Few People Know The Real Reason Behind Seattle Becoming The Coffee Capital Of The World
By Andrea Verschuyl|Published February 21, 2024
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Andrea Verschuyl
Author
Having grown up in Washington, Andrea is a self-admitted Pacific Northwest snob. In their opinion, there's simply nowhere else in the country with the Evergreen State's beauty. After attending university, Andrea devoted themselves to writing full-time. They're thrilled to represent Washington for Only In Your State while pursuing other professional and personal projects. They currently reside in Olympia, where they enjoy leaf-blowing their yard, perfecting homemade ramen, cuddling with their three tiny dogs, and feeding their pufferfish, Sea Biscuit.
The story begins with Starbucks, the second-largest company headquartered in Washington after Amazon. Though today, this espresso behemoth is as ubiquitous as sliced bread, there was a time when it was the best thing since sliced bread, too. Believe it or not, Americans didn't always know what a latte was.
In the beginning, there wasn't an inkling that one humble beverage would come to determine people's schedules and moods the world over.
In 1971, Starbucks' flagship store debuted at Pike Place Market. The founders had no aspirations for global domination; they focused on selling roasted espresso beans, teas, and spices to market-goers.
It was New York native Howard Schultz who nurtured these visions of grandeur. When he visited the coffee shop on vacation, he was enchanted by its take on what before had seemed a bland morning staple: drip coffee. He was convinced of espresso's potential to change the world. He traveled to Milan, Italy, where he saw firsthand the city's love affair with coffee and returned to take the business's helm.
By 2000, Starbucks had spread across the globe. Today, it boasts 35,000 locations— including one in Milan— and serves over 10 million customers daily. Its success inspired a coffee renaissance, with other companies adopting its model and millions of small businesses cropping up with distinctive personalities and offerings of their own.
Becoming ubiquitous hasn't come without controversy, however. As Starbucks scaled up, it's received its share of allegations. For example, some watchdog groups have reported that Starbucks doesn't source its beans ethically.
Regardless of whether you're a fan or a critic, there's no denying that Starbucks played a singular role in popularizing espresso. Without the company's innovation and foresight, today's coffee culture might not exist at all and Washington's unique relationship to this drink wouldn't exist either.
If you love coffee, you’ll love learning about the history of coffee in Washington, and whether or not you’re a fan, Starbucks is crucial to that story. I always recommend checking out some of our state’s local shops. Admittedly, though, there are so many that visiting them all would qualify for a state-wide coffee pilgrimage.
