Free previewStop 2 of Seattle Walking Tour: Pike Place Market to Pioneer Square
The First Starbucks Isn't Where It Started
You're on Pike Place, the brick street that runs along the market, and the narrow storefront with the line out the door is the one people cross oceans to see: the Original Starbucks, at 1912 Pike Place. Look in the window for the old brown sign. A siren sits in a ring of words that read "Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Spices." Hold on to those last three words. They're the clue to this whole story.
On March 30, 1971, three men opened the first Starbucks. Their names were Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin and Zev Siegl. They named it after Starbuck, the first mate in Moby-Dick. And the sign tells you what they started with: the store began by selling whole bean coffee, tea and spices.
That's the opening. The rest plays at stop 2 of Seattle Walking Tour: Pike Place Market to Pioneer Square (2 min in all). Unlock the tour to hear it all, or try stop 1 free first.
