When was Starbucks founded?
Starbucks was founded in 1971. Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegal opened their first store near Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington. 

Starbucks was sold to Howard Schultz in 1987, which is when the company grew rapidly and became more of a cafe. Shultz was inspired to create a national coffeehouse chain after visiting Milan in 1983 and had already found success with his II Giornale coffee chain. 