Starbucks says ex-CEO’s 'future plans are up to him'

Starbucks has cautioned its employees about potential customer backlash following former CEO and chairman Howard Schultz’s plan to run for US president in 2020.

In a recent “Barista Need-To-Know” update, the coffee chain instructed workers on how to address questions regarding Schultz’s “political intentions” and how to defuse a situation if a customer were to “share aggressive political opinions.”

“We respect everyone’s opinion,” Starbucks wrote in the memo. “Our goal is simply to create a warm and welcoming space where we can all gather, as a community, over great coffee.”

If a customer asks about Schultz’s potential candidacy, employees are advised to tell them that the former CEO’s “future plans are up to him.”

If a customer asks whether Schultz’s new book is being sold at the coffee shop, employees are to clarify that it is available at bookstores and online. While copies have been sent to Starbucks stores in the US, they cannot be purchased at coffee shops.

Starbucks uses the weekly memo to update employees across branches. Store managers disseminate the information to staff, “essentially agreeing to deploy whatever instructions the update holds,” according to a Starbucks shift supervisor who spoke to Huffington Post.

Another employee alleged the management at her branch changed the wording of the recent memo. She claimed she was bothered by the rephrasing, interpreting it as a way to stifle workers’ opinions.

“We were told not to talk to customers about it,” the employee said. “If we are asked about his political goals or our opinions on it [then] we’re to say he was a great CEO to work for but that’s where our opinions end.”

Schultz’s announcement of his presidential bid has been met with criticism from Americans who fear that his candidacy could split voters and allow President Donald Trump to be re-elected in 2020.

The former Starbucks chief was earlier heckled by protesters during an appearance at a book event.