Philz Coffee, a coffeehouse chain based in San Francisco, is holding firm on its decision to remove all pride flags from its stores nationwide after employees started a petition to reinstate the flags.
In a statement to JS, CEO Mahesh Sadarangani said Thursday Philz “was working toward creating a more consistent, inclusive experience across all our stores, including removing a variety of flags and other decor.”
He noted that Philz Coffee’s support of the LGBTQ community is “unchanged.”
“This is a change in how our stores look, not in who we are,” Sadarangani said. “Our allyship runs deeper than what is on our walls. It shows up in who we hire, how we treat one another and in our annual Pride Month Unity celebration, which returns this June as it has every year. Unity is fundamental to how we operate.”
A petition from “Philz Coffee Baristas” states the decision “has left many team members and customers feeling confounded and unsupported.”
“In today’s society, businesses have an essential role in fostering inclusivity and support, and displaying the pride flag is a simple yet remarkably powerful demonstration of that role,” the petition’s description reads. “Removing these flags risks alienating a core group of team members and loyal customers who see Philz not just as a coffee shop, but as a place where they are embraced and celebrated for who they are.”
The petition, which has more than 2,600 signatures as of Thursday afternoon, asks Philz Coffee “to reconsider their decision and reinstate the pride flags across all their locations.”
The removal of pride flags in San Francisco is especially jarring considering the city has served as a home base for the LGBTQ rights movement for well over half a century.
This isn’t the first time employees have been outspoken against Philz Coffee’s leadership. In the summer of 2020, amid nationwide protests against police brutality, a store manager was fired after leaving a comment on the store’s Instagram page criticizing law enforcement and the fact that Philz Coffee gave a 20% discount to police officers. Around the same time, 181 employees were laid off after some employees reported that social distancing and mask-wearing was not being enforced.
In 2023, five employees were sent home from their shift because they were wearing pins supporting Palestinians. Philz Coffee’s founders, Phil and Jacob Jaber, are Palestinian, but they stepped away from daily operations and Sadarangani took over as CEO in 2021.
