Abrief History Of Starbucks Corporation

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: [3]; SEHK: 4337) is a dominant multinational coffeehouse chain based in the United States. Named after the first mate in the novel Moby-Dick, Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world,[1] with 8,505 company-owned and 6,506 licensed stores in over 40 countries, making a total of 15,011 stores worldwide.[2] Starbucks sells drip brewed coffee, espresso-based hot drinks, other hot and cold drinks, snacks and items such as mugs and coffee beans. Through its Starbucks Entertainment division and Hear Music brand, the company has ventured beyond refreshments into books, music, and film. Many of these products are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store. Starbucks brand ice cream and coffee are also sold at grocery stores.

From its founding in Seattle, Washington, as a local coffee bean roaster and retailer, Starbucks has expanded rapidly. In the 1990s, the company was opening a new store every workday, a pace that continued into the 2000s. Domestic growth has since slowed down, though the company continues to expand in foreign markets and is opening 7 stores a day worldwide. The first location outside of the U.S. and Canada was established in 1996, and they now constitute almost one third of Starbucks' stores.[3]

As of November 2007, Starbucks had 8,505 company-owned outlets worldwide: 6,793 of them in the United States and 1,712 in other countries and U.S. territories. In addition, the company has 6,506 joint-venture and licensed outlets, 3,891 of them in the United States and 2,615 in other countries and U.S. territories. This brings the total locations (as of November 2007) to 15,011 worldwide.[2] Starbucks can be found in many popular grocery chains in the U.S. and Canada, as well as in many airports.

Starbucks' corporate headquarters are in Seattle, Washington, United States. As of March 2007, the members of the company's board of directors are