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Female Customer Shocked After Finding Spy Camera Taped Inside Starbucks Bathroom Stall

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By The Blaze. A woman using the bathroom at a Starbucks in Alpharetta, Georgia, found a small spy camera taped inside the stall, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported . . .

According to the police report, the camera had about 25 videos stored on it. “Several” of the videos showed people using the restroom.

A 25-year-old woman from McRae-Helena found the camera around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday at the Starbucks at 2705 Old Milton Road, the report stated. The camera was taped under a baby changing station.

According to the report, the woman removed the camera and notified the manager on duty at the Starbucks. He said he would contact the corporate office, but the woman pressed him to call police.

After the manager filed a report with the corporate office, police arrived. The camera, its battery pack and a USB cord were turned over to officers. Police found the videos after they reviewed the camera. (Read more from “Female Customer Shocked After Finding Spy Camera Taped Inside Starbucks Bathroom Stall” HERE)

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N. Fulton Cops: Hidden Camera Filmed Starbucks Customers in Bathroom

By AJC. While using the bathroom at a Starbucks in north Fulton County, a woman discovered a camera taped in the stall, according to a police report . . .

No suspects have yet been identified, but the person responsible for the camera would at least face the charge of eavesdropping, which is a felony, police said.

This local incident in north Fulton County comes as the company is facing backlash after two black men were arrested at one of its locations in Philadelphia last week. The company plans to close 8,000 of its stores for a day next month for company-wide racial bias training. (Read more from “N. Fulton Cops: Hidden Camera Filmed Starbucks Customers in Bathroom” HERE)

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Starbucks’ Horrible Treatment of Manager in Philly Could Make Her a Multi-Millionaire When She’s Done

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With Starbucks in such a rush to appease the racial grievance crowd, the company essentially threw a manager trying to enforce what she understood to be standard policy under the bus . . .

In statements issued and tweeted, Starbucks was clear that the manager’s decision to tell two black non-paying customers to make a purchase or leave — no one would have batted an eye had the men been white — was racially motivated.

Gregg Re, an attorney who writes for The Daily Caller, said in an op-ed run Saturday, “DEFAMATION: The Starbucks Manager Accused Of Racism Is Probably About To Be A MILLIONAIRE,” that “a reasonable person would conclude that Starbucks is calling Hylton, at best, an unwitting racist.”

“Starbucks and its CEO Kevin Johnson have gone out of their way to imply that the female manager, identified in media reports as Holly Hylton, was acting on subconscious racial motivations when she told the loitering customers to either buy a beverage or get out of her store,” Re wrote.

Pointing to the defamation laws in Pennsylvania, where the incident took place, Re noted that the burden is on the plaintiff to show that the statement made about the defendant, was false, and caused damages. (Read more from “Starbucks’ Horrible Treatment of Manager in Philly Could Make Her a Multi-Millionaire When She’s Done” HERE)

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Starbucks to Close Stores for ‘Racial Bias’ Day

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By CNBC. Starbucks said Tuesday it will be closing all of its company-owned restaurants in the U.S. during the afternoon of May 29 to conduct a racial-bias education program.

“I’ve spent the last few days in Philadelphia with my leadership team listening to the community, learning what we did wrong and the steps we need to take to fix it,” Kevin Johnson, CEO of Starbucks, said in a statement Tuesday. “While this is not limited to Starbucks, we’re committed to being a part of the solution. Closing our stores for racial bias training is just one step in a journey that requires dedication from every level of our company and partnerships in our local communities.”

Some 8,000 of the company’s U.S.-based locations will participate so that nearly 175,000 employees attend the training program that will address implicit bias, promote inclusion and help prevent discrimination.

“We will learn from our mistakes and reaffirm our commitment to creating a safe and welcoming environment for every customer,” Howard Schultz, executive chairman for the brand, said in a statement. (Read more from “Starbucks to Close Stores for ‘Racial Bias’ Day” HERE)

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Starbucks Will Close 8,000 US Stores May 29 for Racial-Bias Training

By CNN. Starbucks says it will close its 8,000 company-owned stores in the United States for one afternoon to educate employees about racial bias.

