What do you get when you cross leftist policies that fail to address criminal behavior with big business? Starbucks announced that they will be closing six stores in Seattle, LA, Portland, Philadelphia, and Washington DC due to safety concerns.
"Starbucks said it would permanently close six stores each in the Seattle and Los Angeles areas, two in Portland, Ore., and single locations in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. by the end of the month." https://t.co/EVd6SwpFVO pic.twitter.com/DcRIcEjVQP
— 𝔹𝕖𝕖 🐝 (@bee__witched) July 12, 2022
No really, is there a common theme?t
The increasingly popular phrase “go woke, go broke” does seem fitting when Starbucks has positioned itself as a key signaler of virtue. In May of 2018 Starbucks updated their bathroom policy to be inclusive of non-paying customers after a Philadelphia incident where two black men were arrested after asking to using the bathroom without making a purchase and refusing to leave the store.
Get woke, go broke. The @Starbucks edition. After the pressure by a fickle woke mob over bathroom accessibility four years ago, Starbucks sees an increase of drug use and violence. Now forced to shut down locations because they are untenable. #getwokegobroke #Starbucks pic.twitter.com/dz9R86ujtb
— Rex Locum (Skeptical/Suspicious) (@LocumRex) July 12, 2022
Advertising themselves as a public restroom does seem to have backfired.
Another “get woke go broke” story. When Starbucks encouraged homeless people to hang out and use the restrooms, the stores became less inviting for others. https://t.co/UfFeqwqgr8
— Dave Cook (@ChiefDave) July 12, 2022
At least some employees are convinced that the closures have more to do with union activities than employee safety.
Starbucks employees at several stores set to close by July 31 are concerned about their future and questioning the company’s reasoning behind the closures.https://t.co/4uMhx73Dp2
— KOMO News (@komonews) July 13, 2022
Just two of the Starbucks shops announced for closures are union locations and the company has denied suggestions that closures are related to union activity. That isn’t going to stop the tin foil hat theories though.
It’s been a month since the College Ave closure and I find out today that more union stores are closing in Seattle and Portland. OUTSPOKEN pro-union stores. Starbucks is targeting the partners and stores that scare them the most. But we aren’t going to back down so easily.
— Evan Sunshine (@evanlsunshine) July 12, 2022
@geraldorenata RE: Starbucks closures: Looks and smells like union-busting with a dash of racism and elitism thrown in for good measure. I don’t see them closing any of their three stores in downtown Mercer Island or Madison Park.
— John Livingston (@electroscribe) July 12, 2022
Of course everything that happens is basically rooted in some version of alleged racism. Which brings us back to the beginning of the story and the decision to open public restrooms due to an issue that was deemed racist, and the subsequent studies that foreshadowed issues for the socially woke coffee giant.
“Equity…” https://t.co/IgmDMcbr9D
— Jude (@Judes_Law310) July 13, 2022
Is Starbucks bound to be a casualty of the go woke, go broke phenomenon? Will they refuse to allow every employee to unionize? Only time will tell, grab less politically charged coffee of your choosing and settle in, this could be interesting.
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