Fact 1: The Starbucks Name Inspired by a Literary Classic
Starbucks coffee is a recognized name in almost every country worldwide, but do you know the story behind the name? It was inspired by the classic book Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Starbuck is the name of the First Mate on the ship Pequod. The founders wanted a name starting with "St," as they thought the names with these letters have a powerful impact.
Fact 2: Inception of The Siren
An interesting fact about Starbucks is its logo. The logo is called "The Siren," a dual-tailed mermaid. The design was inspired by a 16th-century Norse woodcut of the mythical creature.
Fact 3: The Original Starbucks Store to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified Store
The original Starbucks at 2000 Western Avenue, Seattle, relocated to 1912 Pike Place in 1971. The store retained almost the same look it had in the 1970’s with no seats and simple décor. Interestingly, by 2015, Starbucks opened its first Forest Stewardship council certified store, promoting sustainable architecture.
Fact 4: Expansive Starbucks Menu
Starbucks has more than 87,000 drink combinations available on the menu. It offers a wide variety that caters to the coffee preference of almost every individual.
Fact 5: The Story Behind 'Grande'
Have you ever wondered why Starbucks uses unique names for its cup sizes? The "grande," an Italian word meaning "large," was picked to reflect the third place people often frequented beside their house and work - Starbucks.
Fact 6: Pricey Coffee
Believe it or not, the most expensive beverage ever ordered at Starbucks was a Sexagintuple Vanilla Bean Mocha Frappuccino priced at $54.75 - a coffee enthusiast claimed this record in 2014.
Fact 7: Largest Starbucks Outlet
The world's largest Starbucks opened in Chicago in 2019. The outlet, hailed as the 'Starbucks Reserve Roastery,' spans over a whopping 35,000 square feet.
Fact 8: Cultural Respect
In Saudi Arabia, the Starbucks logo was modified as the mermaid was showing too much skin, deemed inappropriate due to the culture and traditions.
Fact 9: Recipe for Success
In its infancy, Starbucks only sold roasted whole coffee beans. Its founders added the sale of espresso coffee in 1987 after Howard Schultz, the current chairman and CEO, suggested this brilliant idea.
Fact 10: Huge Consumption
Starbucks purchases around 2.3 billion paper cups every year to cater to the world's seemingly insatiable taste for its coffee.
Fact 11: Cookbooks in Starbucks?
Before gaining fame as the global coffee giant, Starbucks initially sold cooking spices, and yes, cookbooks!
Fact 12: Hidden Symbol
The iconic Starbucks apron isn't just an ordinary uniform. The color of the apron signifies rank. Green aprons indicate baristas, black aprons are worn by coffee masters, and red aprons are Christmas special!
Fact 13: Who's the Largest Buyer?
Starbucks is indeed the largest buyer of certified Fair Trade coffee in the world. It aims to promote fair wages and decent working conditions.
Fact 14: Highest Starbucks Density
Believe it or not, Seoul, South Korea, tops the list having the highest Starbucks density with over 284 stores.
Fact 15: The Royal Benefit
In the UK, the tax Starbucks pays is used to support the Queen's estates, including Windsor Great Park and Swinley Forest.
Fact 16: Pumpkin Spice Latte Success
The all-time favorite Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) was almost not introduced since taste tests didn’t go well. However, since its launch in 2003, over 200 million PSLs have been sold!
Fact 17: A Lot of Milk
Starbucks uses a whopping 93 million gallons of milk annually, enough to fill up 155 Olympic-sized swimming pools!
Fact 18: Employee Perks
Starbucks offers full tuition reimbursement for its employees through the Starbucks College Plan, a partnership with Arizona State University.
Fact 19: Waste Not
In Starbucks' efforts towards sustainability, perishable food items that haven't been sold at the end of the day are donated to local food banks.
Fact 20: Coffee Enthusiast President
Did you know? Before becoming president, Howard Schultz was an employee. In fact, he loved Starbucks so much that he quit a much higher paying job to work there! His passion for coffee changed Starbucks forever.