Starbucks has apologized after a Florida man was served a drink in a cup that read “Diabetes here I come.”
The customer, who asked to remain anonymous, told reporters in Jacksonville, Florida, on Friday that the message was printed on a cup containing a grande white chocolate that a co-worker had ordered for him from a Starbucks in St. Augustine.
Two of his sisters are diabetic, so the man was instantly “taken aback” when he saw what appeared on the cup, he told a local CBS affiliate.
“Just the struggles they went through and all the doctor appointments they had,” the customer said. “It definitely struck a nerve, and I didn’t just want to let it go.”
In response, he added a message of his own to the mocha cup and sent a photo to local media.
“2 of my sisters are diabetic, so … not funny,” the customer wrote.
The store manager told the CBS affiliate that the coffee chain doesn’t condone the behavior of whomever added the diabetes message, and a corporate representative told ABC News the company has reached out to personally apologize.
“Starbucks strives to provide an inclusive and positive experience for our customers, and were disappointed to learn of this incident. We are working directly with the customer to apologize for his experience, and with our partners to ensure this does not happen again,” Starbucks said in a statement.
The customer told local reporters that he didn’t want an apology, but would rather just be assured that Starbucks doesn’t slip up similarly in the future.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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