Starbucks CEO Meets With Philadelphia Mayor, Police Commissioner At City Hall
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The CEO of Starbucks met with the mayor and police commissioner of Philadelphia on Monday as the manager of the Rittenhouse Square shop no longer works for the store following the controversial arrests of two black men.
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Starbucks confirmed to CBS3 on Monday that the manager is no longer an employee at the Starbucks on 18th and Spruce Streets.
The coffee shop has been met with protests after the video of the men's arrests went viral. The video shows the men being taken away from the Starbucks in handcuffs Thursday after a manager called police because the two had not made a purchase. Instead, the men told the manager they were waiting for a third person to arrive for a business meeting.
This comes after the NAACP called for the manager to be fired.
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson met with Mayor Jim Kenney and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross at City Hall. The meeting lasted about 30 minutes.
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"We had a very constructive meeting with the mayor, the police commissioner and other government elected officials. We really appreciate the transparency in the spirit with which we are working together," said Johnson.
He left the meeting, again refusing to answer questions from reporters, including questions about another incident now coming to light at a Starbucks in Los Angeles.
However, after the meeting, Kenney did elaborate how things went with the CEO of the coffee company.
Kenney told reporters that Johnson promised to personally "apologize to the two young men." The mayor also added the CEO promised to see if there have been any other complaints in the past.
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When asked if he was satisfied with the meeting, Kenney said, "I am not satisfied with the outcome of the situation yet."
In a statement to CBS3, Kenney says this incident is a societal issue.
"I believe Starbucks will cooperate fully with our probes of the matter, particularly the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations' review of Starbucks' policies. All parties agree that the outcome of this incident was extremely unfortunate and that's why we are reviewing the incident seriously," said the mayor. "This is not just a Starbucks issue. This is a societal issue. People can react differently to others based on skin color, and that is wrong. We have work to do, and we need to do so productively."
Kenney says the Philadelphia Police Department is continuing its internal review of the incident.
"The Department is also reviewing protocols related to how officers respond to such circumstances. Specifically, they will audit current practice for training opportunities, and audit current practice for communications enhancements with businesses," Kenney said.
The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations is also working with Starbucks to review the firm's policies, guidelines and procedures, including whether Starbucks has written policies, whether the policies are enforced uniformly, and how much discretion is left to individual employees.
The attorney representing the two men who were arrested last Thursday for sitting in the Rittenhouse Square Starbucks confirms a meeting is set to happen between the CEO and men arrested.
