Starbucks has moved to clarify its policy on customer names after a dispute at one of its California cafés gained widespread attention online. A video shared on TikTok showed a barista refusing to write the name of late conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on a customer’s cup. The clip quickly went viral, fueling debate on whether company rules restrict political names.
According to The Independent, the customer ordered Kirk’s go-to drink, a Mint Majesty tea, and requested that his name be written on the cup. The barista declined, explaining, “We can’t do political names, but it didn’t even ask for a name to begin with, so it’s going to be $3.75.”
Starbucks defends its approach
Responding to the controversy, Starbucks issued a statement emphasising that names are an essential part of its service culture. “Starbucks is a company built on human connection. Having a name, rather than a number, attached to a customer order has been a core part of the Starbucks coffeehouse experience for decades. Most customers use their own name. And when a customer wants to use a different name — including the name Charlie Kirk — we aim to respect their preference,” the company said. The company is led by Brian Niccol, who stepped in as CEO earlier this year.
Past misuse of the name system
The coffee giant explained that its employees have occasionally been confronted with inappropriate or offensive name requests. In some cases, customers attempted to use political slogans or sexually explicit language instead of their actual name.
“For this reason, we have 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.
To avoid future misunderstandings, Starbucks said it has reminded staff that ordinary names, including those of public figures, can be used by customers when placing orders. “We are clarifying with our team now that names, on their own, can be used by customers on their café order, as they wish,” the company added.