The announcement follows an uproar over the arrest of two black men who were waiting for a friend at a Philadelphia Starbucks last week. The store manager called the police. . .

Starbucks says the training will be developed with guidance from experts including former Attorney General Eric Holder.

Sherrilyn Ifill, the president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, will also help design the program, as will executives from the Equal Justice Initiative and Demos, the progressive think tank. (Read more from “Starbucks Will Close 8,000 US Stores May 29 for Racial-Bias Training” HERE)

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This Is How People Are Boycotting Starbucks After Black Men Were Arrested

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By Business Insider. Starbucks customers are posting photos of themselves drinking coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts, Panera, and local coffee shops as backlash against the coffee giant builds.

A video of two black men being arrested while waiting for a friend at a Philadelphia Starbucks last Thursday went viral, sparking backlash. Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson apologized over the weekend — but boycott threats against the chain are still gaining steam.

People are organizing under the #BoycottStarbucks hashtag to show their new drinks of choice, many from black-owned coffee shops:

(Read more from “This Is How People Are Boycotting Starbucks After Black Men Were Arrested” HERE)

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Starbucks Is Under Fire After Shocking Footage Emerges of 2 Black Men Being Arrested After Using the Restroom — and It Reveals a Growing Problem

By Business Insider. Starbucks’ CEO was forced to apologize this weekend after a video of two black men being arrested at a Philadelphia location of the coffee chain went viral. Employees called the police after the men refused to leave the Starbucks after asking to use the restroom without having purchased any drinks.

“Regretfully, our practices and training led to a bad outcome — the basis for the call to the Philadelphia police department was wrong,” Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said in a statement. “Our store manager never intended for these men to be arrested and this should never have escalated as it did.”

This is not the first time that Starbucks has faced backlash for apparently targeting and excluding certain groups of people.

In 2016, three Starbucks locations in parts of Los Angeles with large homeless populations closed their bathrooms to customers and non-customers to discourage homeless people from visiting to use the restrooms and free Wi-Fi. In 2007, a woman was thrown out of a Starbucks because management thought she was homeless. And, in 2001, Seattle activists organized a boycott against Starbucks after an African-American man was shot by the police, arguing that the chain’s gentrifying influence contributed to his death. (Read more from “Starbucks Is Under Fire After Shocking Footage Emerges of 2 Black Men Being Arrested After Using the Restroom — and It Reveals a Growing Problem” HERE)

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Starbucks Newest Gimmick Involves a Sugary Cold Beverage, Candy Sprinkles… and Your Future!

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By The Daily Caller. Starbucks unveiled a new limited edition coffee drink, the Crystal Ball Frappuccino, which became available Thursday.

The fortune-telling Crystal Ball Frappuccino features a sugary cold beverage with candy sparkles available at U.S., Canada and Mexico chains until March 26, the New York Post reported. The Seattle-based chain hopes their drink will become a social media sensation, attracting new customers. The cream-based cooler is peach flavored and has three different colors of candy, which give you your fortune: blue for adventure, purple for magic, and green for luck, according to Starbucks frappucino’s official Facebook page.

“All signs point to yum,” the Starbucks Frappuccino’s official Facebook page said.

(Read more from “Starbucks Newest Gimmick Involves a Sugary Cold Beverage, Candy Sprinkles… and Your Future!” HERE)

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Gaze Deeply Into Starbucks New Crystal Ball Frappuccino

By Starbucks. What do the mystical sparkles mean? Your fortune shall be revealed (for a limited time) with Starbucks new Crystal Ball Frappuccino® blended beverage.

Gaze into the Crystal Ball Frappuccino and you’ll see a vision of whirling color. It starts with a crème-based Frappuccino infused with peach flavor and turquoise sparkles that create an enchanting marbling effect.

