The Frappuccino <br />Wasn't Invented by Starbucks A cool, refreshing Frappuccino is an iconic drink that most people associate with Starbucks. However, Starbucks owes their <br />blended inspiration to a coffee shop <br />called The Coffee Connection <br />in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1992, The Coffee Connection handed out coupons for their new Frappuccino drink, which quickly became a hit <br />with Harvard University students. The owner of Coffee Connection, <br />George Howell, found his inspiration <br />for the drink in Seattle in 1989. While in Seattle, Howell tasted a frozen cappuccino that had been made in a granita machine. He then set out to perfect the idea as something he could call his own. Howell, to TODAY Food Starbucks bought out The Coffee Connection, and "Frappuccino" name in 1994. Their version was selling nationwide and in Canada by 1995. Howell now operates George Howell Coffee, where they sell a blended, Frappuccino-like beverage called "The Original."
