Philz Coffee, a coffeehouse chain based in San Francisco, is holding firm on its decision to remove all pride flags from its stores nationwide after employees started a petition to reinstate the flags.
In a statement to HuffPost, CEO Mahesh Sadarangani said Thursday Philz “was working toward creating a more consistent, inclusive experience across all our stores, including removing a variety of flags and other decor.”
He noted that Philz Coffee’s support of the LGBTQ community is “unchanged.”
“This is a change in how our stores look, not in who we are,” Sadarangani said. “Our allyship runs deeper than what is on our walls. It shows up in who we hire, how we treat one another and in our annual Pride Month Unity celebration, which returns this June as it has every year. Unity is fundamental to how we operate.”
A petition from “Philz Coffee Baristas” states the decision “has left many team members and customers feeling confounded and unsupported.”
