BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — Starbucks will close more than 8,000 stores nationwide today to conduct anti-bias training, the next of many steps the company is taking to try to restore its image as a hangout where all are welcome.
After the arrests of two black men in Philadelphia last month at one of its stores, the coffee chain’s leaders apologized and met with the two men, but also reached out to activists and experts in bias training to put together a curriculum for its 175,000 workers.
Starbucks says today’s sessions serve as “a step in a long-term journey to make Starbucks even more welcoming and safe for all.”