HISTORY OF Coffee shops & STARBUCKS
The modern day coffee house, such as Starbucks, serves as an epicenter of social interaction or as an open venue for individuals to quietly pass the time, while enjoying a high quality drink. Today, we don’t think twice about these ubiquitous venues so readily available for all types of customers and for all types of occasions. It may seem odd that coffee houses were historically not always as inclusive as they are today.
The first recorded coffee place dates back to 1475 in Constantinople, modern day Istanbul. It was believed that the first shop was named Kiva Han. Coffee to the Turkish during that time period was so important to their culture that women were allowed to divorce their husbands if they were not provided enough coffee. Coffee became so praised for its stimulating effects that coffee houses became a gathering place of choice for political conversations in the Middle East. Soon, the abundance of coffee shops began to garner a fear within religious authorities that viewed coffee as a “sinful drink”, which was known to loosen the tongue and sprung caffeinated discussions about new and potentially subversive ideas making politicians and religious leaders nervous. However, religious authorities were not able to suppress the popularity of this drink.
Coffee did not enter Europe until around the 1600s, however when it did, it soon became wildly popular. The first European coffee house was believed to have been established in Vienna by Franz Georg Kolschitzky. Kolschitzky introduced the idea of filtering the coffee to soften the brew and adding cream and sugar to the bitter drink. “ While the effects of coffee stimulated vigorous discussions of governmental activities, its soothing warmth and aroma created a relaxed atmosphere to play games, tell stories and recite poetry. This blend of activities attracted a variety of patrons and transformed the coffee house into a meeting place”(2). The first coffee houses opened up in Britain in 1652, and from there spread throughout Europe, entering Italy in 1654, Paris in 1672, and Germany in 1673.
Within a day and age where water was mostly unsanitary, alcohol was generally the only form of drinkable liquid. Coffee soon became heralded as the antithesis of alcohol. Sobering rather than intoxicating, stimulating mental activity rather than dulling sense, coffee was perceived as a wholesome liquor that “heals the stomach, makes the genius quicker, relieves the memory, revives the sad, and cheers the spirit, without making mad” (1). The décor of the coffee house itself reflected the different customers it attracted. In stark contrast to the gloom and squalor of pubs, coffee houses were beautifully adorned with bookshelves, framed pictures, and good comfortable furniture, décor that perfectly complimented the calm atmosphere of polite and intellectual conversation.
For its customers, coffee houses served as a place where information was exchanged between intellectuals such as writers, politicians, businessmen, and scientists alike. Due to a growing middle class, information workers who worked in offices rather than with physical labor, preferred the relatively cheap mental stimulation coffee provided them. However, up until expansion of coffee chains, coffee houses were very particular to its clientele and their specific lines of business. The literary-minded tended to gather at the same coffee house while businessmen and politicians frequented a coffee house which reflected their range of interests. It was not until the invention of the espresso in 1946 that the modern coffee house became a plausible idea.
Espresso along with the espresso bar was first introduced in Italy. It brought speed and brevity to the coffee experience. While coffee houses used to be a place where customers would frequent for hours on end, the espresso bar gave its customers a chance to quickly enjoy the effects of coffee without the added lengthy conversation. Not only was espresso made with a machine, but customers also ordered at the bar and consumed their drinks standing up. While visiting Italy, Howard Schultz observed the popularity of espresso bars in Italy and saw the opportunities espresso bars had in coffee culture in America.
Starbucks opened in 1971 as a store in Seattle, Washington that initially only sold coffee beans and coffee making equipment. Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker got the idea from Alfred Peet (of Peets Coffee & Tea). The name Starbucks derives from Captain Ahab's first mate named Starbuck from the novel Moby Dick. Starbucks did not begin to expand until 1985 when Schultz’s company Il Giornale acquired Starbucks and changed its name to Starbucks Corporation. Starbucks quickly took over Seattle, the United States, until eventually reaching the global market. Starbucks was so successful that it completed its initial public offering (IPO) in 1992 with a total of 165 stores.
Throughout history, coffee houses have always served as a place for gathering, however there were always restrictions to the types of customers each place attracted. Starbucks has managed to adopt the traditional feel of the coffeehouse, while also paving way for a new type of coffee culture.
