This should be welcome news for all the coffee lovers out there. And I feel a sense of pride sharing something that is just down the road from me (relatively speaking). On this date in 1971, the first Starbucks opened. It opened at Pike Place market in Seattle, Washington. I had no idea that the name came from the first mate in Moby Dick, Starbuck. The original partners were English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegl, and writer Gordon Bowker. Alfred Peet was their inspiration because he sold high-quality coffee beans. Howard Schultz joined the team in the 1980’s, and that is when things really began expanding (he became director of retail operations and marketing). I’m sure glad it’s still around–even if it has become rather expensive. I tend to still prefer local coffee shops, but in my city, Starbucks cannot be beat. I have to go elsewhere to get the better, less expensive coffee.
For more info:
http://www.studymode.com/essays/Starbucks-P-s-755058.html
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/starbucks.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbucks
http://famousdaily.com/history/first-starbucks-opens-seattle.html
