Howard Schultz acquired Starbucks in 1987 when the company had six stores.
Starbucks began as a small Seattle coffee-bean retailer founded by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker. Schultz joined the company in 1982 after becoming interested in the Italian coffee-bar model, and he later bought Starbucks after the founders decided to sell.
At the time of the acquisition, Starbucks remained a very small regional business with six locations. Schultz then expanded the company around the idea of serving espresso beverages in a welcoming café environment.
The number is sometimes confused with Starbucks’ later store counts because the company expanded rapidly after 1987. Its growth from six stores into a global chain is central to the company’s corporate history.