Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational coffeehouse and roastery chain founded in Seattle in 1971 and headquartered at the Starbucks Center on Utah Avenue South. It operates and licenses tens of thousands of stores worldwide and is one of the largest food-and-beverage retailers globally. Starbucks is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker SBUX; Brian Niccol has served as chairman and CEO since September 2024. Beyond retail, the company runs substantial technology, data and digital-product organisations supporting its mobile app, rewards programme and global supply chain.