Starbucks – ‘The Third Place’

Starbucks was started by Gordon Bowker (Bowker), Jerry Baldwin (Baldwin), and Zev Siegl (Siegl) in the US. Bowker was a writer, Baldwin an English teacher, and Siegl, a history teacher. They opened the first Starbucks store in 1971 in Pike Place Market, Seattle and called it Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Spice. The first store sold fresh-roasted, gourmet coffee beans and brewing and roasting accessories. The firm’s logo was a two-tailed mermaid with the store’s name around it, designed by an artist friend of the trio.

Encouraged by the response that the store received, the founders decided to open their second store at the University District in Seattle. By 1980, Starbucks had become the largest roaster of coffee in Washington, with six retail outlets. In the same year, Siegl sold his share in the partnership to Baldwin and Bowker, and left to pursue other interests.