1971 Starbucks opens first store inSeattle’s Pike Place Market.
1982 Howard Schultz joins Starbucks as director of retail
operations and marketing. Starbucks begins providing coffee
to fine restaurants and espresso bars.
1983 Howardtravels toItaly, wherehe’s impressed withthe
popularity of espresso bars in Milan. Hesees the potential to
develop a similar coffeehouse culture in Seattle.
1984 Howard convinces the founders of Starbucks to test the
coffee house concept in downtown Seattle, where the first
Starbucks® Caffè Latte is served. This successful experiment is
the genesis for a company that Schultz founds in1985.
1985 Howard founds Il Giornale, offering brewed coffee and
espresso beverages made from Starbucks®coffeebeans.
1987 Il Giornaleacquires Starbucks assets with the backing of
local investors and changes its name to Starbucks
Corporation. Opens in Chicago and Vancouver, Canada.
Total stores*:17
1988 Offers full health benefits to eligible full‐ and part‐time
employees.
Total stores:33
1989 Total stores:55
1990 Starbucks expands headquarters in Seattle.
Total stores:84
1991 Becomes the first privately owned U.S. company to offer a
stock option program that includes part‐time employees.
Opens first licensed airport store at Seattle’s Sea‐Tac
International Airport.
Total stores: 116
1992 Completes initial public offering (IPO), with common stock
beingtradedonthe NASDAQ National Market under the
trading symbol SBUX.
Total stores:165
1993 Opens roasting plantin Kent, Wash.
Announces first two‐for‐one stock split.
Total stores:272
1994 Total stores:425
1995 Begins serving Frappuccino®blended beverages.
Introduces Starbucks®super‐premium ice cream.
Announces second two‐for‐one stock split.
Opens roasting facility in York,Pa.
Total stores:677
1996 Begins sellingbottled Frappuccino® coffee drink through
North American Coffee Partnership (Starbucks and Pepsi‐
Cola North America).
Opens stores in: Japan (first store outside of North America)
and Singapore.
Total stores: 1,015
1997 Establishes The Starbucks Foundation, benefiting local
literacy programs.
Opens stores in: the Philippines.
Total stores:1,412
1998 Acquires Tazo, a tea company based in Portland, Ore.
Extends the Starbucks brand into grocery channels
across theU.S.
Launches Starbucks.com.
Opens stores in: Malaysia, NewZealand, Taiwan, Thailand
and U.K.
Total stores:1,886
1999 Partners with Conservation International to promote
sustainable coffee‐growing practices.
Acquires Hear Music, a San Francisco–based music
company.
Announces third two‐for‐one stock split.
Opens stores in: China, Kuwait, Lebanon and South Korea.
Total stores:2,498
2000 Howard Schultz transitions to chairman and chiefglobal
strategist, Orin Smith promoted to president and chief
executiveofficer.
Establishes licensing agreement with Trans Fair USA to sell
Fair trade certified coffee in U.S. and Canada.
Opens stores in: Australia, Bahrain, HongKong, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
Total stores:3,501
Starbucks Company Timeline
2001 Introduces ethical coffee‐sourcing guidelines developed in
partnership with Conservation International.
Introduces the Starbucks Card, an innovative stored‐value
card for customers to use and reload.
Announces fourth two‐for‐one stock split.
Opens stores in: Austria and Switzerland.
Total stores:4,709
2002 Starbucksenters into licensing agreements with national
Fair Trade organizations to sell Fair trade certified coffee in
the countries where Starbucks does business.
Establishes Starbucks Coffee Trading Company (SCTC) in
Lausanne, Switzerland.
Opens stores in: Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Mexico
Oman, Puerto Rico and Spain.
Total stores:5,886
2003 Acquires Seattle Coffee Company, which includes Seattle’s
Best Coffee and Torre fazione Italia coffee brands.
Opens roasting facility in Carson Valley, Nev., and
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Opens stores in: Chile, Cyprus, Peru and Turkey.
Total stores: 7,225
2004 Opens first Farmer Support Center in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Releases Ray Charles, Genius Loves Company CD through a
collaboration with Concord Records.
Introduces Starbucks Coffee Master Program.
Opens stores in: France.
Total stores:8,569
2005 Jim Donald becomes president and chief executive officer to
replaceretiring Orin Smith.
Acquires Ethos Water.
Announces fifth two‐for‐one stock split.
Opens stores in: Bahamas, Ireland and Jordan.
