Starbucks has issued a statement clarifying its policy after a barista reportedly refused to write the name “Charlie Kirk” on a customer’s cup.
The incident, which occurred at a location in California, has sparked a social media uproar and reignited debates over free speech and political expression.
In a viral TikTok video, a woman explained that she had gone into the cafe to order a Mint Majesty tea with two honeys, which she stated was Kirk's favorite drink.
When she gave the barista the name for the order, she was told: “We can’t do political names, but it [the register] didn’t even ask for a name to begin with, so it’s going to be $3.75."
After the woman once again asked if the barista could simply write "Charlie Kirk" on the cup, the employee responded: “I could write ‘Charlie?’” to which the woman inquired why the full name couldn’t be written.
The barista explained that it was due to the name being considered “political.”
The woman, frustrated by the response, declined the drink and shared her experience in the caption: “The barista walked over to my husband and handed him the drinks instead of using the name ‘Charlie.’
"She is the one who brought up ‘politics.’ If she would have said ‘okay’ then written the name, no politics would have been mentioned,” she added.
Many people have taken to the comment section to share their reaction to the video.
"Charlie Kirk’s name is political. You cannot go into any establishment demanding them to write names that are clearly engaged with politics. Have some basic moral respect," one person slammed.
A second blasted: "Purposefully trying to start an argument/get a barista in trouble. Charlie Kirk is a political figure."
Meanwhile, a user shared that they are "cancelling Starbucks for good" while a second claimed: "They 'forgot' my order today. After I told them that they 'forgot' my Charlie Kirk drink, they told me the sticker wasn’t printed and then made it.
"No sticker on that cup either. It was done on purpose. Forget Starbucks!!!" they added.
Following the social media backlash, Starbucks swiftly responded with a statement addressing the controversy.
The chain clarified that there are no restrictions on customers using the name "Charlie Kirk" when ordering.
“There are no restrictions on customers using Charlie Kirk’s name on their order, and we are following up with our team,” they said in a statement on Tuesday.
The company further elaborated on the situation the following day, explaining that they are committed to human connection.
“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," they said.
The statement continued: “Most customers use their own name. And when a customer wants to use a different name - including the name Charlie Kirk - when ordering their drink in our café, we aim to respect their preference.”
Starbucks went on to clarify its policy regarding names on orders, particularly in instances where political slogans or offensive phrases have been used.
“Over the years, we have had instances where some people have tried to abuse the system,” they explained, citing examples of customers attempting to use political slogans or inappropriate words as their “name.”
The statement emphasized that the popular chain aims to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.
“We aim to be a community coffeehouse where everyone feels welcome,” the company added. “We have previously 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."
"We are clarifying with our team now that names, on their own, can be used by customers on their café order, as they wish," they concluded.
The Starbucks incident occurred amid a heated political climate, particularly following the tragic murder of the 31-year-old right-wing political activist on September 10 at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.
Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, had been responding to a question about gun violence in front of 3,000 people when he was struck and killed by a single shot.
The assassination, captured on camera, showed him collapsing in his chair with blood pouring from the wound.
The alleged assassin, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson from Utah, was arrested and charged with aggravated murder and other counts, including obstruction of justice and witness tampering.