About Us
It happens millions of times each week – a customer receives a drink from a Starbucks barista – but each interaction is unique.
It’s just a moment in time – just one hand reaching over the counter to present a cup to another outstretched hand.
But it’s a connection.
We make sure everything we do honours that connection – from our commitment to the highest quality coffee in the world, to the way we engage with our customers and communities to do business responsibly.
From our beginnings as a single store nearly forty years ago, in every place that we’ve been, and every place that we touch, we've tried to make it a little better than we found it.
Our Heritage
Every day, we go to work hoping to do two things: share great coffee with our friends and help make the world a little better.
It was true when the first Starbucks opened in 1971, and it’s just as true today.
Back then, the company was a single store in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. From just a narrow shop front, Starbucks offered some of the world’s finest fresh-roasted whole bean coffees. The name, inspired by Moby Dick, evoked the romance of the high seas and the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders.
In 1981, Howard Schultz (Starbucks chairman, president and chief executive officer) had first walked into a Starbucks store. From his first cup of Sumatra, Howard was drawn into Starbucks and joined a year later.
In 1983, Howard travelled to Italy and became captivated with Italian coffee bars and the romance of the coffee experience. He had a vision to bring the Italian coffeehouse tradition back to the United States. A place for conversation and a sense of community. A third place between work and home. He left Starbucks for a short period of time to start his own Il Giornale coffeehouses and returned in August 1987 to purchase Starbucks with the help of local investors.
From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only celebrated coffee and the rich tradition, but that also brought a feeling of connection.
Today, with more than 32,000 stores in 80 countries, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. And with every cup, we strive to bring both our heritage and an exceptional experience to life.
Starbucks Mission
To be the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world, inspiring and nurturing the human spirit — one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.
Starbucks Values
We deliver performance through the lens of humanity:
CRAFT
We delight in the rigor of the details-no matter what our job is
We learn and teach in the pursuit of growth
We deliver excellence with passion and creativity
RESULTS
We consistently achieve our goals with focus, integrity, and drive
We continuously innovate to stay ahead
We exceed the expectations of the people we serve
COURAGE
We embrace difficult conversations, with respect, to make us all better
We pursue audacious ideas beyond our comfort zone
We do the right thing, even when it’s hard
BELONGING
We actively listen and connect with warmth and transparency
We recognize and appreciate every person for who they are
We treat each other with dignity and care
JOY
We take pride in our work and have fun while doing it
We create great vibes to bring the best out of others
We celebrate each other and our wins
Our Promises
The mutual success we collectively commit to:
Our Partner Promise — Bridge to a better future
Our Customer Promise — Serve the world’s finest coffee, with a moment of connection
Our Farmer Promise — Ensure the future of coffee for all
Our Community Promise — Contribute positively
Our Environmental Promise — Give more than we take
Our Shareholder Promise — Generate long-term returns