Starbucks fiends stood perplexed outside their 8,000 coffee stores as employees inside underwent anti-bias training for just roughly four hours.
Up to 180,000 employees at Starbucks locations and headquarters were trained from a ‘tool kit’ hoping to ‘focus on understanding prejudice and the history of public accommodations in the United States.’
At various locations across the country, employees could be seen going over the different steps to ensure a better environment.
Up to 180,000 employees at 8,000 Starbucks locations and headquarters were trained from a ‘tool kit’ hoping to ‘focus on understanding prejudice and the history of public accommodations in the United States’
‘We’ll see you tomorrow’ signs could be seen strewn up on the windows of the popular coffee chain
‘We’ll see you tomorrow’ signs could be seen strewn up on the windows of the popular coffee chain.
Caffeine lovers found themselves stumped when discovering that the stores were closed for up to four hours.
The closings took place around one or 2pm.
The stores were closed for up to four hours at either one or 2pm and shared with customers when they would be open again. A customer walks through a Starbucks drive thru only to find that that too is closed
A customer looks disappointed that she has to wait until 6am in order to get coffee from this Seatlle location
At various locations across the country, employees could be seen seated going over the different steps to ensure a better environment
And while a majority of the stores were closed for training, 7,000 licensed stores found in schools, hotels, airports, grocery stores and more still found that they had an option on if they wanted to partake in the training.
The training took place weeks after two black men were arrested at a Philadelphia store after one asked to use the bathroom before he had made a purchase.
Donte Robinson and his friend Rashon Nelson, both 23, had been waiting for a potential business partner to discuss real estate development when one of the men asked to use the bathroom and was knocked back. Minutes after the pair had sat down at the coffee shop, the manager called the police and had Robinson and Nelson arrested.
A Starbucks employee can be seen bringing in the umbrellas inside in Chicago so that the store can focus on training. A customer tries to nab her last few moments in a seat
The training took place weeks after two black men were arrested at a Philadelphia store after one asked to use the bathroom before he had made a purchase
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz appeared on CBS This Morning ahead of the training afternoon, to defend the move amid claims that it was simply a publicity stunt.
‘We could have spent marketing dollars different from this,’ he said in response to claims it was a ‘marketing ploy.’
‘It’s just the beginning,’ he said of the four-hour training session. ‘What we’ve said to our board, our shareholders, we are deeply committed to making this part of everything we do. This is something that we’re going to stay with.’
Donte Robinson and his friend Rashon Nelson, both 23, had been waiting for a potential business partner to discuss real estate development when one of the men asked to use the bathroom and was knocked back. Minutes after the pair had sat down at the coffee shop, the manager called the police and had Robinson and Nelson arrested
Customers are stopped by locked doors and a note at the ground floor, closed Starbucks Reserve coffee shop
Schultz explained that the training would aim to teach people about unconscious bias against race, ethnic background, sexual orientation, or class, and would train staff to address customers with empathy and compassion.
‘We want to be a welcoming environment to everybody regardless of their position in life,’ he said.
The company says their training afternoon will cost them $12million in lost revenue, according to USA Today.
A woman and her dog are stuck when they realize that they won’t be enjoying an afternoon coffee in Manhattan