The first Starbucks store opened at Seattle’s Pike Place Market in 1971.
The original shop was founded by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker. It initially sold roasted coffee beans, tea, and spices rather than the espresso-based drinks associated with Starbucks today. Its location at Pike Place Market helped establish the company’s Seattle identity.
The founders chose the name Starbucks after considering ideas connected with the region’s maritime history. Howard Schultz joined the company later and helped transform it into a coffeehouse business modeled partly on Italian cafés. In 1987, Schultz and his investors purchased Starbucks and expanded the café concept.
A common mix-up is treating 1987 as Starbucks’ founding year. That was the year Schultz acquired the company; the original Starbucks shop had already been operating since 1971. The Pike Place location remains a major part of the brand’s history.