--Wentworth Miller
By Alex P. Vidal
NEW YORK CITY -- A Filipino-American “regular” customer of Starbucks has urged his fellow Fil-Ams “not to be carried away by their emotions” and to reject a call to boycott the behemoth American coffeehouse chain over an incident in Philadelphia on April 12 where two black customers were arrested by cops after the manager called 911.
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| ROMMEL LEAL (left) and the Author inside Starbucks New York |
“No need to boycott Starbucks,” enthused Rommel Leal, 47, of Jamaica, Queens. “The actuation (of the manager) to call the police was wrong, yes, but the customers, I mean all customers, should at least order something like a cup of coffee or a cake while waiting for someone.”
Leal, who regularly orders freshly brewed coffee from the popular coffeehouse, considered as third largest fast food restaurant chain by number of locations in the world, said, “the customers must also understand that any establishment is into business.”
RIGHT
“The management has the right to ask the customers to order something once they are inside the establishment, but they must do it in a nice manner,” stressed Leal, who hails from Lambunao, Iloilo in the Philippines.
He admitted that “there are still some racist characters in the labor industry in America in this generation” but “the incident in Starbucks Philadelphia does not usually occur regularly.”
He emphasized that the manager erred when she called the police since the two customers were not making any trouble and did not even panic when the cops handcuffed them.
Leal said if not for the recorded video of the arrest, which became viral and was viewed 11 million times on Twitter, the incident wouldn’t have attracted a tidal wave of protests and #BoycottStarbucks campaign at the store, in Philadelphia’s Center City.
In order to avoid the predicament of the two black customers identified as Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, both 23, Leal exhorted customers “in any store” to place an order “even if it is the cheapest coffee or cake.”
PATRONIZE
“I regularly patronize the Starbucks anywhere in New York and in New Jersey because of the nature of my job, but once I enter the store’s premises, I immediately order a cup of coffee. It’s not in my nature to stay there doing nothing,” Leal said. “I know I am in a premises that is engaged in a legitimate business.”
Nelson and Robinson claimed they entered the Philadelphia Starbucks for a business meeting involving real estate that they had been working on for months.
Nelson asked to use the restroom and was told by the manager that they were only for paying customers. He then joined Robinson at a table to wait for the person they planned to meet. The manager approached, asked them if they wanted to order drinks. They declined.
The police were called approximately two minutes after the men entered the store, it was reported.
Nelson said: “Initially, as soon as they approached us, they just said we have to leave. There was no question of, you know, was there a problem here between you guys and the manager?”
As a result of the furor, the Starbucks management will close all his 8,000 stores in the United States on May 29 to provide anti-bias training to 175,000 employees.
Leal said he hoped the incident in Philadelphia will not happen to other customers who are not white like him.
“I know my rights. It can’t happen to me as long as I order and pay my coffee,” he concluded.
Leal, who regularly orders freshly brewed coffee from the popular coffeehouse, considered as third largest fast food restaurant chain by number of locations in the world, said, “the customers must also understand that any establishment is into business.”
RIGHT
“The management has the right to ask the customers to order something once they are inside the establishment, but they must do it in a nice manner,” stressed Leal, who hails from Lambunao, Iloilo in the Philippines.
He admitted that “there are still some racist characters in the labor industry in America in this generation” but “the incident in Starbucks Philadelphia does not usually occur regularly.”
He emphasized that the manager erred when she called the police since the two customers were not making any trouble and did not even panic when the cops handcuffed them.
Leal said if not for the recorded video of the arrest, which became viral and was viewed 11 million times on Twitter, the incident wouldn’t have attracted a tidal wave of protests and #BoycottStarbucks campaign at the store, in Philadelphia’s Center City.
In order to avoid the predicament of the two black customers identified as Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, both 23, Leal exhorted customers “in any store” to place an order “even if it is the cheapest coffee or cake.”
PATRONIZE
“I regularly patronize the Starbucks anywhere in New York and in New Jersey because of the nature of my job, but once I enter the store’s premises, I immediately order a cup of coffee. It’s not in my nature to stay there doing nothing,” Leal said. “I know I am in a premises that is engaged in a legitimate business.”
Nelson and Robinson claimed they entered the Philadelphia Starbucks for a business meeting involving real estate that they had been working on for months.
Nelson asked to use the restroom and was told by the manager that they were only for paying customers. He then joined Robinson at a table to wait for the person they planned to meet. The manager approached, asked them if they wanted to order drinks. They declined.
The police were called approximately two minutes after the men entered the store, it was reported.
Nelson said: “Initially, as soon as they approached us, they just said we have to leave. There was no question of, you know, was there a problem here between you guys and the manager?”
As a result of the furor, the Starbucks management will close all his 8,000 stores in the United States on May 29 to provide anti-bias training to 175,000 employees.
Leal said he hoped the incident in Philadelphia will not happen to other customers who are not white like him.
“I know my rights. It can’t happen to me as long as I order and pay my coffee,” he concluded.
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