Coffee chain admits it made ‘mistake’ with controversial pride flag ban

Philz Coffee has reversed a controversial decision to remove pride flags from its premises, claiming it had ‘failed’ staff, consumers, and the LGBTQIA+ community with the mandate.

Earlier this month, Philz, founded in the Bay Area more than two decades ago, announced its stores would create a ‘more consistent, inclusive experience’ by removing a variety of its flags and other decor.

“This is a change in how our stores look, not in who we are,” CEO Mahesh Sadarangani said at the time.

On April 5, a petition was launched for the coffee house - which has 82 branches across California and Chicago - to walk back on its decision.

“When Philz Coffee removed Pride flags from some of their locations, our community felt it. That kind of action sends a message, especially right now, when LGBTQIA+ people are navigating a climate that feels more threatening by the day,” San Francisco Pride co-leader Suzanne Ford said.

Following the backlash, Sadarangani released a statement apologising for taking down the community identifiers.

He said that after taking part in ‘meaningful, in-person conversations’ with employees, as well as Ford and Jupiter Peraza, another leader of San Francisco Pride, Philz Coffee will no longer require Pride flags to be taken down.

Any motifs that were removed are to be put back up, as per Sadarangani’s statement.

“I made a mistake, and I am sincerely sorry,” he confessed, as per TODAY.

“To our Team Members, to our customers, and to the LGBTQIA+ community that has been with us since the very beginning, the confusion and hurt we caused around our new policy for Pride flags failed you.”

He continued, calling the flag a ‘symbol of safety and belonging’ and that he did not want to take that ‘away from someone who walks into Philz’.

“I had the chance to sit down with San Francisco Pride leaders Suzanne Ford and Jupiter Peraza, both are trans women who led this conversation with grace, directness and a genuine commitment to finding alignment on what matters.”

Sadarangani added: “I want to be clear about where Philz stands: our Pride flags are staying up. If a Pride flag came down, it can be put back up.”

In her own statement, Ford said that Sadarangani showed ‘genuine humility’ during tense discussions, and that he reached out, listened and ‘understood’ that pulling down community markers ‘wasn’t about optics’.

“It was about whether queer people, and the employees who show up for them every day, feel safe and seen,” she continued.

“Mahesh sat with our community members, heard their perspective and apologised, not as a formality but as a person who got it wrong and wanted to make it right.”

She added that she looked forward to seeing the restaurant group’s ‘continued actions and allyship’.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the LGBT national hotline at 888-843-4564, available Monday to Friday 4pm-12am ET and 12pm-5pm ET on Saturdays.