What Seattle building is the world headquarters of Starbucks?

The Starbucks Center is the Seattle building that serves as Starbucks’ world headquarters.

The complex is in the SoDo neighborhood, at the junction of Utah Avenue South and South Lander Street. Starbucks began moving administrative offices into the former Sears facility in 1993 and moved its headquarters there in 1997, when the building received the Starbucks Center name.

The site has a much older commercial history than the coffee company. Sears constructed parts of the building in the early twentieth century for its mail-order and retail operations; the original structure dates to 1912, with a major addition completed in 1915. After Sears left, the property was redeveloped as the SoDo Center.

A common mix-up is confusing Starbucks Center with a customer-facing flagship or Reserve Roastery. Those are retail destinations, while Starbucks Center is the corporate headquarters and a large multi-tenant office complex. It covers more than 1.8 million square feet and remains a notable Seattle landmark.