Starbucks CEO says arrests of two black men 'reprehensible'
Reuters
Published Apr 16, 2018 01:48PM ET
Starbucks CEO says arrests of two black men 'reprehensible'
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Starbucks Corp (O:SBUX) Chief Executive Kevin Johnson hopes to meet with the two black men arrested at one of its Philadelphia cafes last week to apologize for the incident, which has sparked accusations of racial profiling at the coffee chain.
The men, who had not made a purchase, were handcuffed and arrested for trespassing on Thursday after a store manager called 911 and reported them for refusing to leave. Witnesses said the men were calmly sitting in the cafe and in a widely viewed video, some patrons asked police whether they were targeted because they are black.
Police released the men, who were not charged.
"The circumstances surrounding the incident and the outcome in our store on Thursday were reprehensible ... they were wrong," Johnson told ABC's Good Morning America on Monday, amid protests and calls for a boycott on social media.
The incident came at a time when the company is grappling with flat traffic and lackluster sales growth at its more than 14,000 U.S. cafes. It is a high-profile public relations test for Johnson, a former technology executive who took the helm at Starbucks roughly a year ago.
Johnson, who was interviewed from Philadelphia, said it was "completely inappropriate to engage the police." He said a disciplinary review was under way and added that Starbucks would conduct training to prevent unconscious bias.
In a "mutual" decision, the manager who reported the men to police has left the company, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Representatives from Starbucks did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Lawyers for the two men could not immediately be reached.
Protesters crowded the store that was the scene of the arrest on Monday morning. It was closed at around midday. More protests and a company news conference were expected in the afternoon.
The Reverend Mark Tyler, part of an interfaith group organizing a protest on Monday afternoon, said he had not heard reports of similar issues at other area Starbucks. Still, he said, "the idea of black people being unwanted in downtown Philadelphia is not new ... this is the underbelly of gentrification."
Get The News You Want
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.