Starbucks released a statement on Wednesday informing both its customers and workers that there are no restrictions preventing a customer from putting a name down for their drink that isn’t their own, even a name belonging to a famous political figure.
“Having a name, rather than a number, attached to a customer order has been a core part of the Starbucks coffeehouse experience for decades,” Starbucks said in a statement. “Most customers use their own name. And when a customer wants to use a different name — including the name Charlie Kirk — when ordering their drink in our café, we aim to respect their preference.”
Starbucks’ statement comes in response to a viral video on TikTok showing a Starbucks employee in Yucaipa, California, refusing to put a customer’s order name in as Charlie Kirk because “it’s political.”
The TikToker shared in one video that her husband was told that he couldn’t use Charlie Kirk’s name for his order because they don’t “honor politics here.” The TikToker then returned to the same Starbucks and was also told that she couldn’t use Kirk’s name.
“We can’t do political names, but it didn’t even ask for a name to begin with, so it will be $3.75, OK,”the barista replied. She then said the sticker won’t print.
The TikToker then asked the barista if she could write Charlie Kirk’s name on the cup, in which the barista responded that she would only be able to write Kirk’s first name. She said she couldn’t write his full name “”because it’s political.”
Starbucks shared that customers are not allowed to their order to be named after political slogans or messages, but there is nothing restricting the names of political figures.
“We aim to be a community coffeehouse where everyone feels welcome, so we have previously provided guidance to our partners to respectfully ask the customer to use a different name when attempting to use political slogans or phrases in place of their name,” Starbucks said. “We are clarifying with our team now that names, on their own, can be used by customers on their café order, as they wish.”
In the wake of Kirk’s assassination, his fans have taken to Starbucks to order Kirk’s go-to drink: a mint majesty tea with two honeys and have requested the order name be Charlie Kirk.
There is now even a petition on Change.org calling on Starbucks to honor Kirk’s memory by adding Kirk’s drink to their menu with the “Kirk Special” or “The Charlie Kirk.”
Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Elaine at emallon@sbgtv.com and follow here on X @MallonElaine
