Starbucks Coffee History

Here is an article you might enjoy… about the history of Starbucks Coffee. Don't forget to read the coffee articles at Coffee-Makers-Cafe… where you'll find all the info you need to make great coffee at home!

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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.

About the Author
You can find more articles on coffee such as Coffee Breaks, Coffee and Health and Coffee Colonics

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Some more great info from Wikipedia...

Coffee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Coffee as a fertilizer:

Spent coffee grounds are a good fertilizer in gardens because of their high nitrogen content. Coffee grounds also contain potassium, phosphorus and many other trace elements that aid plant development. Many gardeners report that roses love coffee grounds and when furnished with the same become big and colorful. When added to a compost pile, spent coffee grounds compost very rapidly.
Coffee grounds can be obtained inexpensively (usually free) from local coffee shops. Large coffee shop chains may have a policy of composting coffee grounds or giving them away to those who ask."

For more interesting information about coffee and great advice for choosing coffee makers and machines, check out Coffee-Makers-Cafe

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Reading through some coffee artciles this morning when I found this on Wikipedia...

Coffee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Aging
Although not well-known, certain types of coffee improve with age; they obtain a less acidic, more well-balanced flavor. Several coffee producers sell coffee beans that have been aged to 3 years, and there are several specialty stores (such as Toko Aroma in Bandung, Indonesia) which age their green beans to 8 years."

Did you know that?

For more articles about coffee beans, flavoring, blending, etc., check out The Excellent Coffee-Makers-Cafe Coffee Beans Page

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Coffee-Makers-Cafe and the Business Mums Network

You may or may not be aware that Coffee-Makers-Cafe writes a monthly coffee break article for the Aussie-based Business Mums Network. Check out the All ABout Coffee articles.

I'd also like to mention another Business Mum's site... Live It Up! Live It Up! offers fantastic prices on Coffee Machines & Accessories. Click on the logo to check them out...



Live It Up Lifestyle Products is a business based in beautiful Tasmania, Australia. We aim to identify and bring to you effective and enjoyable products that improve and enhance your lifestyle.

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Coffee aficionados scoff at the idea of the processed coffee powder so many of us have come to love. So why should you bother grinding and brewing fresh beans in favour of your beloved instant coffee? There are many reasons. While you don't need to become a coffee expert, you're about to discover four reasons why you should trade your instant coffee for freshly roasted beans…

For more info check out this month's 'light reading' coffee break article about Gourmet Coffee Beans.

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