Starbucks

Since its founding by a trio of aspiring coffee roasters in Seattle in 1971, Starbucks has grown to become the largest coffeehouse in the world, with upwards of 20,000 locations in Houston and around the world. Named for the chief mate on the whaling ship from Moby Dick, the company didn't begin chasing the Great White Whale of world java domination until the 1990s, by which time it was opening a new store every day. A turbulent economy has since forced it to retrench, but the chain remains a powerhouse both commercially and politically, thanks to its op-ed-penning chairman, Howard Schultz. A purveyor of whole foods, Starbucks typically farms out its secret recipes to a single, Starbucks-owned bakery in each city, and now sells a good deal of its coffee beans at grocery stores. Find any and all local locations on Voice Places.