Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson is in town to meet with the two black men arrested last week at a Center City Starbucks. The coffee giant’s leader arrived in Philadelphia to be given the opportunity to apologize in person to the two men and to address the situation with city leaders. In addition to meeting with the two victims, Johnson plans to meet with Mayor Kenney and Police Commissioner Richard Ross in an attempt to show compassion and express his empathy with the situation. Johnson referred to the incident as a “reprehensible” event and vowed to open a dialogue and take the appropriate action. The time and place of the meetings have not been released yet. The apologetic CEO has also pledged that Starbucks employees will receive more training on “unconscious bias”.
Last Thursday’s arrest came after the two black men asked to use the coffee shop’s restroom. They were told that the facilities were for the use of paying customers only. The call to the police was made alleging that the two men were occupying a table at the Rittenhouse Square location without making a purchase. At least six police officers arrived and arrested the men for trespassing, handcuffing them and taking them into custody. Police allege that the men were asked to leave three times but refused to do so. A witness took a video of the incident and the post went viral over the weekend, catching the attention of the media and angering people around the city and nation.
People began protesting in and around the Starbucks over the weekend, and the unrest continued through Monday. Citing that the arrests were racially motivated, Philly REAL Justice and the Black & Brown Workers Cooperative began organizing the protests. The manager of the store who made the initial call to the police has been removed, although Starbucks has not said if he has been fired or simply relocated to another location.
