Starbucks is one of the world’s most well-known coffeehouse chains. The brand is known for its high-quality coffee and a wide variety of other beverages, including Teavana teas, Tazo teas, and Evolution Fresh juice. In addition, the company owns a few niche businesses, such as Hear Music, an in-store music experience, and Seattle Coffee Co. It also owns Ethos Water, a purified water provider.
One of the most popular items on the menu is the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Starbucks has also released several other seasonal offerings, including the Strawberry Sunset, which features a peach syrup and green tea.
Starbucks has been criticized for its business practices. Although the company is often accused of overpaying employees and of being too focused on health care issues, Starbucks is a market leader, and the company has a loyal fan base.
When Howard Schultz began his tenure as CEO of Starbucks, he envisioned a coffeehouse that would become a national chain. However, his plans were met with resistance by his fellow executives. After a visit to Italy, where he was inspired by the cafes, he returned to the US determined to develop the concept of a national coffeehouse chain.
In 1983, Schultz travelled to Italy to study cafes and coffee. While there, he noticed a number of things. First, he became impressed with the quality of the coffee. Second, he was impressed with the way the employees interacted with customers. Third, he was intrigued by the Italian approach to housewares. Fourth, he wanted to make a contribution to the health of the nation.
Soon after, he started a coffee shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. His plan was to sell fresh-roasted whole bean coffee. But, his idea was rejected by his co-founders, James Baldwin and Howard Bowker. So, he began to consider other options.
At the time, Schultz was a sales representative for Hammarplast, a manufacturer of kitchen equipment. During his stay in Milan, he also became a fan of the famous coffeehouses. Afterward, he contacted a friend who had opened a similar business.
On October 1, 1984, Starbucks bought Peet’s, which had operated four stores in the Bay Area. During the first fiscal year, the company’s sales increased 49 percent.
A year later, Starbucks purchased Peet’s roasting plant and moved it to Berkeley. With the company’s success, Starbucks expanded rapidly across the nation. By 1990, the company had opened thirty stores, and by 1992, the total number of stores climbed to 53.
Some of the newest innovations at Starbucks include a mobile app that generates recommendations based on a customer’s previous orders, a feature that shows the origin of the packaged coffee, and an innovative way to trace the coffee journey. In the future, new stores will be able to prepay for their drinks, and some will have a separate counter for picking up mobile orders.
The success of Starbucks is largely due to the unique experience it offers to its customers. These days, the company strives to create a welcoming environment for its customers. They also aim to create a “third home” for those who enjoy drinking coffee.