When a Starbucks employee allegedly mocked a Trump supporter, fellow Trump fans came out in droves to protest—and ultimately buy Starbucks coffee.
Saturday’s demonstration began after Kayla Hart went to a Starbucks in Charlotte and ordered a drink while wearing a Trump shirt. One barista wrote “Build a Wall” on her cup and the staff reportedly laughed at her as she walked out. Hart felt like she was being bullied for supporting President Donald Trump.
“I just found it really sad that I can’t wear a T-shirt with our president without being made fun of,” Hart said, the Charlotte Observer reports.
Boycott in Order Here Starbucks Baristas in Trouble for Putting ‘Build a Wall’ on Trump Supporter’s Cup https://t.co/24Qbeu1YWB
— ͏͏͏𝐉𝐚𝐲 2.0 (@JayMaga47) June 16, 2017
Suffice to say, local Trump fans were furious at Starbucks for poking fun at Hart. So in response, dozens came to the Starbucks on Saturday, sitting at tables while wearing pro-Trump paraphernalia.
The sit-in started as a proper protest at first, with supporters taking up space in the cafe. But one after another, protesters began ordering coffee under Donald Trump’s, Mike Pence’s, and Jeff Session’s names, which baristas wrote on their drinks. Soon enough, the mood in the room relaxed. The protesters had shown they weren’t going to be bullied. They also gave Starbucks their money.
“It was successful and I can tell you we had a very friendly dialogue!” participant James Tatro told the Charlotte Observer.
However, many Trump supporters wanted more than just a hangout session. Some are adamant about boycotting the business.
https://twitter.com/quickslanding/status/879268795705040897
https://twitter.com/mattkola1776/status/878284729702686720
https://twitter.com/rodger_sutton/status/879052988450578432
Meanwhile, anti-Trump Twitter users are baffled. After all, the initial protest ended up supporting the business in question.
Lemme know if you guys plan a full boycott – I wanna buy @Starbucks stock first. Lol. pic.twitter.com/xY9sfrxXw4
— Rogue CPI (@RogueCPI) June 25, 2017
Wait. What? They "punished" Starbucks by … buying Starbucks?
— Linda Z Braden (@LindaZBraden) June 25, 2017
This is kind of like when they called for a boycott of a Broadway play that was sold out for 6 months in advance.! ¯_(ツ)_/¯
— Colleen LR (@Cozy1950) June 25, 2017
Starbucks has since apologized for the barista’s original joke, and the company has vowed to take customer complaints seriously.
“This experience is absolutely not consistent with our standards or the respectful experience we want to provide to our customer,” Reggie Borges, a Starbucks spokesman told the Charlotte Observer.
This wasn’t the first time Trump supporters boycotted Starbucks by buying Starbucks, either. After the election, supporters trolled the company by telling baristas their names were “Trump,” then uploaded videos of dissenting employees to social media.