Page 19 - The Starbucks Experience

Introduction

percent, but Starbucks?—5,000 percent! Throughout this
period, Starbucks maintained its quality while continuing its
aggressive expansion. Today, Starbucks opens five new stores
a day, 365 days a year.
Starbucks is more than just a Wall Street Cinderella story.
Its culture, brand, and product excellence continue to win
glowing accolades. It has been consistently recognized by For-
tune as one of America’s “most admired” companies and best
employers. BusinessWeek acknowledges Starbucks as one of
the best worldwide brands. Business Ethics places it on its
list of most socially responsible companies each year.
From its original single store, the Starbucks brand has
emerged as an unparalleled name that is virtually inter-
changeable with the word coffee. Starbucks has introduced
®
terms like barista, chai, venti, and Frappuccino blended bev-
4 erage into our everyday vocabulary. However, the most sig-
nificant sign that Starbucks has changed not only coffee but
our lives is how the stores have affected our neighborhoods
and communities. Given the sheer number of retail outlets, it
is likely that there is a store within five miles of your home
or office, and even more likely that you refer to that store as
“my Starbucks.” As one loyal customer, Tiffany Tolmen, puts
it, “I actually know where all the Starbucks are in my town,
and I literally give directions to my friends using Starbucks
as my landmark.” Not only has Starbucks changed business,
but it has also changed American culture and affected culture
worldwide.

Why This Book?
Clearly, Starbucks has grown from humble beginnings and is
a “grande” success story based on Howard Schultz’s original