In what year was Starbucks founded?

Starbucks was founded in 1971.

Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker opened the company in Seattle, Washington, on March 30, 1971. The original business sold roasted coffee beans and coffee-making equipment rather than the espresso-based drinks most customers now associate with Starbucks.

The first store operated at 2000 Western Avenue before moving to 1912 Pike Place, the location widely known as the Original Starbucks. The founders were inspired by coffee educator and roaster Alfred Peet, whose approach influenced the company’s early focus on high-quality beans.

A common mix-up is 1987, the year Howard Schultz acquired Starbucks and transformed it into a rapidly expanding coffeehouse business. Starbucks had already existed for 16 years by then. Schultz’s leadership changed the company’s retail model and growth, but it did not mark the founding date.