Starbucks, the multi-national coffeehouse chain, was named after Moby Dick character Starbuck.
Originally Starbucks was intended to be named as Pequod, a whaleship that appears in the 1851 novel Moby-Dick, but because Pequod was rejected by one of the co-founders of Starbucks, the company was named after Starbuck, the first mate of The Pequod.
Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 50 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1000 in Canada, and over 700 in the UK.
The first Starbucks was opened in Seattle, Washington, on March 30, 1971 by three partners: English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siegl, and writer Gordon Bowker. The three were inspired by entrepreneur Alfred Peet (whom they knew personally) to sell high-quality coffee beans and equipment.