Starbucks

Starbucks Case

Company Background

Starbucks started in 1971 with 3 co founders Jerry Baldwin and English teacher, Zev Siegal a history professor and a writer Gordon Bowker. All 3 partners had a love for coffee and decided to open up a coffee shop. Each individual invested $1,350 and borrowed $5000, from the bank to open the Pikes Place store. Alfred Peet opened up his own shop that imported fine coffees and teas and dark roasted beans the Europe way to bring flavor to the coffee. A Dutch immigrant named Alfred Peet who had opened Peet’s coffees shop in California in 1966. Baldwin, Bowker, Siegal had good knowledge about Peet’s coffee expertise and well educated on the bean roasting technique for quality coffee. Siegal was more seen as the retail expert and was the only paid employee, he did most of the work for scooping coffee beans for customers. Baldwin had an interest for coffee and kept books and good knowledge of coffee. When Starbucks first started out it purchased most of its coffee beans from Peets and slowly started purchase used roaster from Holland. They slowly moved roasting operations and mixing blends nearby buildings. Since the store had excellent revenues and decided to open up four more Starbuck stores. Baldon slowly tool over the manaement aspect of the company, Gordon Bowker remained as an owner and devoted most of his time to advertising