Total stores:10,241
2006 Launches the industry’s first paper beverage cup
containing post‐consumer recycled fiber, saving
more than 75,000 trees each year.
Opens stores in: Brazil and Egypt.
Total stores:12,440
2007 Eliminates all artificial trans fat and makes 2 percent milk
the new standard for espresso beverages in all U.S. stores as
part of commitment to health and wellness.
Opens stores in:Romania and Russia.
Total stores: 15,011
2008 Chairman Howard Schultz returns as chief executive
officer.
Acquires Coffee Equipmen tCompanyanditsClover®
brewing system.
Launches MyStarbucks Idea, Starbucks first online
community.
Announces Starbucks™Shared Planet™ ,the company’s
long‐term commitment to conducting business responsibly.
Expands partnership with Conservation International for
work on ethical sourcing and climate change.
Launches Pike Place Roast TM**, which quickly becomes
Starbucks top‐selling coffee.
Opens stores in: Argentina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and
Portugal.
Total stores:16,680
2009 LaunchesStarbucksVIA™ReadyBrewCoffee.
OpensEastAfricaFarmerSupportCenterinKigali,Rwanda.
Starbuckspartnerswith(RED)™tohelpsavelives inAfrica.
Starbucksnamedonofthemostengagedbrandinsocial
media.LaunchesmyStarbucksandStarbucksCardiPhone
appsandStarbucksCardMobilepayment.
Opens stores in:PolandandAruba.
Total stores: 16,635
2010 Expands digital offerings for customers with free
unlimitedWi‐Fi, Starbucks Digital Network inU.S.
stores.
Seattle’s Best Coffee reinvents business strategy to
extend brand’s reach.
Expands coffee offerings with ultra‐premium Starbucks
Reserve™ line and Starbucks®Natural Fusions, the first
nationally‐branded naturally‐flavored packaged coffee
Announces first Asia Farmer Support Centerin Yunnan
Province, China.
Opens stores in:Hungary and El Salvador.
Total stores: 16,858
* All store counts reflect end of fiscal year for company‐owned stores
** (PikePlaceisatrademarkofthePikePlaceMarketPDA,usedunderlicense).
© 2022 STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1971 Starbucks opens first store inSeattle’s Pike Place Market.
1982 Howard Schultz joins Starbucks as director of retail
operations and marketing. Starbucks begins providing coffee
to fine restaurants and espresso bars.
1983 Howardtravels toItaly, wherehe’s impressed withthe
popularity of espresso bars in Milan. Hesees the potential to
develop a similar coffeehouse culture in Seattle.
1984 Howard convinces the founders of Starbucks to test the
coffee house concept in downtown Seattle, where the first
Starbucks® Caffè Latte is served. This successful experiment is
the genesis for a company that Schultz founds in1985.
1985 Howard founds Il Giornale, offering brewed coffee and
espresso beverages made from Starbucks®coffeebeans.
1987 Il Giornaleacquires Starbucks assets with the backing of
local investors and changes its name to Starbucks
Corporation. Opens in Chicago and Vancouver, Canada.
Total stores*:17
1988 Offers full health benefits to eligible full‐ and part‐time
employees.
Total stores:33
1989 Total stores:55
1990 Starbucks expands headquarters in Seattle.
Total stores:84
1991 Becomes the first privately owned U.S. company to offer a
stock option program that includes part‐time employees.
Opens first licensed airport store at Seattle’s Sea‐Tac
International Airport.
Total stores: 116
1992 Completes initial public offering (IPO), with common stock
beingtradedonthe NASDAQ National Market under the
trading symbol SBUX.
Total stores:165
1993 Opens roasting plantin Kent, Wash.
Announces first two‐for‐one stock split.
Total stores:272
1994 Total stores:425
1995 Begins serving Frappuccino®blended beverages.
Introduces Starbucks®super‐premium ice cream.
Announces second two‐for‐one stock split.
Opens roasting facility in York,Pa.
Total stores:677
1996 Begins sellingbottled Frappuccino® coffee drink through
North American Coffee Partnership (Starbucks and Pepsi‐
Cola North America).
Opens stores in: Japan (first store outside of North America)
and Singapore.
Total stores: 1,015
1997 Establishes The Starbucks Foundation, benefiting local
literacy programs.
Opens stores in: the Philippines.
Total stores:1,412
1998 Acquires Tazo, a tea company based in Portland, Ore.
Extends the Starbucks brand into grocery channels
across theU.S.
