A Starbucks customer has spoken out after receiving a shock when they ordered a drink connected to the late political activist Charlie Kirk.
Ever since Kirk was fatally shot on 10 September while speaking at Utah Valley University, supporters have been marking his memory in different ways. One of the more unusual trends has involved heading to Starbucks to order the Turning Point USA founder’s go-to drink, a Mint Majesty tea with two honeys, and requesting his name be written on the cup.
However, in Middletown, Ohio, the attempt of one customer, Autumn Perkins, to do just that ended with an unexpected three-word message. Instead of receiving a cup with 'Charlie Kirk' on it, the barista allegedly wrote the phrase: "Racists fav drink.”
The customer took to Facebook on 22 September to share an image of the cup, alongside their frustration at the company. The post said: “The girl at Starbucks thought she was cute. I don’t even support Starbucks bc of everything they stand for starting with their satanic logo, but I support Charlie Kirk so I thought you know what…I’ll get his drink."
“Thank you Starbucks for proving to me exactly why I prefer to support my small local Christian owned and operated coffee shop. Well done.”
The post went on to explain that the incident had taken place at a Kroger-operated Starbucks inside a supermarket.
In a follow-up comment, Perkins claimed: “I want everyone to know that I just received a phone call from a manager for Kroger and the employee was terminated this morning.
“Between last night and this morning I have had several Kroger employees reach out to me and they took this very seriously. As a long time customer of this particular Kroger location I am pleased with the way they quickly reacted and responded. Thank you Kroger for doing what was right. I appreciate you just as you have shown that you appreciate me.”
In response to the controversy, Starbucks issued a statement stressing its policies on customer orders. A spokesperson told Fox News Digital: “Writing this on a cup is unacceptable, and we have clear policies that prohibit negative messages to help preserve a welcoming environment. This Starbucks location is licensed and operated by Kroger. We understand that this associate was terminated by Kroger.”
Kroger also confirmed the firing, saying: “This behaviour does not reflect Kroger’s values.”
Speaking further to Fox, Perkins defended the decision to sack the barista. She said: “I would agree that people should be fired if they’re doing something like this."
She added: “Actions have repercussions.”
She went on to claim that Kirk 'stood for respect' and argued that, despite political divisions, saying: “We don’t have to agree on everything. We can disagree on a lot of things, but we respect each other. We can’t communicate and grow if we’re disrespecting each other.”
The customer has since vowed never to return to Starbucks, insisting neither she nor her family will spend 'another penny' at the coffee chain.
FOODbible has reached out to Starbucks for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Bo Zaunders / Getty ImagesTopics: Starbucks , Social Media
Ben Williams