Schultz wanted to import this idea back to the United States, where he felt there was a vast, untapped market not only for gourmet coffee but also for coffee shops like the ones in Italy. At this point, Starbucks had 11 stores in the Pacific Northwest and about 100 employees. Starbucks was the first privately held company to offer stock options to part-time employees. The company established a stock option plan in 1991 and a stock purchase plan in 1995. Approximately half of the employees participate in one or both of these programs.
Partners receive options based on a percentage of annual wages.
The grant price is that of the stock on the first day of the fiscal year. There is a five-year vesting schedule for stock options. Any partner can participate in the stock purchase plan after working at least 20 hours per week for 90 days. The commitment Starbucks has to its partners is one of the foundations of the company's cohesive culture, which is transmitted at all levels through extensive education, an open organizational structure, and refined channels of communication. The culture's cohesion, as well as its fluidity, allows the company to constantly redefine all of its participation efforts to adapt to industry and corporate changes.