Twenty-five years ago, coffee was a commodity product. Coffee brands such as Maxwell House (“good to the last drop”) and Folger’s advertised on television, but the difference between the brands was minimal. Not very satisfying, but no great pressure for change, either. In the 1990s, after touring coffeehouses in Rome, Howard Schultz brought the concept of upscale coffee to the United States and Starbucks was born (“Starbucks to Open 1,500 More Cafes in the U.S.,” The Seattle Times, December 5, 2012). In 2012, over 13,000 Starbucks existed in the United States alone. How could a company such as Starbucks make any money in a highly competitive market like coffee? What factors did Howard Schultz need to consider before venturing into this business?