At Starbucks, truth and transparency are essential to fulfilling our mission, upholding our promises and living our values. In today’s fast-paced, increasingly polarized world, misinformation can spread at lightning speed, so we believe it’s important to respond with facts and clarify our position on key issues. To address misconceptions and clear up any confusion, we’ve compiled responses to some of the most frequently asked questions we hear. We are committed to providing accurate information about our company.
Starbucks is a global company committed to providing a place where everyone feels welcome and a sense of belonging, anywhere in the world. We abhor hate and strongly reject violence against the innocent.
Despite false statements spread through social media, Starbucks has never contributed to any government or military operation in any way.
What we do fund is food aid for communities in need. The Starbucks Foundation, along with global licensee partners, have provided over $3M to World Central Kitchen to provide more than 1M meals to families in Gaza.
Related Links
The Starbucks Foundation and Alshaya Starbucks are committed to providing humanitarian aid in Gaza
https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2024/the-starbucks-foundatio…
The Starbucks Foundation and Starbucks Indonesia announce a joint donation to provide humanitarian aid in Gaza
https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2024/the-starbucks-foundatio…
Message from Laks: A community we call Starbucks
https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/a-message-from-laks-a-communit…
Letter from Starbucks ceo: Affirming what we stand for
https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/letter-from-starbucks-ceo-affi…
Message from Sara: Supporting our partners during the ongoing Israel-Gaza attacks
https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/message-from-sara-supporting-p…
Yes. Starbucks has stores in more than 85 countries globally and has had a presence in Middle East communities for over 20 years. Our local business partner Alshaya Group operates nearly 2,000 Starbucks stores across the Middle East and North Africa region. The 19,000 Alshaya baristas wearing the green apron throughout the region serve millions of customers each day striving to create an environment where everyone feels welcome. We are dedicated to working closely with Alshaya to drive long-term growth in this important region.
Despite false statements spread through social media, Starbucks has never contributed to any government or military operation in any way.
What we do fund is food aid for communities in need. The Starbucks Foundation, along with global licensee partners, have provided over $3M to World Central Kitchen to provide more than 1M meals to families in Gaza. Our hearts break for all affected by the violence and conflict in the Middle East. We strongly reject violence against the innocent.
Related Links
The Starbucks Foundation and Alshaya Starbucks are committed to providing humanitarian aid in Gaza
https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2024/the-starbucks-foundatio…
Facts about Starbucks in the Middle East
https://www.starbucks.ae/en/starbucks-middle-east
No. Starbucks has never funded military operations with any government, anywhere in the world.
What we do fund is food aid for communities in need. The Starbucks Foundation, along with global licensee partners, have provided over $3M to World Central Kitchen to provide more than 1M meals to families in Gaza.
Our hearts break for all affected by the violence and conflict in the Middle East. We strongly reject violence against the innocent.
Related Links
The Starbucks Foundation and Alshaya Starbucks are committed to providing humanitarian aid in Gaza
https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2024/the-starbucks-foundatio…
The Starbucks Foundation and Starbucks Indonesia announce a joint donation to provide humanitarian aid in Gaza
https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2024/the-starbucks-foundatio…
Facts about Starbucks in the Middle East
https://www.starbucks.ae/en/starbucks-middle-east
Starbucks is a company with a Mission and Promises grounded in humanity and giving. At Starbucks, truth and transparency are essential to fulfilling our mission, upholding our promises and living our values. In today’s fast-paced, increasingly polarized world, misinformation can spread at lightning speed, so we believe it’s important to respond with facts and clarify our position on key issues.
Unfortunately, false statements about who we are and what we stand for have spread on social media. As a giving company, we stand for humanity. We stand for human connection. We strongly abhor hate, violence and attacks on the innocent – and we are committed to providing accurate information about our brand.
For example, despite false statements spread through social media, Starbucks has never contributed to any government or military operation in any way.
What we do fund is food aid for communities in need. The Starbucks Foundation, along with global licensee partners, have provided over $3M to World Central Kitchen to provide more than 1M meals to families in Gaza.
Related Links
Our Mission, Values, and Promises
https://stories.starbucks.com/mission/
Message from Laks: A community we call Starbucks
https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/a-message-from-laks-a-communit…
Letter from Starbucks ceo: Affirming what we stand for
https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/letter-from-starbucks-ceo-affi…
In early October, statements about the conflict in the Middle East were posted on social media using our company logo and name. As a result, these statements were mistakenly attributed to Starbucks instead of Workers United and its affiliates/representatives.
This caused confusion, resulting in threats to our partners, damage to our stores, and calls for boycott.
To address this, Starbucks took legal action to prevent the misuse of our name and logos, in an effort to better protect the safety of our partners and retail operations.
Starbucks respects everyone’s right to express their viewpoints about the conflict in the Middle East and other political and social issues. However, it is important to distinguish that we cannot permit the misuse of our name and logos, especially when it leads to confusion about who we are and what we stand for.
Related Links
Read the full legal filing here (Starbucks Corporation v. Workers United)
https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2023/12/Starbucks-v.-Workers-Unit…
Starbucks condemns acts of terror and escalating violence, strongly disagrees with statements made by Workers United
https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/starbucks-condemns-acts-of-ter…
Our partners are the core of our business, and we are committed to providing every person who wears the green apron a bridge to a better future. Starbucks provides a best-in-class wage and benefits package in retail to all eligible employees. That includes an average pay of $18.50 an hour, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, access to shares of stock and savings benefits, and matched retirement contributions.
Starbucks and Workers United announced on Feb. 27, 2024, a commitment to a positive and respectful path forward in the interests of Starbucks partners. The agreement to begin discussions on a foundational framework is designed to achieve ratified collective bargaining agreements for represented partners, resolve litigation and ensure a fair process for organizing. In the last year, the company reached a third collective bargaining agreement in Canada with the United Steelworkers, and negotiations are progressing for other represented stores in Canada.
Related Links
For the US: https://one.starbucks.com
For Canada: https://one.starbuckscanada.ca
Read the full legal filing here (Starbucks Corporation v. Workers United)
https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2023/12/Starbucks-v.-Workers-Unit…
Starbucks Reaffirms Its Commitment to the Principles of Freedom of Association and the Right to Collective Bargaining
https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/starbucks-reaffirms-its-commit…
Letter from Starbucks Independent Board Chair: Freedom of Association Assessment
https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/2023/12/FY24-Letter-to-Shareholde…
Message from Sara: Our Outreach to Resume Contract Bargaining with Workers United
https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/message-from-sara-our-outreach…