Photo by Engin Akyurt
Introduction
Starbucks, the coffee chain that everyone knows about, is an iconic brand. We all have seen its stores in every corner of the world, and we all know that Starbucks serves up some of the best coffee out there. But who started it all?
Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker are the founders of Starbucks, but without the perseverance of a man named Howard Schultz, who purchased it the likelihood of Starbucks becoming famous is remote.
In the late 60’s, Schultz was a college dropout who had been trying to make it as a salesman at Xerox.
Had a job at a firm that paid well.
Howard Schultz was a manager at a company that paid well. He had no complaints about the pay, but he was not happy with the work he was doing, so he decided to try something different.
Schultz learned how coffee was made in Seattle, where customers were treated like friends by baristas who knew their names and made them feel at home in this new environment of specialty coffee shops popping up around town. People would come into these shops and linger over long conversations while enjoying their drinks—this was something completely new! Schultz saw the growth potential here: “It was clear there were no rules about how much time should pass between service orders or whether customers could go through multiple transactions without ordering anything,” said Schultz later on in an interview with Time magazine.”
So he decided to have his own business, wherein he could have time for family and maybe do something interesting.
So he decided to have his own business, wherein he could have time for family and maybe do something interesting. In Italy, he had experienced the rich coffee culture and knew that it was a deep part of the Italian lifestyle. He wanted to bring that experience to America.
He was influenced by the coffee culture of Italy, where he found that the Italians were very passionate about coffee.
You might not know that Starbucks founder Howard Schultz has Italian roots. He was influenced by the coffee culture of Italy, where he found that the Italians were very passionate about coffee. They even had their own espresso bars and cafes!
He wanted to bring that experience to the US and started a similar business in Seattle, Washington, where he lived.
That’s what happened to Howard Schultz. He wanted to bring the Italian coffee experience to the US and started a similar business in Seattle, Washington, where he lived. He was influenced by the coffee culture of Italy and so he worked hard at creating a unique brand that would emotionally engage customers.
Schultz wanted to bring this experience back to America. He borrowed money from his family and friends, explaining that he wanted to open up a thriving Italian-style coffee shop. And so he did just that—he opened up his first store on March 30th, 1971 in Seattle Washingtons Pike Place Market with only $1,350 (approximately $7000 today).
His first store was called “Il Giornale.” It was named after an Italian newspaper because it was intended to be more than just a place where people got their morning fix of caffeine; Schultz wanted it to be an experience that gave customers something they couldn’t get anywhere else.
He lost his business when banks cut funding for him as they felt it wasn’t going anywhere.
He lost his business when banks cut funding for him as they felt it wasn’t going anywhere. But Schultz was not discouraged by the failure and decided to start again with a different approach.
Schultz brewed coffee from his tiny roasting plant (he rented space from one of his former employers) using only whole beans roasted daily on-site – no instant coffee or pre-ground beans for sale at this new establishment! He also sold fresh pastries baked on-site by another former employer who’d worked with him at Peets Coffee & Tea Company prior to opening her own bakery business.
When customers came into Starbucks stores they often asked where they could buy their favorite brand of coffee beans; so Schultz started going door-to-door teaching people how they could brew their own Starbucks brand coffees at home!
He had to go, door-to-door teaching people, how to brew their own Starbucks coffee at home.
He had to go, door-to-door teaching people, how to brew their own Starbucks coffee at home. He would give them a kit, and then he would show them how to use it and make the coffee.
The world still did not understand what this new coffee was about (this is before Starbucks became popular).
In 1971, the world still did not understand what this new coffee was about. The world was used to drinking coffee for its taste, not for its culture and experience. People were not ready for a new way of enjoying coffee; they were more interested in how much caffeine it would give them or how good it tasted. But even though people were not ready for what Starbucks had to offer, Howard Schultz knew that this was the future of coffee and he knew that the company could grow into something huge. It took time to convince people that there was more than just a drink inside their cup – there was also an experience (and culture).
It took time too, but eventually, people started seeing things differently and they began getting excited about trying different types of coffees from around the world! Soon enough they wanted more than just one type of drink – they wanted many kinds! This is why Starbucks became so popular; because they offered customers an experience unlike any other place on Earth!
Things will get better if you don’t give up
As a founder of Starbucks, Howard Schultz was on the verge of bankruptcy. He was also demoralized and depressed by the fact that he had come so close to achieving his dream only to have it snatched away by investors. However, he refused to give up and went on with his life after this devastating failure.
He continued working as a salesman in Chicago until he was able to make enough money to open his own coffee shop again – this time with a different philosophy: To serve gourmet coffee drinks made from freshly ground beans instead of being limited by pre-packaged coffee mixes like most other businesses were doing at the time (and still do today). This change in strategy enabled him not only to save himself from bankruptcy but also to make Starbucks one of the biggest companies in America today!
Conclusion
The one thing I took away from reading this story is that you should never give up on your dreams. It’s tempting to say “I’m tired of trying” or “the world doesn’t want my product,” but that’s just not true. The world wants what you have to offer if only because it’s different! You might need to try a few times before getting the hang of things, but there will always be someone who supports what you’re doing even when others don’t seem interested. And if those people aren’t enough motivation for you then remember that success can come in many forms–not just monetary ones! So keep going with a positive mindset until something sticks 🙂
Author: Bliss
Dedicated to making a positive difference for people, animals, and this beautiful planet!
