Starbucks had its initial public offering in 1992.
The IPO took place on June 26, 1992, when Starbucks began trading its common stock publicly. At the time, the company had 140 outlets and reported revenue of about $73.5 million, a dramatic increase from its 1987 revenue of $1.3 million.
Starbucks sold approximately 12% of the company in the offering, raising about $25 million. That capital helped finance rapid expansion, including a doubling of the store count over the following two years. The IPO also marked the beginning of Starbucks as a widely traded public corporation.
A common mix-up is confusing the IPO with later milestones, such as Starbucks' 1994 acquisition of The Coffee Connection or the 1995 introduction of the Frappuccino under the Starbucks name. The offering year itself was 1992.