Starbucks

“In 1983, a 30-year-old American man had an awakening of sorts in this vibrant city. You might say he “woke up and smelled the coffee.”

While in Milan on business, New Yorker Howard Schultz was immediately drawn to the coffee bars. He was struck by their relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. The warm, rich smell of roasting coffee hung in the air. Customers chatted in a familiar, first-name way with the baristas who made their coffees to order. They ate warm pastries and drank strong espresso. And these places were lively at all hours.

What’s in a Name?

The Starbucks name was the inspiration of Gordon Bowker. Looking at an old mining map that hung in the waterfront office of his then business, Bowker saw a curious town name: Starbo. He immediately associated that with Starbuck, the first mate on the whaling ship Pequod in Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick. “From that moment, it became Starbucks,” Bowker said, about naming the new coffee company. “I didn’t really have to convince Zev [Siegl] and Jerry [Baldwin] very hard.” As for the twin-tailed mermaid, she’s based on the seagoing creatures from Greek mythology called sirens. The sirens’ singing lured unwitting sailors to their doom.

In the Beginning

It all started with three young men who bonded through complementary skills and shared dreams of success. Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl had met in 1962, when they were all just 20 years old. Some years later, gainfully employed in Seattle, Washington, the three friends still mused over going into business together. They tried partnering up in different creative ways, but nothing stuck.”