( CNN ) -- Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading retailer , roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world , with more than 6,000 retail locations in North America , Latin America , Europe , the Middle East and the Pacific Rim . The first Starbucks opened in 1971 , in Seattle , Washington . The name comes from Herman Melville 's Moby Dick , a classic American novel about the 19th century whaling industry . The seafaring name seems appropriate for a store that imports the world 's finest coffees to the cold , thirsty people of Seattle . Howard Schultz joined Starbucks in 1982 . While on a business trip in Italy , he visited Milan 's famous espresso bars and was impressed with their popularity and culture . In the 1990s the demand for high quality coffee allowed Starbucks to expand beyond Seattle , first to the rest of the U.S. , then further afield . After becoming one of the first companies to offer stock options to its part-time employees , Starbucks became a publicly traded company . E-mail to a friend .
The first Starbucks coffee house opened in 1971 , in Seattle . Today there are more than 6,000 retail locations across the world . Current CEO Charles Schultz joined the company in 1982 .