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Starbucks is very successful in the market. In fact, they are the largest Coffee Company in the world with 19,555 stores in 58 countries, including 12,811 in the United States, 1,248 in Canada, 965 in Japan, 766 in Great Britain, 580 in China and 420 in South Korea, as far as we can trust the numbers (they are opening five new stores everyday).

Not to mention their performance in terms of the revenues: The chain is based in Seattle, Washington. Their sales numbers outshine McDonald’s, even though they are only selling drinks! That is without doubt a great achievement. Starbucks’ logo is constantly changing: the actual one is the third mark since their appearance 30 years ago.

Let’s now see 10 interesting fact about Starbuck’s.

1. There are many drink combination possibilities: 87,000 to be exact

Can you believe that? 87000 options? Not bad! How much time would you need to try it all? In 2008, this number appeared in a full-page advertisement in two significant newspapers.

2. The Starbucks name has literary inspiration.

Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz wrote a book with the title “Pour Your Heart into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time”, where he explained that the name of the conglomerate was derived from Starbuck, a character in Moby Dick, one of Herman Melville’s novels.

This nautical theme extended to the company’s logo as well, which Schultz said was inspired by a 16th-century Norse print of a “two-tailed mermaid, or siren.”

3. The tables were selected for solo diners

The small tables are circular so there don’t seem to be any “empty” seats and customers dining alone don’t feel—or appear—lonely.

“In environmental psychology, the round table is much more comfortable and informal for individuals, as well as groups of people, to sit at,” says Rubinfeld. He adds that Starbucks will soon be unveiling a new table shape: round with one straight edge that allows tables to be pushed together to make room for four people.

4. There’s a secret size which does not appear on the menu.

“Short”, a cup with the size of 8-ounce is known as the kid’s size, and it may not be listed as an option. According to Moore “It’s what the kid’s cocoa is served in.”

Starbucks is planning to add a size bigger than the venti to its iced drink menu. We can read on the blog Starbucks Gossip that Starbucks was experimenting with “trenta, a 31-ounce size cup in Phoenix in March of 2015.

5. Starbucks opens two or three new stores daily

Taylor Clark’s book, Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture was published in 2007.

According to this writing, six new Starbucks shops opened around the world every day to reach a total of 40,000 stores around the world, thus fulfilling Schultz’s plan. And so it went until the day when the financial crisis raised it’s head- then the growth would eventually drop to “two-plus stores” per day, says Arthur Rubinfeld, Starbucks president of Global Developments.

6. The posted hours aren’t exactly true

Moore says Starbucks adheres to the “10-Minute Rule”, even though the opening hours are different due to the diversity of locations (some open at 5 a.m, others at 8 a.m.). The rule prescribes the opening of the door 10 minutes before the posted time and tclose 10 minutes after the official closing time.

According to Moore, “This is just to provide good customer service, as there’s almost always a customer waiting for a Starbucks to open”.

7. Smiling is part of an employee’s job description.

This little information was passed by Marissa Bea, who worked at spots in Seattle and New York City during the past three years. According to Moore, “The employee handbook, called ‘The Green Apron,’ talks about connecting, discovering and responding, smiling… as a way to bond with customers,”.

8. The Cinnamon Chip Scone is richer in calories than a Quarter Pounder

Besides its coffee emprise, Starbucks is a mega confectionery seller. According to John Moore, a corporate marketing manager at Starbucks in 2002 and the writer of Brand Autopsy blog “If taken solely as a retailer of pastries, it would be the largest in the U.S.” But I have to disappoint you, because some of those tasteful pastries are not the best friends of your wallet.

For example, the Cinnamon Chip Scone contains 480 calories—70 calories more than the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder sandwich.

9. Most shops are decorated on the grounds of one of three templates.

The interiors of the shops are meant to mirror the nature of the surrounding neighborhood. “Having a locally relevant design aesthetic is important,” says Rubinfeld.

The three themes available are Heritage (“worn wood, stained concrete or tile floors, metal stools and factory-inspired lighting”); Artisan (“exposed steel beams, masonry walls, factory casement glass and hand-polished woodwork”); and Regional Modern (“bright, loft-like, light-filled spaces punctuated with regionally inspired furniture and culturally relevant fabrics”).

There’s also a fourth concept, used in “unique” stores designed to “explore innovations within the coffeehouse.”

10. A Starbucks grande coffee has over four times the amount of caffeine in a Red Bull

Starbucks is renowned for having some fairly calorie-dense drinks. However, Calories aren’t the only place Starbucks boasts big numbers. Caffeine amounts are also awe inspiring.

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