Starbucks apologized after an employee reportedly asked six police officers to leave or change their location in one of the company’s shops in a Phoenix suburb because another customer reported feeling unsafe.
Starbucks said it has “deep respect for the Tempe Police Department” and was apologizing “for any misunderstanding or inappropriate behavior that may have taken place” during the July 4 encounter.
According to the Tempe Officers Association, six Tempe Police Department officers stopped at a Starbucks in the city for coffee on Thursday.
After paying for their drinks, the officers "stood together having a cup of coffee before their long Fourth of July shift," the association said. "They were approached by a barista, who knew one of the officers by name, because he is a regular at that location. The barista said that a customer 'did not feel safe' because of the police presence."
"The barista asked the officers to move out of the customer’s line of sight or to leave. Disappointed, the officers did in fact leave," the association added.
It then criticized Starbucks for what happened.
"This treatment of public safety workers could not be more disheartening. While the barista was polite, making such a request at all was offensive. Unfortunately, such treatment has become all too common in 2019. We know this is not a national policy at Starbucks Corporate and we look forward to working collaboratively with them on this important dialogue," the association stated.
The Police Department said it hoped the incident was an isolated incident.
Rob Ferraro, president of the association, said that people shouldn't necessarily boycott Starbucks over what happened but called what happened "perplexing."