What is the oldest Starbucks?

Starbucks was founded on March 30, 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker. The original concept was a retail store selling whole-bean coffee, tea, and spices — not a café chain. The first location opened at 2000 Western Avenue in Seattle and served as a retail coffee shop, inspired by Peet's Coffee in Berkeley.

That first location closed in 1976 when the business moved to a new address. Howard Schultz did not join the company until 1982, and the café-chain model we know today only emerged after he bought Starbucks in 1987.

The oldest continuously operating Starbucks is at 1912 Pike Place, in Seattle's Pike Place Market. It opened in 1977 when the company moved from Western Avenue, and it has traded under the Starbucks name continuously since then.

The Pike Place location is often called "the original Starbucks," though technically it is the second address. It retains the original brown-and-white mermaid logo (rather than the green version introduced in 1987) and does not offer Mobile Order — preserving the early 1970s café atmosphere. Expect long lines from tourists: the store sees roughly 1 million visitors per year.

Tips for visiting:

• Arrive before 8 AM on weekdays or after 8 PM to avoid peak tourist waits
• No Mobile Order — you must queue at the counter
• Expect 15–30 minute lines on peak tourist days
• The "Pike Place Special Reserve" coffee and exclusive merchandise are only available here and a few sister stores
• Photos are allowed but the store is cramped — be considerate of other guests

The 1912 Pike Place address is open during market hours; close times can shift by season.

While Pike Place is the oldest operating store, other "firsts" of note:

• First drive-thru Starbucks: Greater Seattle, early 1990s
• First Starbucks Reserve: Seattle flagship Roastery, 2014
• First international Starbucks: Tokyo, Japan, 1996
• First 24-hour Starbucks: airport locations in the late 1990s

The Seattle Reserve Roastery — a flagship 15,000 sq ft location on Capitol Hill — is separate from the original Pike Place store but offers a more immersive "origin" experience with on-site roasting.