Though not a fan of Starbucks’s often obtrusive lefty politics, I sure like its beverages, such as the glorious Flat White. I’ll take a venti.
Thankfully, it appears that trendy politics has limits. Despite the company’s support for a Marxist organization that riots and rampages in the name of racial justice (I won’t name names, but the initials are BLM), CEO Howard Schultz is reluctant to tolerate crime that makes it unsafe to sell lattes.
In leaked video of an internal meeting, Schultz says he’s shocked “that one of the primary concerns that our retail partners [employees] have is their own personal safety.”
One way Starbucks will cope is by giving managers authority to do things like limit seating and close bathrooms. Employees will also be trained in conflict de-escalation and dealing with “active shooter scenarios.”
And Starbucks will close “not unprofitable” shops in areas where risks to employees and customers are most severe. This means closing 16 stores in which people feel unsafe because of crime and open drug use. The closures are taking place in such bastions of crime nurturing as Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.
More shutdowns are to come, Schultz said, adding that “governments across the country and leaders, mayors and governors, city councils have abdicated their responsibility in fighting crime.”
Starbucks has — all companies have — every right to escape the resulting lawless conditions.
Were they also to abstain from doing anything to promote such conditions, that would be whipped cream on top.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
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5 replies on “Starbucks Gets Out”
Ironic that when you vote for people that PRIMARILY cause and support these issues that you should then be impacted by their outcomes.
Lot of truth in those old school platitudes.
Like the one about not crapping in your own back yard
Although an infrequent customer, I used to enjoy the Starbucks break on a road trip. 2020 changed all that. What was done cannot be undone. I no longer buy their products and when my friends buy their drinks, I wait for them.
If I ever go back to drinking coffee, then I’ll have to try a flat white. (My favorite coffee drink was Turkish coffee.)
I have participated in boycotts that I was sure were right; I have refused to join popular boycotts that I was sure were wrong; but I don’t know just how to draw the line when it comes to ceasing to trade with a firm that mixes politics with business.
I don’t know what Starbucks means by “profit”, but — given a proper definition of “profit” — no one chooses to stop doing something at which a profit is expected. Starbucks closes operations because they expect what would otherwise be the cost — the best forgone opportunity — to be greater in value than whatever they get by continued operation.
Amazing how the woke Starbucks company is now closing stores due to a rise in crime. They are closing 2 in my neighborhood alone.
Not that I care. They’ve allowed crime long before their rabid support of BLM. When a young neighbor of mine worked there when in high school, she said that they were constantly assaulted for their tips, etc. This was basically ignored by corporate.
Their chickens came home to roost. Or you get the environment you vote for.