Starbucks Closing Tuesday For Racial Bias Training

SEATTLE, WA - A reminder: about 8,000 Starbucks stores across the U.S. will close on May 29 for racial bias training. The move comes after two black men were arrested inside a Philadelphia Starbucks after the manager called police on them.

The closures will affect the headquarters in Seattle, plus Starbucks-owned stores. Starbucks stores in places like Safeway are not owned by the company and will not participate in the training. The stores will close in the afternoon on Tuesday.

On April 12, the manager of a Starbucks in downtown Philadelphia called police on two black men who were seated inside the store. They had not bought anything, and apparently refused to leave. The police arrested the men for loitering, which was captured in a cell phone video.

"I’ve spent the last few days in Philadelphia with my leadership team listening to the community, learning what we did wrong and the steps we need to take to fix it,” said CEO Kevin Johnson in an April press release. “While this is not limited to Starbucks, we’re committed to being a part of the solution. Closing our stores for racial bias training is just one step in a journey that requires dedication from every level of our company and partnerships in our local communities.”

Caption: Protestor Soren Mcclay, 14, (C) demonstrates outside a Starbucks on April 15, 2018 in Philadelphia, Penn. Police arrested two black men who were waiting inside a Center City Starbucks which prompted an apology from the company's CEO. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)