Starbucks Coffee Company
Coffee shop · Rittenhouse ·
Coffeehouse chain with signature roasts, light bites, and WiFi
Coffeehouse chain with signature roasts, light bites, and WiFi
"Employees at the national coffee chain launched a petition with over 20,000 signatures, started by Aniya Johnson, a Philadelphia barista, urging management to suspend nonessential operations until further notice while continuing to pay both hourly and salaried workers. Staff argue that, despite the company’s comparatively strong sick-leave offerings — including paid sick leave and a “catastrophe pay” program that provides an additional 14 days for employees diagnosed with COVID-19 or with prolonged contact with a diagnosed person — it’s nearly impossible to obtain a formal diagnosis because testing is so limited. Workers say protective measures haven’t eliminated risk, pointing to busy locations (often near schools and hospitals) that increase potential exposure, and cite leadership statements promising that employees shouldn’t have to choose between work and caring for themselves as inconsistent with on-the-ground conditions." - Jaya Saxena
"A national coffeehouse chain that frames itself as a welcoming "third place" for people to meet, work, or relax, but faced intense scrutiny after a Philadelphia location's employee called police on two Black men using the space for a business meeting—an incident that highlighted the gap between corporate inclusivity rhetoric and how frontline decisions and biases can exclude customers." - Vince Dixon
"The company plans to close 150 of its worst-performing U.S. stores next year—mostly in urban areas already saturated with its locations—and is projecting just 1% same-store sales growth for the next quarter. Executives acknowledged that the decision to shut 8,000 U.S. stores for an afternoon on May 29 to conduct racial-bias training after the high-profile arrest of two black men in Philadelphia affected performance. Leadership described recent results as unacceptable, and strategic priorities include lower net new store growth in the U.S., concentrating new openings in under-penetrated markets, continued rapid expansion in China (about one new store every 15 hours), and the rollout of a redesigned rewards program offering more redemption and payment choices. Product efforts will lean into health-and-wellness trends as sales of sugary Frappuccino drinks have declined roughly 3% so far this year. The impending departure of long-time executive chairman Howard Schultz has sparked speculation about a political run, and the company plans to open its first location in Italy—scheduled for Milan in September—a move that has already drawn local backlash." - Whitney Filloon
"The coffee company has adopted a formal “Third Place Policy” allowing anyone to use its cafes, patios and restrooms without making a purchase so long as they use the spaces as intended, are considerate of others, communicate respectfully and act responsibly. The directive — framed as recognizing locations as public gathering places where people already seek free Wi‑Fi, shelter or restroom access — follows protests after a Philadelphia store manager called police on two Black men who had been seated and denied bathroom access; the men were briefly arrested and later released, and the manager left the company. The company has also issued a standalone restroom policy and tightened guidance on when staff should call police (listing eight scenarios such as gas leak or fire, robbery, threats of violence, drug use/sales and property destruction) and how to handle disruptive behavior (e.g., excessive noise, viewing inappropriate media, verbal abuse, unwanted sexual advances, indecent exposure). Employees are instructed to assess behavior rather than target the person, seek colleague verification, attempt a calm, respectful direct intervention (introduce themselves, ask for a name, listen actively, request the conduct stop) and only call 911 if the situation becomes unsafe." - Daniela Galarza
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