This Idea from Starbucks Still Matters 35,000 Stores Later
How Starbucks Became A Coffee Empire
Howard Schultz was born on July 19, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in a modest environment. Driven by ambition, he embarked on a journey in the corporate world.
Even though his LinkedIn profile says otherwise, he initially started working for the Xerox Corporation in 1976. Three years later he was recruited as a general manager of Hammarplast.
Among other kitchen utensils, Hammarplast was also manufacturing plastic cone filters. As fate had it, he visited the Starbucks Coffee Company in Seattle to fill their plastic cone filter orders.
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As he walked in through the doors, he was instantly captivated by the rich aroma and flavour of the coffee. One year later he moved to Seattle and joined the company as director of operations and marketing.
A year later, in 1983, he visited Milan and fell in love with the coffee culture Italians have. He wanted to replicate that back in America. But the owners of Starbucks deemed it too expensive and the drinks too novel, so he left and started his own shop.
He raised $400,000 to open Il Giornale. It had a simple mission — to offer the best coffee on Earth. Within two years, he had three stores up and running.
One fateful morning in March 1987, an opportunity presented itself. Starbucks’ founders decided to sell the company.
The rest is history.
One Lesson from Howard Schultz
Pay attention to what people value.
Presently, the brand proudly operates nearly 35,000 stores globally, and expects to approach 45,000 stores by the end of 2025.
However, it all started with one store.
It was during his fateful trip to Milan that Howard observed how much Italians valued coffee and the culture around it.
His success with Starbucks can be attributed to his keen observation and understanding of what people value — connection, experience, and community.
He didn't just introduce Italy's coffee culture to America; he adapted it to suit the preferences and values of his customers. This meant creating welcoming spaces that catered to local communities, offering high-quality coffee, and ensuring that each Starbucks store provided a consistent, positive experience.
What trends do you foresee in the next years?
Until next time,
The Chronicler