Howard Schultz
👤 PersonAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
Because they were not roasting coffee. So they were bringing coffee from San Francisco to Seattle. They were not calling it Pete's. They were calling it Starbucks. So it was Pete's Coffee and Starbucks bags. Yeah, yeah. Again, I wasn't there, but that's kind of the folklore. After the three founders... Built that store, opened that store.
Because they were not roasting coffee. So they were bringing coffee from San Francisco to Seattle. They were not calling it Pete's. They were calling it Starbucks. So it was Pete's Coffee and Starbucks bags. Yeah, yeah. Again, I wasn't there, but that's kind of the folklore. After the three founders... Built that store, opened that store.
I get the sense that there was some kind of fallout between the three of them, and Zev Siegel eventually left the company. That brings us to 1979, 1980, around that time, when I came to Seattle, Washington for the first time. So I was working for a Swedish housewares company based in Sweden called Hammerplast. That company had a beautiful non-electric coffee maker, kind of a thermal unit.
I get the sense that there was some kind of fallout between the three of them, and Zev Siegel eventually left the company. That brings us to 1979, 1980, around that time, when I came to Seattle, Washington for the first time. So I was working for a Swedish housewares company based in Sweden called Hammerplast. That company had a beautiful non-electric coffee maker, kind of a thermal unit.
And we had a big customer in Macy's in Northern California. And I was in California on a sales call, and I had heard that there was a small company in Seattle, Washington that was buying a lot of this product. So given the fact I'd never been to Seattle, I was already in the West Coast, I figured I'd come to Seattle and see what was going on.
And we had a big customer in Macy's in Northern California. And I was in California on a sales call, and I had heard that there was a small company in Seattle, Washington that was buying a lot of this product. So given the fact I'd never been to Seattle, I was already in the West Coast, I figured I'd come to Seattle and see what was going on.
Yeah, yeah. But you have to remember- Starbucks Coffee Company, from 1971 until around 85, 86, only sold pounds of coffee. There was no beverage. We're going to get into the epiphany of that. Yeah, of course. And so I walked into the Pike Place store for the first time on a beautiful day, just like this. The sun was out, there was snow on the mountains, the clean, fresh air.
Yeah, yeah. But you have to remember- Starbucks Coffee Company, from 1971 until around 85, 86, only sold pounds of coffee. There was no beverage. We're going to get into the epiphany of that. Yeah, of course. And so I walked into the Pike Place store for the first time on a beautiful day, just like this. The sun was out, there was snow on the mountains, the clean, fresh air.
And I walked into the Pike Place Market and I walked into the Starbucks store and I was blown away by the experience, the romance of coffee, the education. And it just spoke to me. I had never met Jerry Baldwin, the founder, who was the CEO at the time. And I became interested and intrigued with what Starbucks was doing and asked if I could meet Jerry. One thing led to another.
And I walked into the Pike Place Market and I walked into the Starbucks store and I was blown away by the experience, the romance of coffee, the education. And it just spoke to me. I had never met Jerry Baldwin, the founder, who was the CEO at the time. And I became interested and intrigued with what Starbucks was doing and asked if I could meet Jerry. One thing led to another.
I met Jerry Baldwin. We really hit it off. And we established kind of a vendor-customer relationship over a course of a year or so. Starbucks had three stores at the time, only three. And over the course of the next year or so, I became more and more interested and intrigued with the possibility of leaving New York City. Sherry and I were dating. We're not married. And I kind of...
I met Jerry Baldwin. We really hit it off. And we established kind of a vendor-customer relationship over a course of a year or so. Starbucks had three stores at the time, only three. And over the course of the next year or so, I became more and more interested and intrigued with the possibility of leaving New York City. Sherry and I were dating. We're not married. And I kind of...
maneuvered my way into a job working for starbucks and so sherry and i drove to seattle washington on labor day weekend in our old audi car with a golden retriever And we came here because I was offered the job as the head of marketing for Starbucks when they were getting ready to open their fourth store in 1982. Still just selling beans. Only beans. That's the whole, yeah, still the beans.
maneuvered my way into a job working for starbucks and so sherry and i drove to seattle washington on labor day weekend in our old audi car with a golden retriever And we came here because I was offered the job as the head of marketing for Starbucks when they were getting ready to open their fourth store in 1982. Still just selling beans. Only beans. That's the whole, yeah, still the beans.
The interest that the company had in me at the time, I think, was they were really interested in expanding, but their dream or the plan at the time was, could we expand to Portland, Oregon? Remember, so it was a tiny company.
The interest that the company had in me at the time, I think, was they were really interested in expanding, but their dream or the plan at the time was, could we expand to Portland, Oregon? Remember, so it was a tiny company.