The future of America is not an entitlement. We have been given a treasure chest of gifts and opportunities, but some people are being left behind, and success is not sustainable unless it is shared.
— Howard Schultz
Social and digital media is a bullet train, and that bullet train is not coming home.
The premium single-cup segment is the fastest-growing business within the global coffee industry.
Growing up I always felt like I was living on the other side of the tracks. I knew the people on the other side had more resources, more money, happier families.
The evolving social and digital media platforms and highly innovative and relevant payment capabilities are causing seismic changes in consumer behavior and creating equally disruptive opportunities for business.
The challenge of the retail business is the human condition.
California, in a sense, is almost Starbucks' largest country, with almost 3,000 stores.
My father had a series of blue-collar jobs and never made more than $20,000 a year. When I was seven, he got injured on a job. That was a very important point - because of the injury, he couldn't walk, and the company he was working for did not pay him. There was no compensation. So there was no money and no food.
As Americans, there are very few things we have confidence in.
It's ironic that no matter where I go, I meet people from Brooklyn. I'm proud of that heritage. It's where I'm from, who I am.
Success in the United States is not an entitlement in China. You have to go there and earn it, and earn it the right way.
I believe life is a series of near misses. A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It's seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It's seeing what other people don't see And pursuing that vision.
Risk more than others think safe.
We are witnessing a seismic change in consumer behavior. That change is being brought about by technology and the access people have to information.
Any business today that embraces the status quo as an operating principle is going to be on a death march.
Do I take criticism of Starbucks personally? Of course I do.
With a population of more than 600 million people, an emerging middle class that is driving strong consumption, and a robust and resilient economy, Southeast Asia presents a compelling growth opportunity for Starbucks.
Starbucks is committed to evolving and enhancing our customer experience with innovative and wholesome food offerings.
Profitability is a shallow goal if it doesn't have a real purpose, and the purpose has to be share the profits with others.
Starbucks has changed the rules of engagement for the music industry.
Certainly the caffeine in coffee, whether it's Starbucks or generic coffee, is somewhat of a stimulant. But if you drink it in moderation, which I think four or five cups a day is, you're fine.
I always saw myself wanting to do something deemed successful and good at the same time.
London, a city where creativity and innovation have always flourished, provides a significant home for Starbucks and a significant gateway into Europe.
Europe has always represented a major strategic opportunity to achieve our goal of creating and building an enduring global brand.
Expect more than others think possible.
Care more than others think wise.
The hardest thing about being a leader is demonstrating or showing vulnerability... When the leader demonstrates vulnerability and sensibility and brings people together, the team wins.
Don't buy preground coffee.
In the 1960s, if you were a blue collar worker or uneducated, and you had an injury on the job, the company basically dismissed you.
Anybody can leverage celebrity for profit.
I think my whole life, because of where I came from, I had a fear of failure.
Starbucks has a role and a meaningful relationship with people that is not only about the coffee.
A great business has to have a conscience. You have to know who you are and who you are not.
I probably have about four or five cups of coffee a day. I make myself an espresso macchiato when I wake, which is a shot of espresso and just a dollop of steamed milk. Then, if I'm going to do some work at home, I would make myself a French press. It's the best way to make conventional coffee.
My parents really wanted me to get out of New York, be exposed to other people, other ways of life.
We have a big opportunity in China. We think the number of stores here can rival the number in North America.
China traditionally has been a tea-drinking country but we turned them into coffee drinkers.
Dream more than others think practical.
Starbucks represents something beyond a cup of coffee.
