By: History.com Editors

1971

Starbucks opens its first store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market

History.com Editors

Published: March 14, 2024

Last Updated: January 24, 2025

On March 30, 1971, Starbucks opens its first store in Seattle's iconic Pike Place market with a single employee. The store sells high-quality roasted coffee beans, freshly brewed hot coffee and not much else.

Flashback: America Loves Coffee

Coffee is one of America's favorite drinks, even going back to the country's earliest days. As shown in this caffeinated tribute, the 1960s were no exception.

Founders Gerald Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker, 20-something coffee lovers who met at the University of San Francisco, named their business "Starbucks" after the first mate from the novel Moby Dick, to honor the maritime history of both Seattle and the coffee trade. They had considered naming the business "Pequod," after the ship from Moby Dick, but decided that didn’t sound very appetizing.

Their first store was a 1,000-square-foot commercial space staffed by just one employee: Siegl. (His partners kept their day jobs.) Modeled after the San Francisco Bay area coffee shop Peet’s, which the trio loved in their college days, their new coffee shop offered whole roasted coffee beans, tea, spices and a limited selection of hot coffee—but no cold drinks. The original store also featured the first, more naturalistic version of the famous Starbucks siren logo.

Starbucks's phenomenal success since 1971 in building America’s premium coffee market has transformed the company into a corporate giant, and a potent symbol of American consumer culture. The Starbucks siren represents both the successes and shortcomings of corporate America, including meteoric growth, domestic labor disputes and pushback in foreign markets. As of January 2024, Starbucks has expanded to more than 38,000 locations worldwide, with more than 15,000 in the United States alone.

The business model has changed dramatically from the first Seattle store: Currently, more than half of all sales come from drive-through orders, and 75 percent of sales, whether walk-in or drive-through, come from cold drinks. The original Pike Place store, a popular tourist destination for fans of the brand, still welcomes walk-in customers every day.

Timeline

Also on This Day in History

Discover more of the major events, famous births, notable deaths and everything else history-making that happened on March 30th

1775

King George endorses New England Restraining Act

Hoping to keep the New England colonies dependent on the British, King George III formally endorses the New England Restraining Act on March 30, 1775. The New England Restraining Act required New England colonies to trade exclusively with Great Britain as of July 1. An additional rule would come into effect on July 20, banning colonists from fishing in the North Atlantic.

1814

Napoleon’s forces defeated in Paris

European forces allied against Napoleonic France march triumphantly into Paris, formally ending a decade of French domination on the Continent.

1855

Violence disrupts first Kansas election

In territorial Kansas’ first election, some 5,000 so-called “Border Ruffians” invade the territory from western Missouri and force the election of a pro-slavery legislature. Although the number of votes cast exceeded the number of eligible voters in the territory, Kansas Governor Andrew Reeder reluctantly approved the election to prevent further bloodshed.

1867

U.S. purchase of Alaska ridiculed as “Seward’s Folly”

U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward signs a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Alaska for $7 million. Despite the bargain price of roughly two cents an acre, the Alaskan purchase was ridiculed in Congress and in the press as “Seward’s Folly,” “Seward’s icebox,” and President Andrew Johnson’s “polar bear garden.”

1870

15th Amendment adopted

Following its ratification by the requisite three-fourths of the states, the 15th Amendment, granting African American men the right to vote, is formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution.

1939

Batman debuts in comics

On March 30, 1939, Detective Comics No. 27 appears on the nation’s newsstands, introducing the world to a new superhero, the Batman. Dated May 1939, the comic book featured the caped crusader on its cover, swooping through the air on a rope, while holding a bad guy in a headlock. “Starting this issue,” the cover announced, “the amazing and unique adventures of the Batman!”

1948

Henry Wallace criticizes Truman’s Cold War policies

Henry Wallace, former vice president and Progressive Party presidential candidate, lashes out at the Cold War policies of President Harry S. Truman. Wallace and his supporters were among the few Americans who actively voiced criticisms of America’s Cold War mindset during the late-1940s and 1950s.

1949

Actor Robert Mitchum is released after serving time for marijuana possession

Actor Robert Mitchum is released from a Los Angeles County prison farm after spending the final week of his two-month sentence for marijuana possession there.

Robert Michum Packing Bag

1965

Bomb explodes outside U.S. Embassy in Saigon

A bomb explodes in a car parked in front of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, virtually destroying the building and killing 19 Vietnamese, two Americans, and one Filipino; 183 others were injured. Congress quickly appropriated $1 million to reconstruct the embassy. Although some U.S. military leaders advocated special retaliatory raids on North Vietnam, President Lyndon B. Johnson refused.

VIETNAM-ATTACK-ANTI-AMERICANISM-US EMBASSY

1974

The Ramones play their first public gig in Manhattan

On March 30, 1974, the Ramones play their first New York City gig, launching a punk-rock revolution.

1974

John Denver has his first #1 hit with “Sunshine On My Shoulders”

John Denver scores his first #1 song, “Sunshine On My Shoulders,” on March 30, 1974. He would go on to become one of the most popular singer-songwriters of the 1970s.

1981

President Reagan shot

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C. hotel by a drifter named John Hinckley Jr.

Ronald Reagan Waving

2009

President Obama announces auto industry shakeup

On March 30, 2009, President Barack Obama issues an ultimatum to struggling American automakers General Motors (GM) and Chrysler: In order to receive additional bailout loans from the government, he says, the companies need to make dramatic changes in the way they run their businesses. The president also announced a set of initiatives intended to assist the struggling U.S. auto industry and boost consumer confidence, including government backing of GM and Chrysler warranties, even if both automakers went out of business.

Related Articles

See All Articles
Shirley Chisholm
1970s

Why Shirley Chisholm Ran for President

The first African American to seek the nomination of a major party  competed against George Wallace, the face of Southern segregation.

Nixon and Clinton
1970s

Why Clinton Survived Impeachment While Nixon Resigned After Watergate

There are many reasons, but part of the explanation comes down to timing.

Bao Bao, the National Zoo's newest panda cub, meets the media for the first time on January 6, 2014.
1970s

When ‘Panda-Monium’ Swept America

The arrival of the National Zoo’s first giant pandas in 1972 marked a new chapter in U.S.-China relations.

A close-up of a Marijuana leaf.
1970s

The Hazy History of ‘420’

420 doesn’t begin with the police, but rather in the 1970s with a group of students in California.

See All Articles

About the author

History.com Editors

HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata.

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

Citation Information

Article title
Starbucks opens its first store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market
Website Name
History
Date Accessed
March 22, 2025
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
January 24, 2025
Original Published Date
March 14, 2024

History Every Day

Sign Up for "This Day in History"

Uncover fascinating moments from the past every day! Learn something new with key events in history, from the American Revolution to pop culture, crime and more.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Global Media. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details: Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact Us