| When we think of Starbucks today we think of one | | | | was meant to be brewed and enjoyed at home. They |
| thing coffee. Or more specifically some form of | | | | did let him try out a small bar within the store but while |
| Mocha Latte or Frappuccino. Although many coffee | | | | successful they decided not to pursue it further. |
| companies have done fairly well in their own right | | | | Howard Schultz on the other hand had different ideas. |
| during the last decade and a half Starbucks is by far | | | | Seeing that he was not going to get anywhere with |
| the leader of the pack. And what started as a small | | | | the owners of Starbucks he decided to pursue the |
| unknown coffee shop in Seattle, Washington in 1971 | | | | concept himself. So he opened Il Giornale in 1985. His |
| has grown into the global leader of coffee today. All | | | | small chain soon proved to be successful but it wasn't |
| because of the vision of one man Howard Schultz. | | | | until about two years later that his real opportunity |
| Now to be perfectly clear about this Howard Schultz | | | | came knocking. The founders of Starbucks were |
| is the man that had the vision of what Starbucks could | | | | looking to sell. A short while back they had bought |
| become but he is not the founder of Starbucks. That | | | | Peet's Coffee & Tea which was their original |
| title actually belongs to three other men. The three | | | | inspiration and they wanted to focus on it. Soon after |
| men are Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel, and Gordon | | | | buying Starbucks Howard Schultz changed his Il |
| Bowker and they are the actual founders of | | | | Giornale stores into Starbucks locations as well. |
| Starbucks. Now the original Starbucks was a bit | | | | From there everyone pretty much knows what |
| different than it is today. The three founders actually | | | | happened. Today Starbucks is considered the leader in |
| opened their store so that they could sell just coffee | | | | coffee. They not only sell drinks directly to the public |
| beans. Their inspiration actually came from another | | | | but sell coffee beans as well which is somewhat ironic. |
| store called Peet's Coffee & Tea which they | | | | They now operate over 15,000 locations in 44 different |
| would later buy. | | | | countries. Just about everywhere you go you can find |
| It wasn't until 1982 that Howard Schultz joined the | | | | the Starbucks logo on a street corner somewhere. It |
| company as the director of marketing. And while on a | | | | really is amazing how far they have come in a |
| trip to Milan, Italy he learned of the Italian coffee bars. | | | | relatively short period of time. And if not because of |
| Once he returned from his trip he tried to convince the | | | | the persistence and perseverance of one particular |
| owners that they needed to start offering traditional | | | | person the idea may have never even got off the |
| espresso beverages. The owners weren't particularly | | | | ground. |
| keen on the idea though as they thought that coffee | | | | |