who invented starbucks

Starbucks was invented, or rather founded, by three men: Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl. They opened the first Starbucks store in 1971 near the Pike Place Market in Seattle. The founders were inspired by coffee roasting entrepreneur Alfred Peet and focused initially on selling high-quality coffee beans and equipment. The name "Starbucks" was inspired by the first mate, Starbuck, in Herman Melville's classic novel Moby-Dick, reflecting a sense of adventure and a connection to the maritime history of early coffee traders.