The magic happens when the peach-flavored whipped cream is sprinkled with one of three colored candy gems, each color signifying a different fortune in vivid blue, green and purple. Only the fates can decide which color is revealed – the customer will not know which color of candy gem will top the beverage. (Read more from “Gaze Deeply Into Starbucks New Crystal Ball Frappuccino” HERE)

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Family Sues Starbucks After Taking a Sip of Coffee and Discovering Blood in Cup

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A Starbucks store in San Bernardino, Calif. is in hot water over the way one family says its staff handled a particularly disgusting addition to a drink.

As KCBS reported, Amanda Vice plans to take the company to court roughly two years after she and her daughter, Payton, ordered a drink and found blood in their cup.

“She was licking the whipped cream where it had been sitting on top,” the mother said.

Upon further inspection, other members of the family noticed the same thing in their drinks.

“It was on the inside of the rim of my Frappuccino,” Vice said.

According to the Washington Post, documents released by the Frish Law Group indicate Vice and her 2-year-old daughter had been sharing the cup when another family member became suspicious.

Her mother-in-law reportedly noticed an “odd, metallic smell” emanating from her own drink, leading Vice to check the cup from which she and Peyton had been drinking.

“The blood was smeared on the inside and outside rim of the cup,” according to the lawsuit.

While that experience was upsetting enough, she claims the store’s manager compounded the situation by offering an insufficient remedy when confronted with the discovery.

According to Vice, she called the location and learned that a barista did sustain a laceration during her shift that day.

Aside from agreeing to keep that employee away from drink orders until her cut healed, Vice said she was insulted to only receive an offer for a week of free drinks.

“I thought it was sort of belittling,” she said.

The entire ordeal has reportedly caused Vice and others in her family added stress as they struggle with ordering anything prepared by a food-service worker.

“We’re constantly double-checking everything because now I don’t trust, I don’t trust anybody,” Vice said.

Offended by the offer of a few free drinks, Vice said her concern was not the cost but the safety of her daughter and anyone else who might have come into contact with the employee’s blood.

She reportedly requested that the company test the injured employee for communicable diseases, but was denied.

“I thought maybe I’d be a little more at peace if they would have her tested, the one who was bleeding,” she explained.

In addition to ensuring her family was safe, Vice said she also wants to see Starbucks change its policies so that other customers do not make such a discovery in their cups.

Without an agreement on those key issues, she contacted an attorney to file a suit against the company. That lawyer, Stan Pekler, said Starbucks had every opportunity to avoid a legal move by his client.

“The intention was always to try and resolve this with Starbucks,” he said. “And had they acted in a responsible way, we wouldn’t be here today.”

For its part, the coffee giant is offering only a preliminary statement at this time.

“We are aware of this claim that allegedly took place in 2016, and are prepared to present our case in court,” the company said. (Read more from “Family Sues Starbucks After Taking a Sip of Coffee and Discovering Blood in Cup” HERE)

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Starbucks Facing Major Backlash Over Absurd Reason They Banned This Man for Life

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Coffee fanatics hold their morning (or afternoon) cup o’ Joe in high esteem. Whenever they need a quick pick-me-up at the aesthetically pleasing and mainstream coffee franchise known as Starbucks, they’re hoping to be in and out in minutes.

Many on-the-go patrons opt for the drive-thru, but others seem to have time to run inside and then dash back to their parked vehicles. Unfortunately, some patrons at a Starbucks in Florida have been illegally parking in handicap spots to grab their favorite beverage in record time.

This really irked one loyal patron. Rob Rowen decided to take matters into his own hands.

Rowen’s son-in-law has muscular dystrophy and uses a power wheelchair to get around. Rowen was tired of seeing able-bodied patrons take up handicap spots for the sheer sake of convenience.

He began telling illegally parked patrons to move. “I threatened to embarrass him by telling everybody he was parked illegally,” said Rowen, referring to one particular gentleman he had confronted.

Patrons did not respond positively to being scolded. One woman threatened to call the police and say Rowen was harassing her.

But after calling the police, the woman was the one who was served justice. She received a ticket for her illegal parking job.

Other patrons complained about Rowen’s tactics, prompting Starbucks to take action against him. He was kicked out of the South Dale Mabry, Tampa, location by the manager.

