12 Little-Known Facts About Starbucks

Flickr user Rudolf Schuba

When passing the notorious green-and-white Starbucks sign on the street, the first thing that comes to mind is, well, coffee. Delicious, uniquely flavored, frustratingly expensive coffee (seriously, did I just pay $5 for one frappe?!). Love it or hate it, though, you've got to admit — the chain is doing something right. In 2010, it made more than $10 billion! Here are 12 more interesting facts about Starbucks, as gleaned from this Quora thread and Business Insider story.

01
Starbucks was almost named Pequod.
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Starbucks was almost named Pequod.

"Starbucks was almost named Pequod by one of the original founders, after the name of the ship in the novel Moby Dick. It was brought to his attention that no one is going to drink a cup of 'pee-quod.'" — Quora user Garrick Saito

02
Employees are required to smile.
Flickr user Hirotaka Nakajima

Employees are required to smile.

"Smiling is part of an employee's job description. The employee handbook, called 'The Green Apron,' talks about connecting, discovering and responding, and smiling . . . as a way to bond with customers." — Quora user Meenakshhi Mishra

03
Starbucks's CEO experienced poverty when he was young.
Flickr user Rebecca Krebs

Starbucks's CEO experienced poverty when he was young.

"[CEO Howard Schultz] experienced poverty at an early age. When Schultz was 7 years old, his father broke his ankle while working as a truck driver picking up and delivering diapers. At the time, his father had no health insurance or worker's compensation, and the family was left with no income." — Business Insider

04
The very first Starbucks was opened in Seattle.
POPSUGAR Photography | Mark Popovich

The very first Starbucks was opened in Seattle.

"The first Starbucks was opened at 2000 Western Avenue [in Seattle] in 1971. Five years later, in 1976, it was relocated to 1912 Pike Place, where it stands today. The first store was 0.3 miles from the present one." — Quora user Anshul Agarwal

05
Early versions of the logo featured a full-body shot of the Starbucks siren.
Flickr user allisonmseward12

Early versions of the logo featured a full-body shot of the Starbucks siren.

"Early versions of the logo featured a full-body shot of the Starbucks siren, but they cropped it because some people complained that it was sexual. Apparently some people didn't want to see a female figure spreading her legs, even if it was just essentially a fish." — Anonymous Quora user

06
Starbucks wouldn't allow any reference to the caffeine in its beverages.
POPSUGAR Photography | Anna Monette Roberts

Starbucks wouldn't allow any reference to the caffeine in its beverages.

"Starbucks marketing would not allow any reference to caffeine or its effects. I actually thought this was pretty smart; they wanted to position their coffee as a gourmet foodstuff, sought out for its flavor and not its jolt." — Anonymous Quora user

07
Most of the stores are decorated in one of three ways.
Flickr user Sabrina & Brad

Most of the stores are decorated in one of three ways.

"Most stores are decorated according to one of three templates: heritage — worn wood, stained concrete or tile floors, metal stools, and factory-inspired lighting. Artisan — exposed steel beams, masonry walls, factory casement glass, and hand-polished woodwork. Regional modern — right, loft-like, light-filled spaces punctuated with regionally inspired furniture and culturally relevant fabrics." — Anonymous Quora user

08
Most stores cost around $250,000 to open.
Flickr user Justus Blümer

Most stores cost around $250,000 to open.

"Most Starbucks stores cost about $250,000 to open. The one inside the Crystals at the CityCenter in Las Vegas is a $1.1 million store." — Quora user Michelle Licerio

09
The CEO used to worked at a ski lodge, waiting for inspiration.
Flickr user d'n'c

The CEO used to worked at a ski lodge, waiting for inspiration.

"After [graduating college] in 1975, Howard Schultz spent a year working at a ski lodge in Michigan waiting for inspiration. He finally landed a job in the sales training program at Xerox, where he got experience cold-calling and pitching word processors in New York. The work didn't fulfill him." — Business Insider

10
You can order a bucket of coffee.
Flickr user Rebecca Krebs

You can order a bucket of coffee.

"Here's a useful tip for those who need their caffeine: there's the Trenta, which is 31 oz. It's a bucket of coffee, more or less." — Quora user Alex Willen

11
Some illustrated brochures were pulled because of a subliminal penis in the foam.
Flickr user Julio Pinar

Some illustrated brochures were pulled because of a subliminal penis in the foam.

"Around the same time the logo was cropped, a bunch of illustrated brochures (explaining what the different drinks were, titled 'Anatomy of a Beverage' or something like that) were pulled because some executive was convinced the illustrator subliminally added a penis in the foam. This was untrue and ridiculous; many of us thought the main Starbucks marketing guy at the time thought way too long and hard about this stuff." — Anonymous Quora user

12
Cup sizes start with Tall.
Flickr user Alexander Kaiser

Cup sizes start with Tall.

"The sizes on the menu start with Tall. That is because there is an off-menu size called Short which can be ordered and served. Asking for a Small will get you a Tall, so the exact terminology is important." — Quora user Shefaly Yogendra