Greenwich Starbucks Served Cup Of Cleaning Solution To Man, Lawsuit Claims

GREENWICH, CT — A Fairfield County man said he ordered a hot coffee from a Starbucks in Greenwich, but instead received a cup full of a toxic chemical solution, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in the Connecticut District Court.

The lawsuit says that on Aug. 30, 2021, Matthew Tyler Mitchell, through a work associate, ordered a hot, black coffee from Starbucks Store 806 in Greenwich.

Mitchell was handed a coffee cup with a lid, which felt from the outside that it was filled with hot coffee, the lawsuit claims.

"However, after Mitchell took a gulp of the purported 'coffee,' which he swallowed, he realized that he had just ingested a then unknown toxic substance," the lawsuit claimed. "After opening the lid, to his sheer horror, Mitchell saw a blue chemical solution. And, to aggravate matters, Mitchell then suffered severe dizziness and nausea."

The filing said that the substance "immediately caused a caustic, burning sensation" in Mitchell's mouth, throat and stomach, and he became "incredibly ill and was coughing so incessantly that he had problems breathing."

Mitchell alerted the store manager, who admitted that a new employee didn't realize that the coffee brewer was filled with a chemical cleaning solution, the lawsuit said.

The chemical was identified as Urnex Urn & Brewer Cleaner, according to the lawsuit, which is meant to break down and dissolve coffee residue within the metal interior of brewing machines.

The manager also admitted the only warning to employees that a brewer contained the cleaning solution is an upside-down cup placed on it, the lawsuit claimed.

"Rather than spending the funds necessary to ensure its coffee machines do not serve poison, Starbucks has emphasized corporate greed over the safety of its customers, a clear case of hypocrisy given its stated corporate mission of investing in the well-being of everyone," said Mitchell's attorney, Joseph Tacopina, in a statement to Patch on Tuesday.

Mitchell received medical treatment and experienced "severe gastrointestinal anguish, nausea, diarrhea, pain to his tongue and mouth, and a lingering chalk taste," according to the lawsuit.

"This terrifying incident also triggered and greatly worsened his previously diagnosed PTSD, depression and anxiety, which led to heightened emotional trauma and distress," the filing continued. "In fact, the torment that Starbucks inflicted upon Mitchell caused him many sleepless nights, spurred on by debilitating anxiety and depression."

The 13-page lawsuit accuses Starbucks of recklessness and negligence. Due to injuries suffered, the lawsuit said Mitchell has been damaged in far excess of $75,000. A jury trial is demanded.

The lawsuit noted that there have been other instances in which Starbucks customers have ingested Urnex. Two men ingested the chemical solution in July 2012 and July 2015, the lawsuit said.

"Our baristas take great care in crafting beverages, and we have extensive processes and protocols in place to maintain a safe experience for our baristas and customers," a Starbucks spokesperson said Tuesday. "This is an obligation we take very seriously, and we intend to vigorously defend against any claims that state otherwise."