Howard Schultz

When you start a company, it's a singular focus. You have the wind at your back.

We woke up one day, and all the sudden Starbucks was in the middle of this political crossfire between the people who want to bring a gun into Starbucks and the people who want to prevent it. It is a very difficult, fragile situation.

My kids probably started drinking coffee in their late teens.

Starbucks has stores in America in many, many communities that are governed by many, many different municipalities. Starbucks cannot dictate to a municipality in Cincinnati or Kansas City or Sacramento how or why or when there should be a recycling program.

I'm in a different position than most CEO's. I'm a founder. I'm not a hired CEO. Now, I can be fired by the board, but most CEO's are hired by the board.

The Starbucks customer and the Teavana customer are two very different customers, two different need states that are highly complimentary.

Managing and navigating through a financial crisis is no fun at all.

Great opportunities can be and have been created during tough economic times.

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 can't imagine a day without coffee. I can't imagine!

Starbucks is in my blood. It is such a part of me that letting it unravel simply was not an option.

Risk more than others think safe.