Written by Michelle Quek (BHM 0409)

The Starbucks Coffee Company was the brainchild of three friends – Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker. Combining their shared love for great tea and coffee, Starbucks officially opened its first outlet in Seattle’s Pike Place Market in Washington, USA in 1971. The name Starbucks was taken from the story of Moby-Dick whereby Starbucks was the name of the first mate of a ship. The Starbucks logo depicts a siren, which is a two-tailed mermaid. The reason behind selecting this logo is that a siren is supposed to be intriguing, crafted, adventurous and alluring, which Starbucks tries to portray to the world about its coffee, people and stores.

The very first Starbucks outlet to open in Malaysia was on 17 December 1998 in KL Plaza. Starbucks Coffee Company in Malaysia is a wholly own subsidiary of Berjaya Corporation Berhad thus being known as Berjaya Starbucks Coffee Sdn Bhd which is helmed by Eric Khoo.

Starbucks’ mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time. It is guided by its six guiding principles which are; their coffee, partners, customers, stores, neighbourhood and shareholders.

Just walk into any of their stores worldwide and one can see their mission statement and the guiding principles proudly displayed in plain sight. Starbucks unlike many other companies of its time takes its Corporate Social Responsibilities seriously. It was one of the few major global companies to practice recycling and caring for the environment plus the coffee farmers. Over the years Starbucks has gained a large following and popularity among coffee drinkers and has open a few thousand stores worldwide. Just ask any Starbucks fan to recommend you Starbucks drinks and one would find that the Frappucino’s or blended drinks, and hot coffees will be among the top choices. So go out there, and enjoy a delightful cup of Starbucks coffee with a book in your hand, a group of friends, your family or that special someone today.