Canada was Starbucks’ first international market outside the United States.
Starbucks entered Canada in 1987, the same year Howard Schultz and his investors acquired the company. The first Canadian store opened in Vancouver, British Columbia. This expansion occurred before Starbucks moved into markets in Asia, Europe, and other regions.
Canada was a practical first step because of its geographic proximity to the United States and similarities in retail and consumer markets. Starbucks later expanded across the country, making Canada one of the company’s earliest and most important international operations.
Japan is sometimes given as the answer because Tokyo was Starbucks’ first market outside North America, opening in 1996. Those are different milestones. Canada was first outside the United States; Japan was first outside North America. Keeping those geographic definitions separate avoids a common factual mix-up.