My Starbucks Boycott in San Bernardino

“Our Neighborhood

Every store is part of a community, and we take our responsibility to be good neighbors seriously. We want to be invited in wherever we do business. We can be a force for positive action – bringing together our partners, customers, and the community to contribute every day. Now we see that our responsibility – and our potential for good – is even larger. The world is looking to Starbucks to set the new standard, yet again. We will lead.” Emphasis mine.

The above statement is take from Starbuck’s Mission Statement, and I think it is utter bullshit. Earlier this year, Evolution Fresh, a company that had its foundation in the impoverished city of San Bernardino was bought and relocated to the more affluent Rancho Cucamonga. This was part of a strategic move by Starbucks to move more into the juicing industry.

The excuse was given to San Bernardino officials and residents that their was not enough space for expansion. I say excuse because if you are from San Bernardino or the surrounding area you know this is a joke. San Bernardino has many empty office/commercial real estate properties. We also suffer from one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation second only to Detroit. 

Starbucks knows this and how unemployment affects communities:

“ Most economists predict unemployment won’t drop below 8% for at least the next year—making this the longest stretch of unemployment above 8% in over 70 years. That number rises to double digits within the Hispanic and African-American communities, and it doesn’t even take into account the people who have given up looking for work. But this isn’t just about numbers. Those figures represent friends, family, and perhaps even yourself.” Emphasis mine.

So given that Starbucks knows and has the data about unemployment, how devastating moving has on sales taxes which help to fund government services, and that there are many empty commercial real estate properties, what are the true motives behind the move?

My hunch is that this is more about the bottom line than any feel good notions about commitment to community.

This is why I will not frequent a Starbucks, because loyalty is bilateral.