Petition Urges Starbucks to Vacate Trump Properties

Trump has previously threatened to boycott the chain

Thousands of Starbucks loyalists are urging their favorite coffee shop to get the hell out of Trumpville. An online petition signed by more than 6,900 people is pushing the Frappuccino creator to terminate its leases at all Trump properties, The Hill reports.

"Starbucks is a bold company that values belonging, inclusion, and diversity," the petition's creator, Kyle Brooks, writes. "They have continuously stood beside the LGBT community, African-Americans, and other minority communities. Unfortunately, Starbucks still has a business partner with a man who has called Mexicans rapists, stereotyped the Muslim community as terrorists, and disgraces women."

There's certainly no love lost between Starbucks and the Donald: In the midst of last winter's ridiculous red cup controversy, the candidate pandered to his "pro-Christmas" fans by suggesting perhaps he'd boycott Starbucks and terminate the coffee shop's lease at Trump Tower in Manhattan. "Publicly shaming one of your business partners is downright disrespectful," the petition proclaims.

While famously liberal CEO Howard Schultz has stopped short of calling out the artfully toupeed politician by name, a full-page newspaper ad the company ran back in March decried the current state of American politics, urging citizens "to go beyond the hatred and vitriol."

The petition has nearly reached its stated goal of 7,000 supporters, which doesn't seem like much of a reach given that Starbucks has more than 11,000 locations across the U.S. But perhaps it will put pressure on the coffee chain to reconsider its ongoing business relationship with Trump — or at least, to publicly justify it. Eater has reached out to Starbucks for comment.

The coffee giant wouldn't be the first business to abandon Trumpian waters: Celebrity chefs Jose Andrés and Geoffrey Zakarian both pulled out of restaurant deals with Trump Hotels following the politician's nasty remarks about immigrants, resulting in a number of back-and-forth lawsuits.

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