From sustainable store designs to generous partner (employee) benefits, Starbucks has created a culture that has helped it lead the global coffee business. Now it’s planning to do the same in the rapidly growing beverage categories of juice and tea.

That’s the focus of a new Delta Sky Magazine cover story featuring Starbucks chairman, president and ceo Howard Schultz.

Although a Starbucks doppio espresso macchiato (a double shot of espresso topped with a dab of steamed milk foam) is still his go-to morning drink, Schultz is fueled by more than coffee these days. He reveals to writer Leslie Helm he’s a “strong fan” of juice and tea. He often grabs a bottle of Evolution Fresh “Sweet Greens,” which contains celery, cucumber, parsley, kale, lime, wheat grass, romaine, lemon and clover sprouts. His beverage of choice late in the afternoon has become Teavana’s maharaja chai oolong tea.

Starbucks acquired Evolution Fresh in 2011 and Teavana in 2012, and Schultz believes the tea market has the greatest potential globally.

“Globally, tea is a larger opportunity than coffee,” he told the magazine. “It’s ripe for innovation.”

The full Delta Sky Magazine article highlights the appeal of the Starbucks brand and the momentum that will provide as the company expands with new technology and products.

Schultz is mindful of the way Evolution Fresh and Teavana are integrated into the Starbucks family, and of the way the company grows in communities - it's currently in 64 countries.

“Treating people with respect and valuing them is a universal language,” Schultz said. “Culture trumps strategy.”

Photo by Brian Bowen Smith, courtesy Delta Sky Magazine