Starbucks is named after the first mate in Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Their logo is also inspired by the sea, featuring a two-tailed mermaid from Greek mythology. Their story begins in 1971; the company was then a roaster and retailer of whole and ground coffee, tea and spices with a single store in Seattle's Pike Place Market. From a small window, Starbucks offered some of the best freshly roasted coffee beans in the world. The name, inspired by Moby Dick, evokes the romance of the high seas and the maritime tradition of the first coffee traders. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In 1981, Howard Schultz (president and CEO of Starbucks) walked into a Starbucks store for the first time. From his first cup of Sumatra, Howard was drawn to Starbucks and joined a year later. In 1983, Howard traveled to Italy and became fascinated with Italian bars and the romance of the coffee experience. He had a vision to bring the Italian coffee 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 coffee shops 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 rich tradition, but also brought a feeling of connection. Their mission is to inspire and cultivate the human spirit: one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. Today they have the privilege of connecting with millions of customers every day with exceptional products and over 24,000 retail stores in 70 countries. Investor Information Starbucks went public on June 26, 1992 at a price of $17 per share (or $0.53 per share, adjusted for subsequent stock splits) and closed trading that first day at $21.50 per share . Starbucks was incorporated under the laws of the State of Washington, in Olympia, Washington, on November 4, 1985. The common stock of Starbucks Corporation is traded on the NASDAQ, under the trading symbol SBUX. Schultz, still President and CEO of Starbucks in 2016 , began the rapid expansion of the coffee chain. According to Forbes magazine, he was worth about $2.9 billion in 2016. The company's revenue growth also reflects its success: Starbucks' annual revenue has nearly tripled over the past decade, reaching $21.32 billion in 2016. expansion, Starbucks has increased the number of establishments by approximately two thousand in during 2016, for a total of 25,085 stores by the end of the fiscal year. Well over half of the company's coffee shops are located in its home country of the United States. A spring 2016 Nielsen Scarborough survey found that more than 35.7 million Americans had visited a Starbucks in the past 30 days. In addition to having the largest number of stores worldwide in the coffee chain sector, Starbucks also generates by far the most revenue. The company's closest competitor in 2015 was the UK-based coffee shop chain Costa Coffee. In the broader quick-service sector, Starbucks was the world's second most valuable fast food brand in 2016, second only to global giant McDonald's. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Customize EssayStarbucks entered Australia through its wholly owned subsidiaries Starbucks Capital Asset Leasing Company, LLC and Starbucks Coffee Company (Australia) Pty. Ltd. (a joint venture between Markus Hofer (Hofer) and Starbucks Coffee International). The shops at.