Starbucks fans from around the world make a pilgrimage to the holy land of Seattle to experience a taste of the original shop.
Walking into 1912 Pike Place St. feels like you are stepping back in time. Starbucks has worked hard to maintain the original feel, layout and decor of the original storefront.
As a semi-local, I've had the pleasure of visiting this iconic Seattle landmark a few times. No matter what time of day, there always seems to be a long line out the door. I got there around 1pm in the afternoon and the store was packed with people eager to experience a piece of coffee history. Based on everyone I saw there - it seemed to be exclusively tourists. Even though Pike Place Market is bustling with locals there to purchase fresh flowers or fish - it seemed like most opt for a Starbucks with shorter lines. We are in Seattle folks ... there is literally a Starbucks every few blocks!
Once you break through the line and get into the shop, you'll find a room packed with eager and soon to be caffeinated guests.
There is not one, but two lines that have formed in the store. First, you enter the line to order and pay for your drink, and then you enter another line to wait for the barista to make your drink.
The baristas are surprisingly cheerful and calm. You'd think that having a line out the door at all times would create a hectic and stressful environment, but they seem to have adjusted to this as their norm and are genuinely pretty happy to be at work.
This location uses real, manually operated espresso machines.
One of the biggest complaints that Starbucks received as they went more commercialized, was the fast food nature to the coffee experience. Starbucks has moved to fully automatic machines, which means the barista has little control over the shots of espresso or how the drink will taste. This allows Starbucks to standardize their beverages globally and so your drink will taste exactly the same no matter where you are in the world.
For most Starbucks fans, this is a huge perk. They love the predictably of being able to "count on" Starbucks for their favorite drink. As a coffee consoeur though, i'd rather take my chances with a barista using a manual machine in hopes that I get more artfully crafted espresso beverage.
When I got to the front of the line to get my drink, I was almost tickled pink to see a top of the line Nuova Simonelli espresso machine!
They have turned the Pike Place location into a pseudo Starbucks museum.
While you are waiting in line, Starbucks entertains you with relics from the past. There are newspaper articles about Starbucks dating back to the 70's and 80's which make for some interesting reading while you wait. They even have the very first 1 lb. coffee bag that was ever used to sell their beans.
They have created specific merchandise lines that are sold exclusively at the Pike Place location and feature the original siren logo. I would imagine that merchandise sales rival their food and beverage sales at this location.
Part of the charm is that they display the original siren logo with pride.
From the moment you see the sign hanging in the market street, to when you get through the doors, the original brown siren logo is everywhere. The Starbucks logo tends to fill people with a warm, familiar feeling. Most people associate getting coffee with a positive emotion. Either they are about to enjoy a tasty treat, or drink their much needed wakup juice. Most people feel better after leaving Starbucks, which influences their reaction to both the brand and the logo.
Here are the various iterations of the siren logo throughout the years.
The store is so busy, they don't even bother to un-box their supplies.
The area behind the counter is literally stacked to the brim with boxes. They move through coffee beans and syrups so quickly, that there is no point in developing an entire inventory management system and paying employees to un-box and organize supplies in a back room. Not to mention... there really isn't much of a back room to speak of. This shop is pretty tiny considering the volume.
Wait... why is there no seating??
Starbucks was started by a couple of college graduate buddies as a way to supply quality beans. They weren’t happy with the quality of beans they could find on the market and decided to do something about it. They sold their beans to local restaurants and also had a small store front where customers could come and buy directly. The idea of sit down coffee shops didn't even exist back in the early 70's. It wasn't until later on that Howard Shultz introduced them to the idea after seeing the setup modeled overseas.
Well... they actually shot down the idea and Shultz left the company, only to grow enough capital to purchase Starbucks and run things his way. If you want to learn more about the Starbucks story, I’d recommend reading Howard Shultz book, Pour your Heart into It. I read it years ago when I was managing a coffee shop and actually found it pretty inspirational.
Want in on a local's secret?
Umm... this isn't actually the first Starbucks.
Ok... now this is awkward.
Technically, their very first location was located on 2000 Western Ave in Seattle and it moved to the Pike Place location within a couple years of getting started. For all intents and purposes, this was the main store all throughout their original Seattle expansion. And let's face it... their flagship store being located right in the heart of the iconic Pike Place Market? That's just good marketing, people.
The experience wouldn't be complete without a busking musician right outside the shop.
I hope you enjoyed visiting this little piece of coffee history with me. If you ever find yourself in the Pike Place Market in Seattle - it is definitely worth checking out.