Starbucks Center, Corporate headquarters in SoDo district, Seattle, US.
Starbucks Center is a headquarters building in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, spanning multiple floors and housing more than six thousand employees. The structure combines offices, roasting facilities, and warehouse space under one roof, forming the operational heart of the company.
A department store company built the complex in the early 20th century as a distribution center for catalog sales on the West Coast. After decades of warehouse operation, the coffee company acquired the site in the late 1990s and gradually transformed it into office and production facilities.
The name references Captain Ahab's first mate from Moby-Dick, connecting the company to the region's maritime tradition. Employees share communal coffee tastings and open workspace areas that encourage conversation about roasting methods.
Visitors need to register in advance, as the complex primarily serves as a workplace and access is restricted. The surrounding streets in the industrial district offer parking, while public transit connects the location to downtown.
The outer facade displays elements of the original brick architecture from the catalog era, deliberately left visible during renovation. A historic industrial clock stands in the courtyard, once signaling shift changes for warehouse workers and now serving as a meeting point.
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