You won't be able to get coffee on May 29th, at least at Starbucks, because all of the chain's company-owned cafes will be closed that day to conduct racial-bias education.
The sensitivity training will affect roughly 8,000 Starbucks in the U.S. and 175,000 employees nationwide. The initiative stems from a recent incident at a Philadelphia Starbucks. Two black men, asking to use the bathroom were denied, then when they refused to leave, they were arrested for trespassing.
"I've spent the last few days in Philadelphia with my leadership team listening to the community, learning what we did wrong and the steps we need to take to fix it," Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said in a statement.
"While this is not limited to Starbucks, we're committed to being a part of the solution. Closing our stores for racial bias training is just one step in a journey that requires dedication from every level of our company and partnerships in our local communities."
Starbucks says the training will be developed with guidance from experts including former Attorney General Eric Holder.
Will you Starbucks fans go elsewhere on May 29th?