<P> Starbucks first became profitable in Seattle in the early 1980s . Despite an initial economic downturn with its expansion into the Midwest and British Columbia in the late 1980s, the company experienced revitalized prosperity with its entry into California in the early 1990s . The first Starbucks location outside North America opened in Tokyo in 1996; overseas properties now constitute almost one - third of its stores . The company opened an average of two new locations daily between 1987 and 2007 . </P> <P> On December 1, 2016, Howard Schultz announced he would resign as CEO effective April 2017 and would be replaced by Kevin Johnson . Johnson assumed the role of CEO on April 3, 2017 . </P> <P> The first Starbucks opened in Seattle, Washington, on March 31, 1971, by three partners who met while they were students at the University of San Francisco: English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegl, and writer Gordon Bowker were inspired to sell high - quality coffee beans and equipment by coffee roasting entrepreneur Alfred Peet after he taught them his style of roasting beans . The company took the name of the chief mate in the book Moby - Dick: Starbuck, after considering "Cargo House" and "Pequod". Bowker recalls that Terry Heckler, with whom Bowker owned an advertising agency, thought words beginning with "st" were powerful . The founders brainstormed a list of words beginning with "st". Someone pulled out an old mining map of the Cascade Range and saw a mining town named "Starbo", which immediately put Bowker in mind of the character "Starbuck". Bowker said, "Moby - Dick didn't have anything to do with Starbucks directly; it was only coincidental that the sound seemed to make sense ." </P> <P> The first Starbucks store was located in Seattle at 2000 Western Avenue from 1971--1976 . This cafe was later moved to 1912 Pike Place; never to be relocated again . During this time, the company only sold roasted whole coffee beans and did not yet brew coffee to sell . The only brewed coffee served in the store were free samples . During their first year of operation, they purchased green coffee beans from Peet's, then began buying directly from growers . </P>

What is the origin of the name starbucks
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