Who founded Starbucks with Jerry Baldwin and Zev Siegl in 1971?

Gordon Bowker founded Starbucks with Jerry Baldwin and Zev Siegl in 1971.

The three founders opened the first Starbucks store in Seattle. Bowker was a writer and entrepreneur, Baldwin had experience in education and coffee roasting, and Siegl was a teacher and entrepreneur. Their original business focused on selling high-quality roasted coffee beans, tea, and spices.

Howard Schultz was not one of the three original founders. He joined Starbucks in 1982 after noticing the company during a visit to Seattle. Schultz later left to establish the Il Giornale coffeehouse company, then acquired Starbucks in 1987 and expanded the café model internationally.

This history creates a frequent confusion between founding and later leadership. Bowker, Baldwin, and Siegl founded the company; Schultz became the major architect of its modern coffeehouse expansion after purchasing it.