A local coffee shop barista went viral after alleging that her job won’t allow her to drink out of Starbucks’ cups.
Izzy (@its.izzy19) filmed a video of herself pouring a Starbucks drink into another, more nondescript, cup while at work.
@its.izzy19 Laaame #fypシ #starbiesgirl #icedcoffee #foryoupage ♬ bad idea right? – Olivia Rodrigo
“Was told to put my starbies in another cup cause we can only drink the local coffee at work,” she wrote in the text overlay.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Izzy via TikTok comment. As of Monday afternoon, her video had over 35,900 views, with many commenters reflecting on how controlling jobs can be.
“Jobs limiting your autonomy in [the] workplace is why capitalism is terrible,” one user said.
“I worked at a boba place and they made me do this with other boba drinks” another added.
“I [used] to work at 7up and rockstar and couldn’t bring in drinks that weren’t distributed by them,” a third worker shared.
But other viewers defended Izzy’s workplace. For instance, some said that a worker getting caught drinking another store’s coffee might not be good for business.
“Imagine a customer see you not drinking the coffee you make,” one user said.
“Y’all it’s literally advertising for another company in their store grow up,” another wrote.
According to the National Coffee Association, 66% of American coffee drinkers prefer Starbucks over their local coffee shop. Though there are some factors that can favor local shops—like having more affordable drinks or a more relaxing atmosphere—Starbucks’ growth alone makes it hard for small businesses to compete.
Last year, Starbucks announced plans to add 2,000 new stores in the U.S. by 2025, increasing their locations by 13%. This is a double-edged sword for many small businesses. While Starbucks can sap revenue from smaller cafes, Starbucks’ are also known to increase sales for surrounding businesses.
This, or the Starbucks effect, is when the opening of a new Starbucks brings an influx of customers, money, and jobs to the area. But Starbucks affects local real estate, too. According to one source, homes located within a quarter-mile of a Starbucks significantly increased in value over the last decade.
