Howard Schultz Should Not Run for President in 2020 | Eater

"Under the leadership of its longtime CEO (serving 1987–2000 and 2008–2017), this Seattle-born coffee chain grew from a small shop into a global powerhouse — its stock rising roughly 21,000% between the IPO and the CEO’s most recent departure — and became known in the restaurant industry for unusually generous employee benefits: part-time workers qualify for health coverage, it offers a leading parental-leave policy among major chains, provides paid sick leave, and funds four-year degrees for employees without bachelor's credentials via a university partnership. The company has also pursued progressive initiatives such as pledging to hire 10,000 refugees and introducing more “inclusive” holiday cups, but some efforts misfired publicly: a 2015 “Race Together” campaign was widely criticized as ill-conceived, and a 2018 incident in which a store manager in Philadelphia called police on two Black men produced a major PR crisis and broader controversy; several initiatives have also attracted conservative backlash." - Whitney Filloon