The first Starbucks opened in 1971 in Seattle's historic Pike Place Market, taking its name from the classic novel Moby Dick. In the 1980s, Howard Schultz joined Starbucks and was inspired to bring Italian espresso bar culture to Seattle after a business trip to Italy. Through the 1990s and 2000s, strong demand allowed Starbucks to rapidly expand across the United States and into over 30 countries, becoming a publicly traded company known for its excellent coffees, espresso drinks, teas, and Frappuccino blended beverages served in over 6,000 locations worldwide.