Who is Starbucks Coffee Owner?

Starbucks is one of the leading coffee brands in the world. Originally an American coffee brand, it has now grown into a multinational coffeehouse chain with its stores established across 80 countries. In this blog post, we shall shed light on the history of Starbucks, when it was founded, Starbucks owner and more.

About Starbucks: History, Year of Establishment & More

Starbucks Corporation, sometimes simply known as Starbucks, is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves. It is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks was founded in 1971, and now, it has become one of the best coffee brands in the world. As of November 2025, the networth of Starbucks Corporation is $98.27 Billion USD (market cap), as per companiesmarketcap.com. 

Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse chain in the world. It originally started as a coffee wholesale store. However, under the control of Howard Schultz, the Starbucks CEO from 1986 to 2000, Starbucks was converted into a coffee shop to serve espresso-based drinks. 

In today’s time, Starbucks has a wide menu and serves several hot and cold drinks, wholebean coffee, micro-ground instant coffee, espresso, caffe, iced matcha latte, juices, frappuccino, pastries and snacks. The offerings of Starbucks may vary from one country to another. 

At present, the chairman and CEO of Starbucks Corporation is Brian Niccol, an American businessman and former Chipotle chairman and CEO. Starbucks has a presence in approximately 80 countries around the world, including in India. It has thousands of stores in different corners of the world.

In January 2012, Starbucks Corporation entered into a 50:50 joint venture with Tata Global Beverages called Tata Starbucks. Tata Starbucks operates Starbucks outlets in India under the brand “Starbucks Coffee – A Tata Alliance”. It set up its first store in India, in Mumbai, on 19 October 2012. As of 2025, it has close to 500 stores located in different parts of the country. The CEO of Starbucks India is Sushant Dash. Among coffee lovers in India, the coffee beverages offered by Starbucks are quite popular. 

Who is the Founder of Starbucks?

The founders of Starbucks coffee were Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegl. They established its first store in the year of 1971, near the historic Pike Place Market in Seattle. This store originally served as a coffee bean wholesale store.

Who is the Starbucks Owner?

Many people wonder who the Starbucks owner is. There’s no single Starbucks owner. Instead, Starbucks is owned by numerous individuals and institutional shareholders. This is because it is a publicly traded company. Even you can become a Starbucks owner by purchasing its stock on the NASDAQ exchange under the ticker symbol SBUX.

Although Starbucks was founded by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegl, they are no longer the brand’s primary owners. The largest shareholders of Starbucks are major institutional investors like the Vanguard Group, Blackrock Group, Capital Research and Management Company and State Street Corporation.

Conclusion

Starbucks Corporation is one of the best coffee companies in the world. It was founded in Seattle, U.S., in 1971, and currently has presence in 80 countries across the world. It entered India in 2012 through a 50:50 joint venture with Tata Group. There’s no single owner of Starbucks. It is a publicly held company listed on NASDAQ, and is owned by several individuals and institutional shareholders. However, Starbucks India is a joint venture that is 50% owned by Starbucks Corporation and 50% owned by the Tata Group.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Who is the founder of Starbucks?

There’s not a single founder of Starbucks. It was founded by three individuals, namely, Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker and Zev Siegl.

Q2. When did Starbucks enter the Indian market?

It entered the Indian market in October 2012 through a joint venture with Tata Group. 

Q3. Who is Starbucks India CEO?

Starbucks India CEO is Sushant Dash. He was appointed as the company’s CEO in 2021.

Q4. Is Starbucks a publicly traded company?

Yes, it is a publicly traded company on NASDAQ. Its trading symbol is SBUX.

Q5. When did Starbucks launch its IPO in the U.S.?

Starbucks launched its IPO in the U.S. in 1992.

Q6. Which coffeehouse chain is the largest in the world?

Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse chain in the world.

Q7. Who are the major investors in Starbucks?

The major investors in Starbucks are Vanguard Group, Blackrock Group, Capital Research and Management Company and State Street Corporation.

Q8. Who is Brian Niccol?

Brian Niccol is the Chairman and CEO of Starbucks Corporation since September 2024. He is an American businessman, and previously, he served as the Chairman and CEO of Chipotle until 31 August 2024.

Disclaimer: In this article, we tried our best to present reliable and up-to-date information. However, we do not guarantee 100% completeness or accuracy of the information. This content should not be interpreted as financial, legal or business advice. It is merely meant to be informative.