously believed because these roasts contain a substance that ...
Strong, dark coffee 'healthier than mild ones', new study findsMetro

all 20 news articles »


GMA news.tv

Barako Coffee, Ginebra triumph
Manila Bulletin
Lucia fakes for a shot against Barako Energy Coffee's Bryan Faundo during the PBA Fiesta Cup's first game last Sunday. (Photo by TONY PIONILLA) Point guard ...
Barako Coffee, Ginebra clinch Fiesta Conference openersArab News
New-look Barako Coffee stuns Sta. LuciaGMA news.tv
Barako, Kings off to awesome startPhilippine Star
ABS CBN News -Business Mirror -Cebu Daily News
all 12 news articles »


US Coffee Drinking 'Stable' Amid Recession, Industry Reports
BusinessWeek
March 20 (Bloomberg) -- US coffee consumption was “essentially unchanged” in the past year, with more Americans drinking at home to control costs ...
US Coffee Consumption Holds SteadyMyFox Washington DC

all 15 news articles »


NDTV.com

Shammi Kapoor tweets Deepika for coffee
NDTV.com
PTI Bollywood beauty Deepika Padukone, who is on Twitter, got the surprise of her life when she was asked for a coffee date by none other than veteran actor ...

and more »


BBC News

CNN Salutes the 'Coffee Party'
FOXNews
I speak of the "Coffee Party" movement which swung into action — of some sort — over the weekend. It was greeted with amazing fanfare... at least on CNN. ...
The Coffee Party kicks off movement to take on the Tea PartyNew York Daily News
Coffee vs. Tea: A political movement is brewingCNN
Legislative focus with tea and coffeeKansas City Star
Christian Science Monitor -CBS News -BBC News
all 425 news articles »


Stafford: Coffee with friend brings memories
Springfield News Sun
There may be better things to do on a gray late winter morning than have coffee with ...

and more »


Inside NoVA

Coffee or Tea? Either Way, It's a Party
NBC Washington
But unlike the Tea Party, the Coffee Party says it wants to be a “game-changer” with civility. And they're not too keen on some of the Tea Party's tactics. ...
First a Tea Party, Now a Coffee PartyBloggingStocks (blog)
Still brewingInside NoVA

all 4 news articles »


MCD's new loos to have coffee houses
Times of India
The complexes will have coffee shops, flower shops, fast-food joints and offices. The civic agency claims it has already been approached by various ...

and more »

Google News



MaineBannerExchange

home | site map
© 2006