Starbucks' PR Disaster in Philly

April 16, 2018

The arrest of two black men in a Philly café last week has brought Starbucks its worst PR headache in a good while.

Dozens of protesters showed up outside the store today chanting, “Starbucks coffee is anti-black,” and calls for a national boycott start trending on Twitter. And this incident seems to have people on both sides of the political aisle upset.

To recap: A customer near the two men — who say they were sitting in the café waiting for a third person to arrive before ordering — filmed police arresting them after the store’s manager called 911.



The arrests occurred on Thursday night. By midday Saturday, Starbucks released an apology.


Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson told ABC News on Monday that it was "completely inappropriate" for Philadelphia Starbucks employees to call the police on two black men who asked to use the restroom.

Johnson was asked by "Good Morning America" if he thought Thursday's arrests were a case of "racial profiling." He did not directly answer that question, but he did say: "Starbucks was built as a company that creates a warm, welcoming environment for all customers. That didn't happen here in this case."

Johnson said he's made contact with representatives of the two men, who were later released ( 8 hours) with no charges, asking for a face-to-face meeting, so he can "apologize in person" and enlist them to talk about a "constructive solution."



Source: CNBC.com

 

I always buy shit when I go to Starbucks. Most people probably do.
I guess there are people who go into Starbucks just to hang out and not buy anything, but they have to know that's against store policy.

Those dudes shouldn't have been arrested though. Either the Starbucks manager should have waited longer to see if their friend showed up, or, called the police to ask those young men to leave if they weren't going to buy something.

I know it's not fair, but as Black men, you have to know how you present yourself in public. If you're wearing sweats with a thick beard and your boy has his hair plaited up, you have to understand to random White people, you're going to look like a stereotype. You diffuse that situation by BUYING A CUP OF COFFEE!

I still don't understand why the cops didn't say look, buy some damn coffee and wait for your friend. Or, if you don't wanna buy something, wait outside.
Putting them in handcuffs was a bullshit move.

 

White fuckery

 

This ain't on Starbucks corporate. This is society. Black people get shitty service in businesses (even from other black people) all the time.

 

What pisses me off most is cops have so much discretion on scene on how to handle a situation. It's not like these young Black men were beefing with cops, or cussing at the Starbucks manager. They were chill as a fuck and still treated like criminals.

 

Pfft the one brotha with the beard with those same clothes if he were white, would be a hipster. I see white boys dressed like that all the time. I'm with Freddy, this isn't on corporate Starbucks it's on racist-ass Philly. If Starbucks wants to save face, fire the employee who made the call

 

Another video making the rounds from a Starbucks in LA. Brother asked to use the restroom before ordering and was told no. White dude walks in right after him, asks the same thing and is given the restroom code.

https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/985896896433602565

Like I said. This ain't Starbucks specific. I had the same thing happen to me in an Indian-owned convenience store after I'd bought gas and snacks.

They said the bathroom was out of order when I asked for the key, then I heard them give it to a white dude who walked up to the counter as I was leaving the store.

 

Those brothers were smart. Kept their cool, didn't raise their voices and didn't do anything that could be perceived as "resisting."

The way they acted made it clear to all of the white bystanders how absurd the whole thing was.

 

Agreed! This is totally not Starbucks corporate and totally on someone at that location

 

That Starbucks LA incident was fucked up. LOL, I'm glad most fast food restaurants and places like IHOP and Dennys don't have no damn CODE to use the bathroom.
WTF!
I mean unless your store is a spot where homeless people congregate, why be so uptight about relatively clean cut people using the bathroom??
You could tell in this LA scenario the problem was all on the Starbucks manager.

 

So weird because I go into Starbucks all the time to just write and people watch often times I don't buy anything but maybe because I'm in a suburb where people strain themselves to be polite at all times. Well they'll sue and win
I always have to wonder what the fuck is going through everyone's mind when they do shit like this

 

Philly and Los Angeles? but but but they don't have confederate flags so I guess its not that bad.

 

I'm very pleased neither man resisted being handcuffed. Why give law enforcement an excuse for shooting you in the back/head multiple times? I'd sue Starbucks for racial profiling and the bumbling cops for false arrest.

 

Big payday ahead for those two brothas. Please handcuff me next in a Starbucks, thanks

 

You don't look imposing like the two Philly brothas. Especially the one with the cornrows

 

I do too, but it seems to me the ones in more busy areas have these rules. Bottom line buy a cheap coffee if they complain, or just go somewhere else.

 

I just heard the Starbucks manager who called the police has been fired.

 

Bet it was a transfer, when you have people running in the store protesting it becomes a hostile situation for that employee.

 

They probably recognize you too if it's a Starbucks you go to frequently.
Sometimes it depends how the Starbucks is designed. We have several Starbucks in open mall areas with tables situated around the coffee kiosk, and people always sit at the tables, not all of them customers.
But yeah, it depends where you live I guess. Thing is, if you buy the cheapest item at Starbucks, you basically can sit up in there all day.lol

 

Was that an insult or a compliment lol