Running Head: Starbucks Corporation Starbucks Corporation: Finance and Accounting Student name College Instructor Course Starbucks Corporation Starbucks is a global coffee chain whose headquarters are located at Seattle. It is referred to the biggest coffee chain in the world with its stores located in 55 countries. It has more than 1700 stores around the more 11,000 stores located in US. The greatest opportunity that Starbucks tapped was the fact that coffee is among the most common drink in the world. Through strategic management, Starbucks number of stores rose from 17 in 1987 to more than 16,120 stores by 2009. Critical decision making by its management has been key to the success of Starbucks. Founded in 1971 by three partners, Zev Siegel, Gordon Bower and Jerry Baldwin in Washington at Seattle, it has matured from a small shop to a global giant corporation that initially operated in US only. Alfred Peet, who used to grow high quality coffee beans in his farm influenced these founders. Initially they choose him to be their only supplier of the bean, which they would process and sell them to the bars and restaurants where these beans were on high demand. Howard Schultz joined the partnership in 1982 but would sell the coffee in his coffee house referred to as II Gionale. Later, he acquired the Starbucks Coffee chain from the original owners who were also the founders. II Gionale and Starbucks coffee chains were integrated to for...