Starbucks owes its name to the first companion of Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Their logo is also inspired by the sea – with a double-tailed mermaid from Greek mythology. Their story began in 1971; At the time, the company was a roaster and retailer of whole and ground coffee, tea and spices with a single store in Seattle's Pike Place Market. From a narrow window, Starbucks offered some of the best freshly roasted coffee beans in the world. The name, inspired by Moby Dick, evokes the romance of the high seas and the maritime tradition of the first coffee traders. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay In 1981, Howard Schultz (Chairman and CEO of Starbucks) first entered a Starbucks store. From his first cup of Sumatra, Howard was drawn to Starbucks and joined a year later. In 1983, Howard traveled to Italy and became captivated by Italian coffee bars and the romance of the coffee experience. He had a vision to bring the tradition of Italian cafés back to the United States – a place for conversation and a sense of community. A third place between work and home. He left Starbucks for a short time to start his own Il Giornale cafes and returned in August 1987 to purchase Starbucks with the help of local investors. From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different type of company. One that not only celebrated coffee and rich tradition, but also brought a sense of connection. Their mission is to inspire and nourish the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. Today, they have the privilege of connecting with millions of customers every day with exceptional products and more than 24,000 retail stores in 70 countries.Investor InformationStarbucks went public on June 26, 1992 at a price of 17 $ per share (or $0.53 per share, adjusted for subsequent stock splits) and closed its doors. trading that first day at $21.50 per share. Starbucks was incorporated under the laws of the State of Washington, in Olympia, Washington, on November 4, 1985. Starbucks Corporation's common stock is listed on the NASDAQ, under the trading symbol SBUX. Schultz, currently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Starbucks in 2016 began the rapid expansion of the coffee chain. According to Forbes magazine, its value was estimated at US$2.9 billion in 2016. The company's revenue growth also reflects its success: Starbucks' annual revenue has almost tripled over the past ten years , reaching 21.32 billion US dollars in 2016. Due to its expansion, Starbucks increased its number of locations by approximately two thousand in 2016, totaling 25,085 stores at the end of the fiscal year. More than half of the company's coffees are in its home country, the United States. A Nielsen Scarborough survey conducted in spring 2016 found that more than 35.7 million Americans had visited a Starbucks in the past 30 days. In addition to having the largest number of stores in the world in the coffee chain sector, Starbucks also generates the most revenue by far. The company's closest competitor in 2015 was the UK-based Costa Coffee coffee chain. Within the broader fast food sector, Starbucks was the second most valuable fast food brand in the world in 2016, just behind global giant McDonald's. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get a personalization trialStarbucks has entered into.