Inspired by late-1960s counterculture thinking (and named after a character in the novel Moby Dick), Starbucks began in 1971 as a solitary niche store in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. Today, the company’s stores are utterly ubiquitous—more than 30,000 cafes globally, including the kiosks in airports, train stations, stadiums, and the like. Roughly 40 percent of the coffee shops in the U.S. are Starbucks. Along with grunge rock and Amazon, Starbucks was one of the 1990s signs that Seattle was taking over the world—and like the other two legs of the Emerald City’s conquering tripod, Starbucks is now thoroughly mainstream. And through its chains, Starbucks is an omnipresent presence in modern life. 

On the corporate side of Starbucks, residence in Seattle is a must. If you wish to work in corporate at...