The First International Store
When our first international store opened on March 1, 1987, its success was anything but assured. Although we were known in Seattle as retailers of whole-bean coffee, few outside of our hometown had ever heard of us.
But Howard Schultz was undaunted. Inspired by a trip to Milan, he had a new vision for the company. After working with Dave Olsen to launch two Italian-style cafés locally, the two set their sights on Canada to prove out their concept.
Week after week, Dave drove his pickup truck north to interview applicants and install equipment at the Vancouver location we'd found (now known as the SeaBus store). Dave trained the new partners himself, teaching them not only the craft of coffee but also our culture and values.
Though the early days after opening were nerve wracking, before long the SeaBus store began to attract a loyal following. We've since opened more than a thousand stores in Canada – and the original store location has become a tourist attraction in its own right.
Annastasia, a Starbucks Canada store manager, knew from a young age that they wanted to be a mom. In 2014, at 18 years old, Annastasia’s partner encouraged them to go to a local job fair where Starbucks was taking applications. Little did Annastasia know that landing that first job at Starbucks would be a critical […]
Italy has always been a special place for Starbucks. It was four decades ago that Howard Schultz first walked the cobblestone streets of Milan, Italy and experienced the romance of its espresso bars. That visit spurred him to bring the Italian coffeehouse experience to Starbucks and to America, which would grow from just 11 stores to […]
Starbucks and Canada go a long way back. The company opened its first store outside of the U.S. at the Seabus Skytrain Station in Vancouver, B.C. in 1987. This humble café, which continues to serve customers today, set the stage for Starbucks international growth. Today, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in […]