‘America doesn’t necessarily do it best’: What visiting Starbucks in 74 countries taught one man about the world

What started as a quirky challenge to visit every Starbucks in the world has turned into something much bigger for one man.

A man who goes simply by Winter has been “Starbucking” since 1997, visiting 20,595 stores in 74 countries and spending at least $180,000 along the way.

But after nearly 30 years, he said the coffee isn’t really the point anymore.

The quest has given him a reason to travel, introduced him to people around the world he never would have met otherwise, and ultimately given his life a sense of purpose.

“Originally, when I was 25, it was just an attempt to do something different, and it satisfied my psychological need to be challenged and to collect things,” Winter said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “But over the past three decades, ‘Starbucking’ has evolved into a purpose in my life, and I firmly believe that by leading a purpose-driven life, you can achieve maximum life satisfaction.”

Winter had a front-row seat as Starbucks itself has changed, from Howard Schultz’s vision of the neighborhood “third place” to a global chain now trying to rediscover some of that human connection.

Winter said his routine is simple: order a short drip coffee, drink at least a sample, and move on. On heavy “Starbucking” days, he’s visited as many as 29 stores.

“You have to understand that sometimes I might go to 10, 15, even 20 stores in a day,” Winter said. “So it’s best to keep it simple, otherwise I would never sleep.”

Asked whether Starbucks tastes the same everywhere, Winter said the company has been remarkably consistent but acknowledged change over the years.

“My opinion is, as the company has grown, it’s been a struggle to hire the same level of quality of baristas and to purchase the same level of quality of beans,” Winter said. “They’ve got to keep feeding that pipeline, and that means they can’t buy the best quality beans. I think that’s just the reality of trying to manage over 40,000 stores around the world.”

His favorite store? Casa Bou in El Salvador, a flagship location inside a historic building with stained glass windows, three levels, a lending library on the second floor and an art gallery running the length of the third.

“Next to the famous roasteries, it’s easily one of the best Starbucks in the world,” Winter said.

Winter says the quest changed how he sees the world, what he needs in it

Winter said he wasn’t a world traveler before “Starbucking.” Now, after visiting 74 countries, his perspective on the United States has shifted.

“One of the many things that Starbucking has done for me has been to turn me into a traveler and to learn to appreciate the cultures, the different ways that different countries do things,” Winter said. “It’s also taught me that, despite what we might hear on the media, America doesn’t necessarily do it best.”

He cited South Korea’s Wi-Fi, which he said was “lightning fast” in 2011, and Asian transit systems where subway exits are numbered to match Google Maps directions.

“I don’t know of any U.S. city that has that,” Winter said.

Asked how the quest has changed him personally, Winter said the biggest shift was walking away from materialism.

“I used to think that I needed a lot of stuff. I was very materialistic, just buying things that I didn’t need,” Winter said. “I decided to abandon all that in favor of saving money for travel, but also being quite mobile, trying not to buy much more stuff than I can fit in my car. I came to value experiences over things.

“That car you have, the fancy clothes you have, even your house, all those things can be taken away from you,” he added. “But the experiences that you had in your life cannot be taken away from you.”

Winter said health issues are now limiting his ability to travel and work as a contract computer programmer, but he has no plans to stop.

“I dream of visiting a Starbucks on my 100th birthday,” Winter said. “Even if I’m stuck here in Houston getting medical treatment, if they open up a new Starbucks down the road, I’m going to go see it.”

He said Seattle holds a special place in his “Starbucking” history after living there for six months while working at Microsoft.

“I just grew to love the Pacific Northwest in general, just how beautiful Seattle is, how interesting it is,” Winter said. “If you love food, if you just love great vibes, Seattle’s definitely a place for that.”

Winter is writing a book about the journey called “Starbucking: One Person’s Quest to Visit Every Starbucks in the World.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.