17 Things You Didn't Know About Starbucks

No matter how often you frequent Starbucks, there are some interesting things you may not know about the legendary coffee chain. Though the Seattle-based coffee giant celebrated its 50th year anniversary last year by handing out free coffee, it did not partake in National Coffee Day celebrations this year (along with McDonald's). That's just one intriguing and perhaps little-known fact among many, including how you can start earning more rewards with the purchase of your daily cup of joe. 

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Jet-setting Starbucks aficionados can now get the best of both worlds by earning both Starbucks rewards and miles with their next Starbucks purchase. Starting Oct. 12, customers can earn one mile for every $1 spent as long as they're enrolled in the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program and Delta SkyMiles. On days that enrolled members have a scheduled flight with Delta Air Lines, they can earn double stars on purchases at participating Starbucks stores. Customers must link their accounts online to begin earning miles and stars.

Related: Discontinued Starbucks Items Customers Really Want Back

People love giving Starbucks gift cards so much that the chain sold $12.6 billion worth in 2020 and $11 billion in 2021. What's more, many consumers lose or don't use their gift cards, making them a massive financial gift for the company instead of free coffee for your bestie. In 2020, $164.5 million in gift cards was never redeemed and recorded by Starbucks as revenue. All told, there's $1 billion sitting unused on gift cards. You may want to rifle through your wallet and make sure you haven't forgotten about one.

Related: Gift Card Mistakes to Avoid

Worldwide, Starbucks goes through a staggering 7 billion disposable cups every year. Though there's been a 10-cent incentive to bring your own cup for decades, customers haven't taken up the habit as much as the chain would like — and you can't bring your own cup in the drive-thru. The chain now says that American and Canadian customers can use their own cups for every order by the end of 2023. Cup-washing stations, borrow-a-cup programs, financial incentives and deterrents, and new drive-thru systems are being tested to make single-use cups a thing of the past for good.

Back in 1971, when Starbucks first opened in Seattle, the coffee didn't come in cups. Starbucks sold only roasted whole coffee beans, not brewed drinks — and it wouldn't until the '80s. In 1987, employee Howard Schultz bought the company, and Starbucks as it is today began to take shape.

The coffee giant's original logo features a twin-tailed topless mermaid known as a siren. The logo has evolved over the years, and her hair has become more strategically placed, making the familiar image more PG-rated.

Well, kind of. As an early investor in Starbucks, Kenny G strongly recommended the creation of a sweet, milkshake-type drink to founder Howard Schultz. The company admits that he played a large role in shaping what is now known as the Frappuccino.

The development of the sweet and icy blended beverage can be traced to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where in 1992 a local coffee shop known as the Coffee Connection used a frozen yogurt machine to create a unique blend of coffee, sugar, milk, and ice. The name is a portmanteau of the words cappuccino and frappe, the New England name for a milkshake with ice cream. The creation was a huge success and helped the Coffee Connection expand to 23 locations. In 1994, Starbucks bought the chain — along with the rights to the Frappuccino name — for a cool $23 million.

Though the Pumpkin Spice Latte may get all the press (both good and bad), in 2020, it was outsold by another pumpkin-flavored beverage: Starbucks' Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, introduced just a few years ago.

Peter Dukes, a former Stanford basketball player who studied economics and received his MBA, was tasked with developing a new fall drink as a product manager for Starbucks. In 2003, the Pumpkin Spice Latte was born, and Dukes is credited with inventing it. The recipe has remained unchanged ever since.

Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte used to be available only once September rolled around, but in the past few years, the launch has crept into August. The beverage has been available as early as Aug. 24. Despite that, Dunkin' still beat Starbucks in 2021 with an even earlier debut of its own pumpkin latte, which launched Aug. 18. There’s a lucrative reason the Pumpkin Spice Latte is available earlier each year: Starbucks has sold more than 500 million of them since the drink's 2003 launch.

In 1999, Starbucks bought the record label Hear Music and signed artists such as Paul McCartney, Ray Charles, Alanis Morissette, Carly Simon, and Sonic Youth. The label eventually folded in 2008.

The Most Expensive Starbucks Drink Challenge has been around for years thanks to social media. Though Starbucks itself frowns upon it and has rules about how big a drink can be made, the challenge persists. The current title holder is a 240-ounce Super Venti Flat White that rang in at $149.

It’s called the Short, and it's an 8-ounce size that isn’t advertised on the menu — though it was one of only two sizes available in the early days of Starbucks (along with a 12-ounce pour). It’s mostly used for kid-size hot chocolates, but adults can order it when they don't want a full dose of caffeine — or if they’re looking for a better cappuccino.

In addition to a secret drink size, there is a secret drink menu. There is even a website dedicated solely to sharing dozens upon dozens of these fancy concoctions. The secret is knowing exactly how to order these exotic drinks — you’ve got to know the exact ingredients. Hot Butterbeer latte, anyone?

There is no rhyme or reason as to why a small drink at Starbucks is called a tall, or a medium is a grande, or a large is a venti. The creators fully admit to just making the names up.

In an effort to recycle more and reduce waste, Starbucks started a program in 1995 called Grounds for Your Garden. Baristas scoop used coffee grounds into empty bags from their espresso beans. Bags of grounds are available for free at many Starbucks locations, ready for you to use for your compost bin or garden.

As the start of 2022,  Starbucks had more than 34,000 stores worldwide. About half of those stores are located in the United States. China has the next-largest number, with a rapidly expanding footprint of more than 4,700 locations — and counting. 

Starbucks is far and away the largest coffee chain worldwide and is also the most valuable fast-food brand, surpassing even McDonalds.