China traditionally has been a tea-drinking country but we turned them into coffee drinkers.

The challenge of the retail business is the human condition.

We think of Starbucks not as a coffee company but a media company.

Starbucks is not an advertiser; people think we are a great marketing company, but in fact we spend very little money on marketing and more money on training our people than advertising.

I conduct my life with an expectation that people will do the right thing. Yet even with all my experience, I am still surprised when they do not.

In this ever-changing society, the most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are built with the strength of the human spirit, not an ad campaign. The companies that are lasting are those that are authentic.

There's this myth that has been exacerbated by others that Starbucks means a $4 cup of coffee, which is not true.