Launches Starbucks.com.
Opens stores in: Malaysia, NewZealand, Taiwan, Thailand
and U.K.
Total stores:1,886
1999 Partners with Conservation International to promote
sustainable coffee‐growing practices.
Acquires Hear Music, a San Francisco–based music
company.
Announces third two‐for‐one stock split.
Opens stores in: China, Kuwait, Lebanon and South Korea.
Total stores:2,498
2000 Howard Schultz transitions to chairman and chiefglobal
strategist, Orin Smith promoted to president and chief
executiveofficer.
Establishes licensing agreement with Trans Fair USA to sell
Fair trade certified coffee in U.S. and Canada.
Opens stores in: Australia, Bahrain, HongKong, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
Total stores:3,501
Starbucks Company Timeline
2001 Introduces ethical coffee‐sourcing guidelines developed in
partnership with Conservation International.
Introduces the Starbucks Card, an innovative stored‐value
card for customers to use and reload.
Announces fourth two‐for‐one stock split.
Opens stores in: Austria and Switzerland.
Total stores:4,709
2002 Starbucksenters into licensing agreements with national
Fair Trade organizations to sell Fair trade certified coffee in
the countries where Starbucks does business.
Establishes Starbucks Coffee Trading Company (SCTC) in
Lausanne, Switzerland.
Opens stores in: Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Mexico
Oman, Puerto Rico and Spain.
Total stores:5,886
2003 Acquires Seattle Coffee Company, which includes Seattle’s
Best Coffee and Torre fazione Italia coffee brands.
Opens roasting facility in Carson Valley, Nev., and
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Opens stores in: Chile, Cyprus, Peru and Turkey.
Total stores: 7,225
2004 Opens first Farmer Support Center in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Releases Ray Charles, Genius Loves Company CD through a
collaboration with Concord Records.
Introduces Starbucks Coffee Master Program.
Opens stores in: France.
Total stores:8,569
2005 Jim Donald becomes president and chief executive officer to
replaceretiring Orin Smith.
Acquires Ethos Water.
Announces fifth two‐for‐one stock split.
Opens stores in: Bahamas, Ireland and Jordan.
Total stores:10,241
2006 Launches the industry’s first paper beverage cup
containing post‐consumer recycled fiber, saving
more than 75,000 trees each year.
Opens stores in: Brazil and Egypt.
Total stores:12,440
2007 Eliminates all artificial trans fat and makes 2 percent milk
the new standard for espresso beverages in all U.S. stores as
part of commitment to health and wellness.
Opens stores in:Romania and Russia.
Total stores: 15,011
2008 Chairman Howard Schultz returns as chief executive
officer.
Acquires Coffee Equipmen tCompanyanditsClover®
brewing system.
Launches MyStarbucks Idea, Starbucks first online
community.
Announces Starbucks™Shared Planet™ ,the company’s
long‐term commitment to conducting business responsibly.
Expands partnership with Conservation International for
work on ethical sourcing and climate change.
Launches Pike Place Roast TM**, which quickly becomes
Starbucks top‐selling coffee.
Opens stores in: Argentina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and
Portugal.
Total stores:16,680
2009 LaunchesStarbucksVIA™ReadyBrewCoffee.
OpensEastAfricaFarmerSupportCenterinKigali,Rwanda.
Starbuckspartnerswith(RED)™tohelpsavelives inAfrica.
Starbucksnamedonofthemostengagedbrandinsocial
media.LaunchesmyStarbucksandStarbucksCardiPhone
appsandStarbucksCardMobilepayment.
Opens stores in:PolandandAruba.
Total stores: 16,635
2010 Expands digital offerings for customers with free
unlimitedWi‐Fi, Starbucks Digital Network inU.S.
stores.
Seattle’s Best Coffee reinvents business strategy to
extend brand’s reach.
Expands coffee offerings with ultra‐premium Starbucks
Reserve™ line and Starbucks®Natural Fusions, the first
nationally‐branded naturally‐flavored packaged coffee
Announces first Asia Farmer Support Centerin Yunnan
Province, China.
Opens stores in:Hungary and El Salvador.
Total stores: 16,858
* All store counts reflect end of fiscal year for company‐owned stores
** (PikePlaceisatrademarkofthePikePlaceMarketPDA,usedunderlicense).
© 2022 STARBUCKS COFFEE COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
