Many Starbucks closing Tuesday afternoon for racial-bias training
Don’t be surprised if you find your favorite Starbucks closed Tuesday afternoon.
Corporate-owned locations nationwide will close for several hours as employees participate in racial-bias training. About 30 stores are in the Memphis area, but a company spokeswoman wasn’t sure how many are corporateowned.
Videos from executives, as well as one from hip-hop artist Common, will explain to employees what they can do to make stores more welcoming.
The U.S. shutdown by the Seattlebased coffee giant results from the outcry over the manager of a Philadelphia store calling the police to complain about two African-American men who came into the store but didn’t buy anything. Police arrested them but later dropped charges.
More than 8,000 corporate-owned Starbucks stores will close for the training, along with corporate offices. About 175,000 employees will be affected. Closings will begin at 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. local time and last three or four hours. Attendance is not mandatory, but those who attend will be paid.
Earlier this week, Starbucks announced that store restrooms would be available to the general public, not just those who buy food or drink. The policy was first referenced on May 10 in a speech by Starbucks Executive Chairman Schultz to a think tank.
The company and CEO Kevin Johnson personally apologized to the two Philadelphia victims, who received a financial settlement, the details of which weren’t disclosed.