A few days later he received a letter in the mail, which he hoped was an apology. Instead, it was a letter banning him from Starbucks for life.

Starbucks said they made this decision in order to protect other patrons and employees. In a statement, they claimed Rowen had been “confrontational” and that they expect all patrons to act respectfully toward one another and Starbucks employees.

Rowen was disappointed by Starbucks’ actions, as he had been a faithful customer. However, perhaps Rowen’s commitment to his cause will serve as a reminder to all that a quick coffee fix is not worth inconveniencing those who are disabled.

Florida law took Rowen’s side, enforcing the appropriate fines for those who violated the handicapped parking accessibility. After the story was posted online, Starbucks lifted Rowen’s ban — but not before Rowan was able to bring more awareness to this issue that is so close to his heart. (For more from the author of “Starbucks Facing Major Backlash Over Absurd Reason They Banned This Man for Life” please click HERE)

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Starbucks Caught Lying to Public Again: Spent Almost $100 Million Covering up GMO Use

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First, it was Starbucks’ anti-family campaign, then its anti-gun fanaticism that turned off millions of conservative Americans to its high-priced coffee. Now, with Starbucks caught lying over GMO use, the coffee-giant is offending citizens of all political stripes. As reported by the Hearty Soul.

We live in an age of inequality and social divide. With 1% of the population in the United States holding 38% of the wealth and almost all of the power. Education, healthcare, the government, and even the food we eat and drink are owned by wealthy individuals and faceless corporations.

So it may not come as a surprise to you that a morning coffee from Starbucks is the last thing that you should be drinking to put a pep in your step. It has been discovered that the coffee conglomerate has spent nearly $100 million to cover up their use of GMOs in their drinks.

‘In the past two years alone, Starbucks has been a part of a GMA-led coalition that has donated more than $70 million dollars to defeat GMO labeling efforts in California and Washington State,’ said a spokesperson for Food Democracy Now. ‘By opposing GMO labeling, Starbucks has willingly climbed in bed with Monsanto and the GMA and is intentionally misleading customers about their commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing.’

It’s a damning statement and is certainly warranted. Not only have Starbucks been putting on a facade as an ethical organization, but they have proactively sought to increase the usage of GMO foods. Considering that they have over 23,000 stores in 64 different countries, Starbucks has a huge influence on farmers.

Starbucks’ milk currently comes from factory farmed cows, usually owned by their partner Monsanto. These cows are kept in terrible conditions, pumped with unnatural antibiotics and fed GMO grains. According to the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) in 2011, Starbucks used over, ‘93 million gallons of milk per year, enough to fill 155 Olympic-sized swimming pools.’

Considering their continued growth over the past five years it is likely that the figure today would be even higher. Their continued desire to quash legislation that calls for the labeling of GMO foods equates to an awful lot of people consuming them without their prior knowledge.

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Starbucks Gets Scalded in Backlash After CEO Criticizes Trump’s Travel Ban EO

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Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is harming shareholders by damaging the brand he globalized by criticizing President Trump’s executive order on Syrian refugees and travel bans.

Schultz wrote to Starbucks employees on Sunday, January 29, following Trump’s announcement on the previous Friday. The coffee chain CEO issued a broad-based attack against Trump.

The company’s share price has dropped lower (about four percent) following a disappointing earnings announcement and sank deeper (about 3.7 percent) following Schultz’s letter to employees that slammed Trump’s policies.

Schultz’s action serves as a warning to investors that they need to be aware of the CEO’s personal politics and whether the chief executive will create an unnecessary controversy by expressing those views.

Judging by the timing, Schultz let his progressive heart guide a hasty, emotional reaction, ignoring the predictable response by Trump supporters.

His letter said the American Dream is “being called into question” and claimed he was hearing from employees “that the civility and human rights we have all taken for granted for so long are under attack.”

Unleashing his frustration over the new president, Schultz discussed company actions challenging policies that are near and dear to Trump’s supporters.

Schultz expressed actions he is taking to support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and mentioned Starbucks employees are “Dreamers.”

