Starbucks in Crisis: How Does the Coffee Chain Fix This?

Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson says he’s going to meet with the two men arrested in a Philadelphia store last week.

About two dozen protesters packed the Starbucks at the center of the controversy Monday morning.
They were chanting things like: “Starbucks coffee is anti-black.”

The story exploded over the weekend after video of the arrests went viral, but the two men were taken to jail last Thursday.
They were inside the Starbucks, waiting for a friend to discuss real estate opportunities.
They hadn’t bought coffee yet, but they asked to use the bathroom.
An employee told them non-paying customers couldn’t use the bathroom.
When the men refused to leave, the manager called 911.

The company’s CEO also released a video apologizing on Monday.

“What happened in the way that incident escalated and the outcome was nothing but reprehensible,” said Johnson. “These two gentlemen did not deserve what happened, and we are accountable. I am accountable.”

The men were released from jail and are not facing any charges.
Starbucks managers will now undergo training on how to spot unconscious bias.
The company says the manager who called the police no longer works at that location, but did not say whether she was fired or was given another job.