Starbucks is an American company that operates the largest coffeehouse chain and one of the most recognizable brands in the world. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company operates more than 35,000 stores across 80 countries (as of 2022).
Although Starbucks was not the first major coffeehouse chain in the U.S., it was the first to both popularize and mass-distribute a particular brand of café culture. Starting in the 1990s, Starbucks began promoting coffee as a holistic experience that combined ambiance, community, function, and lifestyle. By transforming people’s perception of coffee and coffeehouses, Starbucks achieved outsize growth and established itself as one of the most dominant names in the coffeehouse industry.