The Fascinating Story Of How Starbucks Was Named

Since their humble beginnings in the early '70s, Starbucks has grown to be the second largest fast food chain in the world behind McDonalds. From the pumpkin spice lattes to what feels like a new refresher being announced every few months, people who love Starbucks are dedicated to this household name. But, have you ever considered where that name came from?

Back in 1971, the founders of this now-international company sat down with artist Terry Heckler (who designed the siren logo) to discuss what their business should be called. After throwing around a few names related to the adventurous spirit of Moby Dick that got turned down, the landmark near Seattle named "Starbo" came across their radar. Funny enough, the name of the first mate in Moby Dick is "Starbucks," so they were led back to their original theme. From that moment on, Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spices was born, but it didn't sell ready-made drinks or food like we are used to now.

Originally, Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Spices in Seattle's Pike Place Market sold bulk items. It was in the art of peddling tea, spices, and whole-bean coffee, not individual servings. You couldn't order prepared food or fresh drinks. In 1987, the store added an espresso bar. With that in the mix, Starbucks Coffee seemed like a better fit than the longer name of their past. 

When it started selling food in 2003, Starbucks had long left behind the memory of once having been a bulk store. By 2011, Starbucks would drop the word "coffee" from their logo and make waves in doing so. These days, we just call it Starbucks (or even "Starbies" when we're feeling extra cutesy), but that name shortening took many years. Next time you're feeling some kind of way because the line at Starbucks is too long, remember that there was a time when you couldn't even buy food or hot coffee there.