Who were the three original founders of Starbucks?
Starbucks was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin (an English teacher), Zev Siegl (a history teacher), and Gordon Bowker (a writer and advertising copywriter). The three met while attending the University of San Francisco in the 1960s and bonded over a shared passion for literature, fine food, and gourmet coffee.
Why did the founders open a coffee business in Seattle in 1971?
In the early 1970s, the American coffee market was dominated by stale, low-grade canned Robusta coffee from Maxwell House and Folgers. The founders had tasted freshly roasted Arabica coffee at Alfred Peet's shop in Berkeley, California, and were convinced that Seattle food lovers would pay a premium for high-grade whole bean roasted coffee.
How did Alfred Peet mentor the founders and launch their first store?
Alfred Peet trained Jerry Baldwin and Zev Siegl in his Berkeley roasting plant, teaching them how to evaluate green coffee origins and roast dark European styles. During Starbucks' first year, Peet roasted green beans in Berkeley and shipped them to Seattle for Starbucks to sell, until the founders bought a used Dutch roasting machine.
How did the founders divide initial responsibilities at Starbucks?
Zev Siegl was the only paid employee initially, opening the Pike Place store and serving customers at the counter. Jerry Baldwin managed bookkeeping, financial accounts, and roasting schedules, while Gordon Bowker contributed marketing, typography, and brand naming concepts.
What other company names did the founders consider before "Starbucks"?
Gordon Bowker's advertising partner, Terry Heckler, suggested that words beginning with "St" had acoustic power. Bowker considered naming the company "Cargo House" and "Pequod" (the whaling ship in Moby-Dick), but Heckler remembered an old mining town on Mount Rainier named "Starbo," which led Bowker to think of Starbuck, the chief mate in Moby-Dick.
What was the original 1971 Starbucks logo and what did it depict?
The original logo was a brown, uncropped woodcut of a bare-breasted, twin-tailed siren (mermaid) from a 16th-century Norse print, enclosed in a circle reading "Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spices." It was designed to evoke the maritime romance and global trade routes that brought exotic spices and coffee to port cities.
Why did the founders resist serving brewed coffee beverages by the cup?
The founders viewed themselves strictly as artisanal whole-bean coffee merchants. They believed that selling liquid coffee drinks was an operational distraction that turned specialty gourmet roasteries into cheap fast-food lunch counters, insisting that customers should brew coffee at home.
When and why did Zev Siegl leave Starbucks?
Zev Siegl left Starbucks in 1980 to pursue other entrepreneurial ventures. He became a prominent business consultant, founder of Quartermaine Coffee Roasters in Washington, D.C., and an international speaker on startup mentorship.
What was the founders' acquisition of Peet's Coffee & Tea in 1984?
In 1984, Jerry Baldwin led Starbucks to acquire Peet's Coffee & Tea from their mentor Alfred Peet. The acquisition took on significant debt, stretching Starbucks' financial resources and dividing Baldwin's attention between Seattle and San Francisco.
Why did Jerry Baldwin and Gordon Bowker sell Starbucks to Howard Schultz in 1987?
Overwhelmed by managing both Starbucks in Seattle and Peet's in the Bay Area, Baldwin and Bowker decided to focus exclusively on Peet's. In August 1987, they sold the Starbucks retail stores, roasting plant, and brand name to Howard Schultz for $3.8 million.
What became of Jerry Baldwin after selling Starbucks?
Jerry Baldwin served as Chairman of Peet's Coffee & Tea for decades, taking Peet's public in 2001 and establishing the specialty coffee industry standards through the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), earning the Lifetime Achievement Award.
What other famous beverage company did co-founder Gordon Bowker launch?
Alongside Starbucks, Gordon Bowker co-founded Redhook Ale Brewery in Seattle in 1981, pioneering the Pacific Northwest craft microbrewing revolution and proving his extraordinary knack for consumer brand creation.