Starbucks is an American global coffee company and cafe chain based in Seattle. It has over 20,000 stores in 62 countries. The company was founded in 1971 and has grown to become the largest coffeehouse company in the world under the leadership of CEO Howard Schultz. Schultz was inspired by Italian coffee culture and aimed to bring that experience to America, motivating Starbucks' expansion and focus on quality coffee and the in-store customer experience.