A Retailer Of Coffee Beans Management

Starbucks Coffee Company was founded in Seattle in the year 1971 as a retailer of coffee beans. Inspired by the coffee shops and warm coffee culture of Italy, Howard Schultz purchased the company in 1987 with the idea of selling coffee and espresso drinks in addition to coffee beans. Since then, Starbucks has grown at an incredible rate, becoming the world's biggest retailer roaster and brand of specialty coffee with more than 40 million customer visits per week. With over 145,000 employees, the company has coffee shops in every state of America and in 36 countries around the globe, totaling to over 12,000 coffeehouses and 5,000 licensed locations and joint ventures.

In addition to coffee, Starbucks has also expanded its product line to other goods such as their own brands of bottled water, teas, as well as coffee related accessories and equipment. With this immense expansion, the company achieved revenues of 11.7 billion dollars in 2011 and continues to grow today

From the perception of the Starbucks' corporate group, the quality of the employees and the baristas was the most significant ingredient of Starbucks' success, next to the specialty coffee itself. As Howard Schultz said in reference to his employees, "these people are not only the heart and soul but also the public face of the company. Every dollar earned passes through their hands." (Shultz, Put Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built A company One cup at a Time, 1997, p. 125) Huge financial resources and time were devoted to pursuing the most excellent means of obtaining the top quality employees available.