Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world,with over 16,858 stores in 50 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1000 in Canada, and over 700 in the UK. So it is normal that it is one of the most hip meeting places in modern US.
The shop sells drip brewed coffee, espresso-based hot drinks, other hot and cold drinks, coffee beans, salads, hot and cold sandwiches and panini, pastries, snacks, and items such as mugs and tumblers.
So there never occurs a problem of a lack of choice.
Through the Starbucks Entertainment division and Hear Music brand, the company also markets books, music, and film. Many of the company's products are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store. Starbucks-brand ice cream and coffee are also offered at grocery stores. One may also buy t-shirts, and other collectibles of the brand.
The coffee-shop started out in Seattle, Washington, on March 30, 1971 by three partners: English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacherZev Siegl, and writer Gordon Bowker. The three were inspired by entrepreneur Alfred Peet (whom they knew personally) to sell high-quality coffee beans and equipment. The name is taken from Moby-Dick; after Pequod was rejected by one of the co-founders, the company was named for the first mate on the Pequod, Starbuck
From Starbucks' founding in later forms in Seattle as a local coffee bean roaster and retailer, the company has expanded rapidly. In the 1990s, Starbucks was opening a new store every workday, a pace that continued into the 2000s. The first store outside the United States or Canada opened in the mid-'90s, and overseas stores now constitute almost one third of Starbucks' stores. The company planned to open a net of 900 new stores outside of the United States in 2009, but has announced 900 store closures in the United States since 2008.
Starbucks has been a target of protests on issues such as fair-trade policies, labor relations, environmental impact, political views, and anti-competitive practices.
One may say, that when it comes to eating-out Starbucks is the basic choice ;)
