Claim: 1971 was the year Starbucks was founded.

Starbucks Corporation is an American coffee company and coffeehouse chain . Starbucks was founded in Seattle , Washington in 1971 . As of November 2016 , it operates 23,768 locations worldwide , including 13,107 -LRB- +170 -RRB- in the United States , 2,204 -LRB- +86 -RRB- in China , 1,418 -LRB- -12 -RRB- in Canada , 1,160 -LRB- +2 -RRB- in Japan and 872 in South Korea -LRB- bumping United Kingdom from 5th place -RRB- -LRB- Differences reflect growth since Jan 8 , 2016 -RRB- .   Starbucks is considered the main representative of `` second wave coffee '' , initially distinguishing itself from other coffee-serving venues in the US by taste , quality , and customer experience while popularizing darkly roasted coffee . Since the 2000s , third wave coffee makers have targeted quality-minded coffee drinkers with hand-made coffee based on lighter roasts , while Starbucks nowadays uses automated espresso machines for efficiency and safety reasons .   Starbucks locations serve hot and cold drinks , whole-bean coffee , microground instant coffee known as VIA , espresso , caffe latte , full - and loose-leaf teas including Teavana tea products , Evolution Fresh juices , Frappuccino beverages , La Boulange pastries , and snacks including items such as chips and crackers ; some offerings -LRB- including their annual fall launch of the Pumpkin Spice Latte -RRB- are seasonal or specific to the locality of the store . Many stores sell pre-packaged food items , hot and cold sandwiches , and drinkware including mugs and tumblers ; select `` Starbucks Evenings '' locations offer beer , wine , and appetizers . Starbucks-brand coffee , ice cream , and bottled cold coffee drinks are also sold at grocery stores .   Starbucks first became profitable in Seattle in the early 1980s . Despite an initial economic downturn with its expansion into the Midwest and British Columbia in the late 1980s , the company experienced revitalized prosperity with its entry into California in the early 1990s . The first Starbucks location outside North America opened in Tokyo in 1996 ; overseas properties now constitute almost one-third of its stores . The company opened an average of two new locations daily between 1987 and 2007 .   On December 1 , 2016 , Howard Schultz announced he would resign as CEO effective in April 2017 and will be replaced by Kevin Johnson . Johnson assumed the role of CEO on April 3 , 2017 .