In the early 1990s, Starbucks stores in California—especially during hot summers—began experimenting on their own.
Baristas blended coffee, ice, milk, and flavor syrups.
Inspired partly by blended iced drinks popular in the region
One of them was a Frappuccino from a company called Coffee Connection.
The drink concept and the name “Frappuccino” came from Boston-based chain Coffee Connection, where owner George Howell and his team created a blended coffee, milk, sugar, and ice drink in the early 1990s.
Starbucks acquired Coffee Connection (and the Frappuccino name and recipe) in 1994 for about 23 million dollars, giving Starbucks the legal and brand foundation to use and adapt the drink.
Howard Schultz, a self-described coffee purist, was initially opposed to launching a blended, sweet coffee drink, fearing it would dilute Starbucks’ espresso-focused identity.
After tasting early test versions, he thought the drink was poor and worried customers would know Starbucks only through this sweet beverage instead of understanding the “essence” of its coffee culture.
Despite his doubts, Schultz agreed to let store partners and product teams experiment and test the blended beverage with customers, first in select markets like Southern California.
Once tests showed strong demand—especially among younger and nontraditional coffee drinkers—Schultz approved a national rollout: the Frappuccino launched widely in U.S. Starbucks stores in summer 1995 as a seasonal drink, then quickly became a year-round menu item.
Under Schultz’s leadership, Starbucks reformulated the original Coffee Connection version, shifted to making it in blenders in stores, and positioned Frappuccino as a signature, customizable cold platform.
In 1996, Starbucks extended the brand into ready-to-drink bottled Frappuccinos via a partnership with PepsiCo, turning the beverage into a multi‑billion‑dollar business and a major driver of Starbucks’ global growth.
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