The Most Important Number in the World of Starbucks: ONE

With all the news of Reserve bars, and concept stores, it’s still important to remember the joy of opening a brand new Starbucks. A core Starbucks store still is at the core of Starbucks.

In Onward, Howard Schultz writes:

“Success is not sustainable if it’s defined by how big you become. Large numbers that once captivated me – 40,000 ! – are not what matter. The only number that matters is “one.” One cup. One customer. One partner. One experience at a time. We had to get back to what mattered most.”

I know that sometime ago I heard a story about a conversation that Howard Schultz had. For the life of me, I can’t find it anywhere online or in a book, but over the years I have heard numerous Starbucks stories, including some that pertain to Howard.

The story goes like this:

One day Howard was talking to another executive and the conversation went something like this: Howard said, “Wow. Can you believe we’ve opened up 14,000 stores!” And the other executive replied, “No Howard. We’ve opened ONE* store, 14,000 times.”

*Obviously meaning 1912 Pike Place is that ONE store.

The theme of this article for you is this: ONE. Each ONE store is celebration of 1912 Pike Place. Each one store holds the spirit of Seattle and the first store. Each one store has a job and a mission to consider the experiences of every one of their customer, their partners, and the quality of the drinks: one by one, it is the Starbucks experience.

I can’t give you a citation for the Howard Schultz story that says we’ve opened “One store 14,000” but I know it’s right. I am sure.

One by one, Starbucks is opening up new stores. (Sometimes these core Starbucks stores are called “green dot” stores.)

Here’s two new ones which I had the chance to recently visit:

RENTON DRIVE THRU:

Store number 29220

15221 Maple Valley Highway

Renton, Washington 98058

425 757 0025

Grand opening day: Thursday, December 29, 2016