He touted the company’s history of hiring refugees and said Starbucks would be “doubling down” on this effort with “plans to hire 10,000 of them over five years in the 75 countries around the world where Starbucks does business.” As part of this effort in the U.S., he wants to employ refugees that support our armed forces.

Under the heading of “Building Bridges, Not Walls, With Mexico,” Schultz discussed the company’s investment in the country, adding the company would support Mexicans affected by trade and restrictions on immigration.

Finally, Schultz said eligible employees would have access to a company health care plan if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.

The response to Schultz’s letter was prompt and brutal on social media with posts calling for a boycott.

Facebook posts slammed Starbucks for its intention to hire refugees over American workers and U.S veterans.

Twitter rocked the company as well. Fortune reported #BoycottStarbucks was the top trending topic on Twitter the day after the Schultz letter.

Social media also distributed derogatory cartoons including a Starbucks store rebranded as “ShariaBucks” with a banner “Now Hiring: Muslim Refugees.”

Starbucks responded to the social media onslaught by emphasizing the company has a policy that encourages hiring veterans and active duty spouses.

Despite the company’s effort to respond to critics, its brand is damaged. The social media blitz and news stories labeled Starbucks as putting refugees before veterans.

Starbucks shareholders are paying the price because of Schultz’s inexcusable self-inflicted wound.

You don’t need to have a Ph.D. in political science to realize political passions are running extremely high, and no good can come from taking a position that conflicts with “America first.”

Like many on the Left, Schultz failed to recognize the mood of the country and the political land mines for not thinking about the consequences of his actions.

Schultz’s fumble exposes a management liability at progressive companies. While Starbucks touts diversity as a core value, the celebration of differences doesn’t apply to political thought. In many companies, conservatives are either absent or treated like social pariahs.

Starbucks is especially vulnerable to consumer backlash. First, Schultz previously used his company as his personal political soapbox. He has commented on race and told gun owners not to carry in their stores.

He also told a shareholder to sell his shares because the individual thought Starbucks’ support of a gay marriage referendum in Washington was bad for business.

Unlike Silicon Valley companies that expressed opposition to Trump’s executive order, Starbucks is a consumer product company with viable competing coffee alternatives on almost every corner.

Other progressive CEOs with vulnerable consumer brands have exercised restraint and not exposed their companies to backlash from Trump supporters.

After making a critical comment about Trump following the election, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi — a Hillary Clinton supporter — quickly recovered. She joined the president’s group of business leaders, the Strategic and Policy Forum.

Similarly, Disney CEO Bob Iger, a long-time backer of Hillary Clinton, also joined Trump’s business group.

Nooyi and Iger’s decision to join the Trump Train is recognition that they are putting shareholders before their personal politics.

Starbucks shareholders wish Schultz would do the same. (For more from the author of “Starbucks Gets Scalded in Backlash After CEO Criticizes Trump’s Travel Ban EO” please click HERE)

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Starbucks to Become an LGBT ‘Safe Place’

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Starbucks announced Wednesday that its Seattle stores are officially “Safe Places” for members of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community.

Partnering with the Seattle Police Department’s “Safe Place” program, 97 of Starbucks’ stores in the Seattle area will finish specific employee training early next week on “how to respond to and engage with LGBT victims of violence and effectively report hate crimes to police.”

“Safe Place,” started by openly gay Seattle Police Officer Jim Ritter, is a campaign against bias crimes. Since May, Officer Ritter has spoken with 650 businesses across Seattle, all of whom have supported the campaign, displaying rainbow-badge decals in their windows . . .

Starbucks may serve as precedent for other large companies to support the initiative as well. With 2,000 extra pairs of eyes, Ritter is convinced the program will help “put bullies on notice that they can’t get away with victimizing people.”

Starbucks has shown its support for the LGBT community in other ways recently, raising a gay pride flag at its Seattle headquarters and airing a commercial featuring contestants from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Bianca Del Rio and Adore Delano. (Read more from “Starbucks to Become an LGBT ‘Safe Place'” HERE)

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