The History of the First-Ever Starbucks, and Where to Find it In Seattle

Starbucks, Pike Place Market

Three college friends scraped together $1,350 to open a small coffee bean shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market in 1971.

They had no espresso machine, no fancy drinks, just whole beans and a dream. The original store still stands in the same spot, weathered wood sign and all.

Here’s thestory behind that original storefront, still serving coffee at Pike Place Market.

Three Friends With No Business Experience

Baldwin, Bowker, and Siegl started Starbucks with almost no business know-how. Each put in $1,350 of their own money and got a $5,000 bank loan to open the store. They kept their day jobs at first.

Baldwin taught English at Boeing, Bowker worked as a writer, and Siegl taught history. Only Siegl worked in the store full-time that first year, making him the company’s first paid employee.

From Pequod To Starbucks

Before landing on “Starbucks,” the founders almost named their shop “Pequod” after the ship in the book Moby Dick. They changed their minds because it didn’t sound good for a coffee shop.

They also thought about “Cargo House” but finally chose “Starbucks,” named after the first mate in Moby Dick.

This name linked their business to Seattle’s sea history and the ocean routes used to ship coffee beans around the world.

A Coffee Bean Store, Not A Café

The first Starbucks sold only coffee beans, tea leaves, and spices. You couldn’t buy a cup of coffee to drink there like you can today. Workers did brew free samples to show how good their beans were.

This was the first taste of quality coffee for many Seattle locals who were used to canned, pre-ground coffee. Starbucks didn’t start selling cups of coffee until 1984, when they opened their fifth store on University Way with a small coffee bar.

Building The Store By Hand

The founders built most of the store themselves to save money. They spent two months turning the old junk shop into a coffee store. They made the counter, bins for coffee beans, and shelves in Siegl’s parents’ basement.

Baldwin did all the electrical work while Bowker handled the painting. Bowker and Siegl also made the signs that hung outside.

The Original Mermaid Logo

The first Starbucks logo showed a brown, two-tailed mermaid (called a siren) from an old Norse drawing. Designer Terry Heckler found the image while looking through old sea books.

The round logo had “Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spices” written around the edge. They chose brown to match the color of coffee beans.

This siren has stayed with Starbucks ever since, though her look has changed over the years.

Learning From Alfred Peet

Alfred Peet, a Dutch coffee shop owner in Berkeley, California, taught the Starbucks founders everything about coffee. Peet had started bringing dark-roasted beans to America in 1966.

The three friends trained at Peet’s shop during Christmas 1970. For their first year, they bought all their beans from Peet’s.

Peet taught Baldwin how to roast coffee, skills that became key when Starbucks started roasting their own beans in 1972.

First Day Of Business

When the shop opened, the founders put a sign outside and waited for customers. Their friend Dan Chasan walked by with his young daughter and became their first customer. They made Chasan a free sample cup of coffee.

After smelling different beans, he bought Sumatra coffee for $1.75 a pound and some tea, paying $5.36 by check.

Another friend brought wine to celebrate, and they all shared a drink to mark the start of Starbucks.

Opening During Economic Decline

Starbucks opened during what locals called the “Boeing Recession.” Boeing had laid off thousands of workers, and people were leaving Seattle. A famous billboard at the time read: “Will the last person leaving Seattle turn out the lights?”

The poor economy was actually helpful in one way, because rent was cheap. The founders rented their store space in the old Harbor Heights Hotel for only $137.50 a month, making it easier to start with little money.

Original Coffee And Tea Selection

The first Starbucks sold 21 kinds of tea including unusual types like Lapsung Souchoung Keemun, Young Hyson, and Russian Caravan. These weren’t common in American stores at the time.

They also offered many coffee options: Sumatra, Kenya, Uganda, Colombia, Mexican Java, New Guinea, and Mocha Java. Other choices included French Roast, Brazil, and Yukon Blend.

Sumatra beans, selling for $1.75 a pound, became a customer favorite from the start.

Slow And Steady Growth

Starbucks grew slowly at first. They didn’t open their second store until November 1972, more than a year after the first one. This store was in Seattle’s University Village.

In 1972, they bought a used coffee roaster and started making their own beans at a small facility near Fishermen’s Terminal.

Baldwin took charge of roasting and buying coffee. By 1976, when they moved to Pike Place, locals knew Starbucks as the place for good coffee.

Visiting Starbucks at Pike Place

You’ll find the historic Starbucks store at 1912 Pike Place, Seattle, WA 98101, though this isn’t where it first opened in 1971.

The shop is open daily from 6:30am to 8:30pm. No entry fee or reservation is needed, but expect a line outside.

When visiting, look for the original “Starbucks Coffee Tea Spices” sign and the brass labels once used on 1971 coffee bins. The floors, fixtures, and counters are all original, preserved from the early days.

Pick up Pike Place Special Reserve coffee, sold only at this location as a nod to the company’s roots.

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