Millions of people order from Starbucks every day without knowing the weird stuff behind the green apron. There's a name that almost sank the brand, a store where even your cup is classified, and an investigation that made people look twice at their iced drinks. These three facts sound made up, but they're true.
1. What was Starbucks almost named?
The founders nearly called the company "Pequod," after the doomed whaling ship in Moby-Dick. They dropped it, reportedly because nobody wanted to order a cup of Pequod.
They settled on "Starbuck," the name of the ship's first mate, a coffee-loving character in the same novel. The name stuck, along with the nautical theme and the siren on the logo.
2. Which Starbucks won't write your name on the cup?
The one inside CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Names stay off the cups, and the receipts reportedly just say "Store Number 1."
Baristas there are reported to be escorted around the building by CIA "minders," since the staff are not cleared employees. Even your latte order is treated as sensitive.
3. What did investigators find in the ice?
Fecal bacteria. In 2017, a BBC Watchdog investigation in the UK tested ice in cold drinks at Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero and found bacteria usually associated with fecal matter.
Three out of 10 Starbucks samples contained fecal coliforms. Costa did worse, with seven out of 10 samples.
One caveat: fecal coliforms are a broad class of bacteria, not actual feces. The microbiologist who ran the tests said the likely cause was unclean hands, and Starbucks said it was investigating. Still, you may think about that when you order your next iced drink.
