The first strategic alliance Starbucks entered was with the real estate company Host Marriott wherein Starbucks licensed Marriott to open Starbucks outlets at select airport locations. Starbucks licensed Aramark to open Starbucks stores at a few college campuses. Other partnerships were with the department store .Nordstrom, the specialty retailer Barnes& Noble, the Holland America cruise lines, Starwood hotels, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, and United Airlines. Under a joint venture with PepsiCo Inc. a new version of Frappuccino was bottle and sold through grocery stores.
Starbucks maintained a non-smoking policy at all its outlets worldwide. It believed that the smoke could adversely affect the aroma of its coffee. For similar reasons, its employees were required to refrain from using strong perfumes.