Howard Schultz joined Starbucks as director of marketing in 1982.
Before joining the company, Schultz worked for Hammarplast, a Swedish housewares business. A visit to Milan exposed him to Italian espresso bars, where coffee shops functioned as social gathering places. He believed Starbucks could adapt that model in the United States.
The original Starbucks owners were initially focused mainly on selling coffee beans and equipment. Schultz eventually left to start his own coffee business, Il Giornale, in 1986. In 1987, he bought Starbucks and combined the businesses under the Starbucks name.
The year 1982 is therefore earlier than Schultz’s ownership of the company. His joining date marks the beginning of his direct involvement, not the acquisition itself.