Starbucks was founded in 1971 in Seattle's Pike Place Market by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker. It initially focused strictly on selling high-quality roasted coffee beans and equipment, not brewed drinks. The pivotal change occurred after Howard Schultz joined the company in 1982. A trip to Milan in 1983 exposed him to the captivating Italian coffee bar culture, where cafés served as a vibrant social hub.