Starbucks

Starbucks has become a symbol of the modern specialty coffee movement and a “hip” lifestyle. Starbucks coffee bars have opened in small towns and major cities alike, first in America, then around the world. Starbucks began in 1971 as one of many grassroots batch-roasting firms started by idealistic, dedicated baby boomers rediscovering the joys of coffee made from freshly roasted, high-quality arabica beans. Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegel, three Seattle friends, modeled the first Starbucks store on the Peet’s Coffee and Tea shop in Berkeley, California. By the time Siegel sold out in 1980, Starbucks had six retail outlets and was selling beans wholesale to restaurants and supermarkets.