Sign the Petition: Urge Philz Coffee to Keep Their Pride!
It was bad enough when San Francisco-born coffee house, Philz, screwed both former and current employee stockholders out of their fair share when the company was sold to private equity firm Freeman Spogli & Co, by canceling all common stock and options as part of the sale. The latest controversy Philz Coffee has decided to whip up involves ordering the removal of Pride flags from all their locations—including locations in the City that helped make the company successful.
While it may seem that this is a new side effect of Philz’s recent sell-out to private equity, the company has always had dubious practices and allegiances. In the past decade, the coffee house has courted techies and gentrification, raising tens of millions in venture capitalist funds while cosplaying as a cozy neighborhood institution. And there was also that time Philz fired employees for objecting to the 20% discount for law enforcement after a St. Louis cop murdered George Floyd.
Philz’s attempt to ban Pride flags in their stores has earned a swift round of condemnation, including a Change.org petition that has racked up thousands of signatures.
On Friday April 10th, Indivisible SF joined a protest organized by SF Pride chair Suzanne Ford at the Castro Philz location. Because what do we do when the queer community is under attack? Stand up! Fight back!
Want to make your voice even louder? Consider writing an email or sending a postcard to their corporate headquarters.
You can email their customer service at info@philzcoffee.com.
Or mail a postcard to:
Philz Coffee
680 85th Ave
Oakland, CA 94621
Using your own words is always more potent, but if you need some inspiration to get started, here you go:
To whom this may concern:
I recently learned that all Philz locations have been ordered to remove their Pride flags, with the stated reason by CEO Mahesh Sadarangan being to create “a more consistent, inclusive experience across all our stores.” As a San Francisco-born company, banning Pride flags from Philz is the antithesis of creating an inclusive experience. I find this latest policy not only absurd, but a thinly veiled attack on a vulnerable community.
To resolve the problem, I am asking that Philz reverse this new policy and allow their locations to continue to display the Pride flag. If Philz proceeds with the forced removal of Pride flags, I will be forced to remove my patronage from Philz and buy my coffee elsewhere.
I look forward to Philz Coffee reversing this decision.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
And since private equity’s only purpose is to destroy companies and then sell them for parts, you might want to start looking into some Philz alternatives. We recommend Andytown Coffee Roasters, Home Coffee Roasters, and Red Bay Coffee.
