The original Starbucks in Seattle, Washington was opened in 1971 by Zev Siegl, Jerry Baldwin and Gordon Bowker. It was originally located at the Pike Place Market district, a historic area in downtown Seattle. Because the district is protected by historic area design guidelines, that store retains its mandated look which is unrelated to the branding and design of the chain’s other coffee shops.

The name is drawn from the first mate of the ship Pequod in the novel Moby Dick. The founders had intended to use the name of the ship but this was rejected.

The first store was located in Western Avenue between the years 1971 and 1976 after which it was relocated to Pike Place where it still remains in operation today. The founders were inspired by Alfred Peet who sold quality green coffee beans, roasting machines and coffee making equipment. In their first year they bought green coffee beans from Peet’s after which they sourced their own from producers. In 1984 the founders purchased Peet’s and one of the original founders still works there.

In 1988 the founders sold the store and name to the Il Giornale company which rebranded their own coffee shops to the brand and began an expansion phase for the franchise. Starting in Vancouver in Canada and moving to British Columbia and Chicago in that same year they opened multiple stores and by 1992, the year that the company was floated on the stock exchange, it had grown to 165 outlets.

Today Starbucks Corporation is an international coffeehouse chain that is still based in Seattle, Washington. It has become the largest coffee company in the world, with more than 17,000 stores. The original Starbucks in Seattle remains a testament to the founders’ vision and a reminder that a good idea that is well implemented still has the power to take over the world.

 

Travel and Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler, two of the worlds’ most recognized travel magazines, recently voted Seattle one of their top ten cities to visit. Seattle is a dynamic and creative city known for its’ art, heritage and culture all in a setting of natural beauty. Amongst the best things about Seattle are the wonderful mountain and water views. Seattle is proud of its arts and cultural institutions.

Downtown Seattle is easy to explore and the heart of the city is easily walkable. Restaurants, shopping, arts and various visitor attractions are all within walking distance of the citys hotels and inns. The city is surrounded by pristine waterways, two mountain ranges and three national parks. To the west lies the only temperate rain forest in the continental U.S. and to the  east is a world class wine region. In 1962 Seattle sponsored a full-fledged world’s fair, the futuristic Century 21 Exposition. The fair left the city a permanent legacy in the Seattle Center and its complex of performance, sports, and entertainment halls, as well as the Pacific Science Center, the Monorail, and the Space Needle.

Starbucks opened its first store in 1971 in the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.  Because the Market is a historic district with design guidelines, the store retains its original look. Seattle is also home to the legendary pioneer of Microsoft. Seattle is also home to Boeing. When Boeing successfully introduced the 707 commercial jet airliner in the late 1950s, it heralded another burst of municipal optimism.  

There are plenty of things to do in Seattle. If you are a sports enthusiast, The Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, and Seattle Sounders always provide some competitive entertainment in their respective sport.

Seattle plays host to some of the top shows and concerts around the country. One of Seattle’s more famous venues is the Paramount Theater. For 77 years, Washington residents and visitors have been entertained at Seattle’s magnificent Paramount Theatre. Millions have delighted in The Theatre’s architectural majesty, viewed countless films, and enjoyed thousands of performers from all corners of the globe. Yet the story of The Theatre itself offers drama as compelling as any presented on its stage or screen.

All in all Seattle is a place people love to come back to and if you haven’t visited Seattle, you should add it to your list of places to see. The city is beautiful and there are a large variety of shows, concerts, theater events, art and museums.

One of the numerous towers that fill the skyline of Washington is The Space Needle in Seattle. This tower is one of the foremost landmarks and could be considered the symbol of this cosmopolitan city. In the year nineteen sixty two the World Fair was held and this was the reason for the construction of the tower.

This tower is one hundred and thirty eight feet wide, six hundred and five feet high and when completed, it became the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River at the time. Its total weight was calculated at nine thousand, five hundred and fifty tons. The engineers built it in such a way that it could withstand major earthquakes and wind speeds.

One of the most interesting visual phenomenons is that although The Space Needle in Seattle is not the tallest structure of the city, many photographs show it tower above all the other skyscrapers. This is because this sixty story building is built over a kilometer northwest of the other buildings of the downtown area.

It houses restaurants and an observation desk which makes it one of the most visited buildings in the city. Visitors take elevators from ground level to the top which takes just over forty seconds. People often stand in lengthy queues to get the opportunity to stand at the top of this magnificent structure. In the year two thousand and seven, management recorded the forty fifth million visitor mark.

The Space Needle in Seattle has been seen in a number of movies and television shows. Base jumpers also favor this tower for their life daring stunts. Only five base jumps have been allowed since its opening and the tower is monitored closely for any illegal attempts at base jumping. Furthermore, the building is featured as one of the world famous building block toys collections. A fifty seven piece Lego construction set has been available as part of the architectural series.