What Starbucks actually means as chain quietly changes its name

Starbucks has made a number of changes recently, including its name - but what does the name mean anyway?

As part of its latest fiscal results, the multinational coffeehouse chain announced it would no longer charge customers extra for non-dairy milk, it’s menu would also be reduced to ‘clear the noise’, and its open-door policy - which allowed people to use Starbucks spaces without buying anything - would come to an end.

This means people will have to make a purchase if they want to hang out at a Starbucks coffee shop.

At the same time the changes were revealed, the coffee giant also revealed a name change, which new CEO Brian Niccol has since dropped in official earnings calls and interviews, according to Today.

(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

While it is still legally known as Starbucks Corporation, the chain’s public-facing moniker seems to have switched to The Starbucks Coffee Company – a title that’s already been used in several ads, on its website and on the app.

Niccol, who took over the company last September, recently explained it was all about going back to Starbucks’ ‘community coffeehouse’ roots.

“Starbucks has always been a place where people come together,” he said in a video statement. “We are revisiting our stores to make sure we’re offering the amenities you’d expect in a community coffeehouse.

“Even if customers don’t want to stay in the café each time they visit, we know they expect our stores to look and feel like the community coffeehouse they remember.”

He added: “Through product development, marketing, and in-store experience, we need to remind everyone that we are, and always have been, Starbucks Coffee Company.

“I’m convinced that if we get back to Starbucks - with a focus on coffee and customers combined with a welcoming coffee house experience created by our green apron partners - we will remind people of why they love Starbucks. They will visit more often, and we will return the company to strong growth.

What is the meaning behind the Starbucks name?

What's in a name? A lot actually (Starbucks)

The original Starbucks store opened in 1971 by University of San Francisco pals Gerald 'Jerry' Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegl in Seattle.

Inspiration for the name of the business came from classic literature. They wanted a name that suggested a sense of adventure and Bowker suggested calling the brand 'Pequod' after the ship in Moby-Dick.

They continued brainstorming and were interested in calling the brand 'Starbo' after a local mining camp in Seattle which had become a landmark.

The trio then realised that the name of the first mate on Pequod was called Starbuck. And just like that, the name was born.

Starbuck in Moby-Dick is considered the voice of reason on the ship, with a calm and reserved demeanor.