Starbucks Middle East denies supporting the Israeli occupation after boycott campaigns
Campaigns on social media calling for boycotting the American coffee chain “Starbucks” in the Arab world have escalated, following the famous chain’s legal action against its employee union, accusing them of supporting Palestine.
The chain has more than 35,000 branches worldwide in 86 countries, with over 9,000 branches in the United States alone. Employees formed a union to represent themselves before the company’s management.
Since the early days of the Israeli aggression in Gaza on October 7th this year, in response to the “Operation Storm Al-Aqsa” launched by the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the union declared its support for the Palestinian people, in accordance with the union’s principles supporting rights and freedoms.
The union stated in a statement posted on its account on the ‘X’ platform (formerly Twitter) that the union condemns all forms of occupation, displacement, and racial segregation, as well as the dangers of genocide faced by the Palestinians.
هل اصبح مقهى #ستاربكس و مطعم #ماكدونالدز من ضروريات الحياة التي لا يمكن ان نعيش بدونها لتأخذ مقاطعة منتجاتها كل هذا الوقت والجدل ؟ . #امطار_الكويت #غزة_العزة #جلب_العالمية #ابراهيم_السويلم
— فوضوي (@Fwdawei) October 26, 2023
However, it seems that this statement and the union’s solidarity with Palestinians did not sit well with the parent company. Starbucks responded to this stance and what it termed the union’s use of the company’s logo by filing a lawsuit against the union and issued a statement on its official website.
In their statement, Starbucks stated, “As violence continues against the innocent in the region, some people associate these statements with us, which is incorrect because the labor union and its members continue to use our name, logo, and intellectual property.”
The statement further noted, “As a result, Starbucks has filed a complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. The union’s post does not represent the company’s position, has no connection to it, and has damaged the company’s reputation, receiving negative attention from customers.”
According to a report published by “USA Today,” Starbucks believed that the statement published by the Starbucks employees’ account regarding the war between Israel and Hamas had harmed Starbucks’ reputation.
Shortly thereafter, news of the lawsuit filed by Starbucks‘ management against the employee union in support of Palestine spread on American social media platforms and then extended to Arab platforms.
The news of the lawsuit sparked outrage in the Arab street, which was reflected on social media, leading to campaigns calling for boycotting Starbucks coffee shops in several Arab and Islamic countries and others.
People have indeed begun sharing videos showing Starbucks outlets in their countries with fewer customers compared to the past, due to the reputation Starbucks coffee shops hold worldwide.
After the videos went viral, a new debate arose about the franchisees’ losses due to the boycott, with some comments suggesting that they bear the full financial burden, and the parent company is not affected by these campaigns.
🇵🇸🇶🇦| فروع ستاربكس في #قطر فارغة من الزبائن#مقاطعة_ستاربكس | #StarbucksBoycott#غزة_تستغيث | #نديب_قطر | #فلسطينpic.twitter.com/dJDvIOC76T
— نديب قطر (@NadeebQa) October 24, 2023
The statement emphasized that “Starbucks has not sent any part of its profits to the Israeli government or the Israeli army, and these are just rumors with no basis in reality.”
The company added, “Starbucks has been operating in the Middle East since 1999 through an exclusive licensing agreement with its business partner, the Alshaya Group in Kuwait.”
It also stated that despite being an American company, it is proud to be a global company with a presence in 86 countries worldwide, including approximately 1,900 cafes in 11 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, where more than 19,000 employees work.
According to the American “Global Fast Food Franchises” website, there is no longer a need for Starbucks franchise fees, as the company has transitioned from the traditional franchise model to a new relationship with licensed stores.
However, the average licensing fee for this type of license from Starbucks is approximately $315,000, in addition to additional financial requirements.
