Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker opened Starbucks in Seattle in 1971.
The three founders were influenced by Alfred Peet, whose Berkeley coffee shop helped introduce them to high-quality roasted coffee. Starbucks opened its first store at Seattle’s Pike Place Market on March 30, 1971. The original business primarily sold roasted coffee beans, tea, and equipment rather than the broad café menu associated with Starbucks today.
The name Starbucks was inspired by the novel Moby-Dick and its maritime setting. The company’s first store used a two-tailed siren logo, a visual identity that evolved over time.
Howard Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982 and later acquired the company in 1987, expanding its espresso-bar model. Schultz was therefore central to Starbucks’ growth, but he was not one of the three founders who opened the first store.