Seattle is already synonymous with Starbucks coffee, as this is the birthplace of Starbucks! My Japanese professor told me that Seattle’s weather is so gloomy that they invented coffee shops to brighten up the city. I am not so sure about the authenticity of that story but since I was already in Seattle, I knew I needed to visit the first Starbucks store. The Pike Place Starbucks was established in 1971 at the Pike Place Market, downtown Seattle.