Overview
- Philz Coffee, which confirmed Wednesday it will remove Pride and other flags to create a “more consistent, inclusive experience,” has not given a timeline for the change.
- Rollout remains uneven, as employees at several Bay Area locations said they had not been told to take down displays and still have Pride flags in place.
- In the Chicago area, employees say managers have already removed flags and warned staff not to discuss the change, with some told their jobs were at risk if flags stayed up.
- In a confidential letter to staff Friday, CEO Mahesh Sadarangani said the change was handled poorly and pledged ongoing LGBTQ support through donations and a Pride Month “Unity” collection.
- A barista-led petition has topped 4,500 signatures and customers in San Francisco’s Castro have threatened boycotts, with critics linking the shift to a 2025 private‑equity takeover and earlier disputes over employee speech.