The first recorded coffee place dates back to 1475 in Constantinople, modern day Istanbul. It was believed that the first shop was named Kiva Han. Coffee to the Turkish during that time period was so important to their culture that women were allowed to divorce their husbands if they were not provided enough coffee. Coffee became so praised for its stimulating effects that coffee houses became a gathering place of choice for political conversations in the Middle East. Soon, the abundance of coffee shops began to garner a fear within religious authorities that viewed coffee as a “sinful drink”, which was known to loosen the tongue and sprung caffeinated discussions about new and potentially subversive ideas making politicians and religious leaders nervous. However, religious authorities were not able to suppress the popularity of this drink.
Coffee did not enter Europe until around the 1600s, however when it did, it soon became wildly popular. The first European coffee house was believed to have been established in Vienna by Franz Georg Kolschitzky. Kolschitzky introduced the idea of filtering the coffee to soften the brew and adding cream and sugar to the bitter drink. “ While the effects of coffee stimulated vigorous discussions of governmental activities, its soothing warmth and aroma created a relaxed atmosphere to play games, tell stories and recite poetry. This blend of activities attracted a variety of patrons and transformed the coffee house into a meeting place”(2). The first coffee houses opened up in Britain in 1652, and from there spread throughout Europe, entering Italy in 1654, Paris in 1672, and Germany in 1673.
Within a day and age where water was mostly unsanitary, alcohol was generally the only form of drinkable liquid. Coffee soon became heralded as the antithesis of alcohol. Sobering rather than intoxicating, stimulating mental activity rather than dulling sense, coffee was perceived as a wholesome liquor that “heals the stomach, makes the genius quicker, relieves the memory, revives the sad, and cheers the spirit, without making mad” (1). The décor of the coffee house itself reflected the different customers it attracted. In stark contrast to the gloom and squalor of pubs, coffee houses were beautifully adorned with bookshelves, framed pictures, and good comfortable furniture, décor that perfectly complimented the calm atmosphere of polite and intellectual conversation.
For its customers, coffee houses served as a place where information was exchanged between intellectuals such as writers, politicians, businessmen, and scientists alike. Due to a growing middle class, information workers who worked in offices rather than with physical labor, preferred the relatively cheap mental stimulation coffee provided them. However, up until expansion of coffee chains, coffee houses were very particular to its clientele and their specific lines of business. The literary-minded tended to gather at the same coffee house while businessmen and politicians frequented a coffee house which reflected their range of interests. It was not until the invention of the espresso in 1946 that the modern coffee house became a plausible idea.
Espresso along with the espresso bar was first introduced in Italy. It brought speed and brevity to the coffee experience. While coffee houses used to be a place where customers would frequent for hours on end, the espresso bar gave its customers a chance to quickly enjoy the effects of coffee without the added lengthy conversation. Not only was espresso made with a machine, but customers also ordered at the bar and consumed their drinks standing up. While visiting Italy, Howard Schultz observed the popularity of espresso bars in Italy and saw the opportunities espresso bars had in coffee culture in America.
Starbucks opened in 1971 as a store in Seattle, Washington that initially only sold coffee beans and coffee making equipment. Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker got the idea from Alfred Peet (of Peets Coffee & Tea). The name Starbucks derives from Captain Ahab's first mate named Starbuck from the novel Moby Dick. Starbucks did not begin to expand until 1985 when Schultz’s company Il Giornale acquired Starbucks and changed its name to Starbucks Corporation. Starbucks quickly took over Seattle, the United States, until eventually reaching the global market. Starbucks was so successful that it completed its initial public offering (IPO) in 1992 with a total of 165 stores.
Throughout history, coffee houses have always served as a place for gathering, however there were always restrictions to the types of customers each place attracted. Starbucks has managed to adopt the traditional feel of the coffeehouse, while also paving way for a new type of coffee culture.
To view a detailed timeline of the Starbucks Company please click this link: http://globalassets.starbucks.com/assets/c60c79d6c3a247e284640f17f1806283.pdf
Bibliography:
1) http://blog.evenues.com/2012/02/07/a-brief-history-of-coffee-houses-as-meeting-places/
2) http://www.coffee.org/history-of-starbucks
3) http://coffeetea.about.com/od/history1/a/shophistory.htm
4) http://www.economist.com/node/2281736/print
5) http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/s/schultz-pour.html
6) http://www.starbucks.com/about-us/our-heritage
Bibliography:
1) http://blog.evenues.com/2012/02/07/a-brief-history-of-coffee-houses-as-meeting-places/
2) http://www.coffee.org/history-of-starbucks
3) http://coffeetea.about.com/od/history1/a/shophistory.htm
4) http://www.economist.com/node/2281736/print
5) http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/s/schultz-pour.html
6) http://www.starbucks.com/about-us/our-heritage