Inspired by the coffee-loving culture of southern Europe, the Starbucks Coffee Company has successfully brought its delicious brand of coffee to Americans all over. With an exquisite assortment of whole bean roasts and fine espresso beverages coming from the finest coffee growing regions around the world, Starbucks also boasts a selection of pastries, sweets and even coffee brewing supplies for home use. Yet at one point Starbucks was not as accessible to consumers as it is today. First started up in 1971 as a small store in a Seattle shopping center, Starbucks now, however, is one of the country's - and the world's - most popular coffee shop chains.

Surprisingly, however, it took over a decade for the business to start expanding. In fact, it was as late as 1983 that Howard Schultz, the marketing and retail director, made a trip over to Italy and discovered the potential for creating a real culture of coffee here in the United States. After running it by the owners, Schultz was able to convince them that Starbucks was the way to bring this trend to North America. Beginning by setting up a shop in the downtown area of Seattle, the number of stores soon grew to about 20 after which Shultz got together with a group of venture capitalists and was able to purchase - and change the name - of Starbucks. The company quickly expanded thanks to a series of wise business moves. These included attaining the important affiliation with Barnes and Nobles booksellers, launching well-executed mail order strategy, and a profitable IPO in 1992. Due to its success, Starbucks has become the model for a whole new type of coffee marketing and beverage culture in America. The amount of Starbucks coffee shops open today numbers just under 6,000 worldwide.

Starbucks Franchise Facts and Information

It's funny that among all the industry related searches among search engines like Google and Yahoo, the search for "Starbucks Franchise" is among the most popular. Yes thousands of people each month for one reason or another go looking for a "starbucks franchise" online.

Well, bad news java fans, Starbucks is not a franchise!

I quote the Stabucks.com FAQ below:

• Q: Does Starbucks Franchise?
• A: No, Starbucks does not franchise to individuals. However, in situations in which a master concessionaire or other company controls or can provide improved access to desirable retail space (such as an airport), the Company may consider licensing its operations to such a company.

and from the Starbucks Coffee Japan, Ltd. website:

• Q: Does Starbucks franchise in Japan?
• A: All Starbucks stores in Japan are under the direct management of Starbucks Coffee Japan. There are currently no plans to franchise.

So - unless you've got an in to some seriously prime real estate it appears that if you want to get in on the Starbucks action you will need to do so either by filling out a job application (which they were recently ranked as a Top 100 Places to Work by Fortune Magazine) or jump in an buy some stock.