Page 74 - The Starbucks Experience

Everything Matters

will “apply the highest standards of excellence to the pur-
chasing, roasting and fresh delivery of our coffee.”
To that end, Starbucks leaders do what is necessary to meet
or exceed their quality standards, even when this means aban-
doning the “old way” of doing things. The leaders are con-
stantly researching and developing technologies and systems to
improve the consistency of the company’s roasting process and
the freshness of the coffee. This commitment to innovation in
the service of product quality has had a significant impact on
the ability of Starbucks coffee to reach a broader customer base
and expand into national and international markets.
Many of these innovations have been achieved by dedi-
cated partners at the Starbucks roasting plant in Kent, Wash-
ington. Tom Walters, the communications coordinator of this
original roasting plant, says, “Since I started here in 1982,
freshness is all Starbucks has done. We were selling specialty 59
coffee back at a time when specialty coffee had a 1 percent
market share. More people owned airplanes than espresso
machines. Until 1987, wholesale coffee went out to restau-
rants in five-pound paper lunch bags and had a seven-day
shelf life. Starbucks was a pretty small company. My job was
to drive the 1968 Ford Econoline van and deliver the paper
bags to restaurants in downtown Seattle. When I did my
deliveries, I went through their coffee. It was in our contract
with the restaurants that any coffee over seven days old
would be taken back by us, and we’d receive no reimburse-
ment. Starbucks wanted to keep restaurants from serving our
coffee when it was stale.” Tom adds that if it hadn’t been for
a commitment to quality and attention to the “little things,”
Starbucks would never have made it out of Seattle.
Not only did Starbucks leadership demonstrate an uncon-
ventional preoccupation with quality, but it was willing to