LAKEWOOD – The area’s only Starbucks store offered a “no comment” when WNYNewsNow reached out to see if they were part of the 8,000 stores that will close on May 29th for racial bias education.
“We are not allowed to speak,” said a woman who identified herself as a manager.
Nearly 175,000 employees will undergo a training program developed by “national and local experts,” according to an online announcement on the company’s website.
The training will also be included in the on-boarding process for future employees.
Starbucks faced backlash after a video showing officers arresting two black men who asked to use the bathroom while waiting for a friend at a Philadelphia area store went viral.
“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 the statement.