Starbucks closed all of its stores for three hours on February 26, 2008, so that its baristas could receive a refresher course on improving the customer experience. According to a Starbucks spokeswoman: "We will have all new standards for how we create the drinks...[Employees] will be trained in creating the perfect shot, steaming the milk and all the pieces that come together in a drink." Starbucks is the largest coffee chain in the world, with over 12,000 locations worldwide.
Starbucks Fast Facts
- Founded in 1971 in Seattle, Washington
- Stock: SBUX
- Chairman: Howard Shultz
- Revenue: 7.786 billion (2006)
- Employees: 147,436