Plan B Forum

Starbucks Baristas Encouraged To Write ‘Race Together’ On Cups To Spark Dialogue On Race Relations With Customers

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – Starbucks is joining the national conversation about race in the latest sign that corporations are trying to tie their brands to big social issues.

The coffee chain known for its Frappuccinos says it will elaborate on the plans at its annual shareholder meeting Wednesday in Seattle.

Already, workers at its U.S. stores have been told to write “Race Together” on cups to begin a dialogue with customers about race relations, 1010 WINS’ John Montone reported.

Reaction among customers and workers at the Starbucks in Times Square was mixed.

“I like the idea,” customer Rudolph said.

“That’s pretty heavy for morning coffee talk,” said customer Dustin.

Pedro, a regular at the location, said he and Leo the barista chat all the time, but not about social issues.

“We talk about motorcycles, we talk about other things we can’t talk about on the mic,” he said.

Lexi, a barista, said she thinks writing “Race Together” on cups is “a great idea,” but she likes to keep it “short and simple” when engaging customers in conversation.

“I wouldn’t go as far as talking about something like that to customers, I don’t know what they might feel,” she said.

When Montone approached a barista to begin a dialogue she responded, “I’m actually working right now, OK, so I’m sorry about that, no comment.”

The company also plans to start publishing “conversation guides” on the topic.

The decision has sparked a backlash on social media, with people saying it’s opportunistic for a coffee chain to try and inject itself into such an important issue.

they mentioned that it was suggested but not required.

Coffee giant Starbucks has paid £5m in UK corporation tax - its first such tax payment since 2009 - the company has announced.



A company spokeswoman said it had listened to its customers and would pay another £5m later this year.

The move follows pressure from politicians and campaigners, and an agreement by world leaders last week to clamp down on corporate tax avoidance.

Starbucks has only reported taxable profit once in 15 years in the UK.

It announced late last year it would pay more corporation tax after a public outcry and an investigation by MPs.

Pretty silly to risk alienating customers to make a simplistic (and how could it be anything but given the time they have to interact with the customer?) political message.

Upper-Middle-Class Woman Worries There's Better Coffee She Doesn't Know About
News in Brief • people • human interest • food • products • shopping • rich • ISSUE 38•42 • Nov 13, 2002

DEERFIELD, IL—Upper-middle-class homemaker Irene Risser expressed fear Monday that there exists a gourmet coffee superior to the brands she currently buys. "I have Kona Coffee's peaberry flavor, which is really terrific, and I also like to buy Sumatran Rainforest," Risser said. "But I still worry that somewhere out there, someone has better, more expensive coffee than I do." Risser then went on the Internet to search for $25-a-pound breakfast blends.

MajGenl.Meade wrote:What we need is a great big melting pot
Big enough to take the world and all it's got
And keep it stirring for a hundred years or more
And turn out coffee colored people by the score