Starbucks CEO rips ‘misrepresentation’ of coffee chain’s stance on Israel-Hamas war
Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan blamed “misrepresentation on social media of what we stand for” in a letter that appeared to address recent controversies over the coffee chain’s stance on Israel and Hamas.
Narasimhan didn’t explicitly refer to the Israel-Hamas war in a letter on Starbucks’ blog, but the company has been caught up in controversy since the conflict broke out on Oct. 7, leading to talks of boycotts, a plummeting stock and vandalism at some of the chain’s 16,000-plus US locations.
“Many of our stores have experienced incidents of vandalism. We see protesters influenced by misrepresentation on social media of what we stand for. We have worked with local authorities to ensure our partners and customers are safe,” said Narasimhan, who rose to the chief role in March.
In one of the worst cases, a Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle temporarily closed after pro-Palestinian protesters smashed the windows, spray-painted the walls with “Free Gaza” and “Free Palestine,” and wrote “Enter if you support genocide” in chalk on the floor, according to local news site KIRO 7.
He continued: “While I am grateful for so much, I am concerned about the state of the world we live in. There are conflicts in many parts. It has unleashed violence against the innocent, hate and weaponized speech, and lies — all of which we condemn.”
“In my daily meditation, I pray for peace — immediately,” he concluded, before signing off simply as “Laks.”
Representatives for Starbucks declined to comment further.
Narasimhan’s message, which was earlier reported on by the Wall Street Journal, is the Seattle-based company’s latest attempt to quell outrage over its suspected political leanings.
The saga began when the Starbucks Workers United union — which has organized roughly 340 Starbucks locations across the US — declared “Solidarity with Palestine!” in a since-deleted X post in the wake of Hamas’ deadly attacks.
Starbucks made swift moves to try to distance itself from the union, saying it denounces acts of terrorism and violence, even as some Jewish leaders called for a Starbucks boycott.
The union is not affiliated with the coffeehouse chain but rather the Service Employees International Union.
In October, Starbucks sued Workers United for copyright infringement in an effort to strip “Starbucks” from the union’s name.
Starbucks alleged that its association with the union damaged its reputation and put its locations in danger, citing a Rhode Island store where vandals spray-painted Stars of David and a swastika on the window.
Workers United responded with a countersuit that claimed Starbucks defamed the union by implying that it supports terrorism and violence.
It also asked a federal court in Pennsylvania to rule that it can continue to use Starbucks’ name and a similar logo, noting that unions often use the company name of the workers they represent, including the Amazon Labor Union and the National Football League Players Association.
Starbucks shares have fallen more than 6% in the past month.
As of early this month, the company saw nearly $12 billion erased from its market value, with some suspecting that the chain’s sales were hit by boycott calls over the Israel-Hamas war.
According to TikTok’s Creative Center, a database that details user insights, the hashtag #boycottstarbucks has been used in tens of thousands of posts since October, generating some 48 million views in the past month alone.
