Which coffee company was founded in Seattle in 1971?

Which coffee company was founded in Seattle in 1971? Starbucks. Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker opened the first Starbucks on March 30, 1971, at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. The company initially sold roasted coffee beans, tea, and equipment rather than the espresso drinks most customers associate with the brand today.

The founders were influenced by Alfred Peet, whose Berkeley coffee business helped popularize premium roasted coffee in the United States. Starbucks bought green coffee beans from Peet’s during its first two years, before developing its own roasting operation. The name “Starbucks” was inspired partly by Starbuck, the chief mate in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick.

A frequent mix-up is crediting Howard Schultz as a founder. Schultz joined the company in 1982 and later helped transform it into a coffeehouse business serving espresso beverages. He bought the company in 1987, after which Starbucks expanded aggressively beyond Seattle. The original store moved from Western Avenue to 1912 Pike Place in 1976.