At which Seattle landmark did the first Starbucks store open in 1971?

The first Starbucks store opened at Pike Place Market in Seattle in 1971.

The original shop was established by Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Zev Siegl, who began by selling roasted coffee beans, tea, and spices rather than preparing the espresso drinks now associated with the brand. Pike Place Market gave the young business a prominent location in Seattle’s historic waterfront district.

The company later moved its original storefront nearby, but the Pike Place connection remains central to Starbucks history. The market itself was founded in 1907 and is one of Seattle’s best-known public markets.

People sometimes confuse the first store with Starbucks’ later corporate headquarters or its first café-style expansion. The 1971 Pike Place shop was the company’s starting point and was primarily a retail coffee-bean store.