Starbucks stores shutter for anti-bias training

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - One right after the other, would-be patrons of a Starbucks in Astor Place in Manhattan came face-to-face with a locked door. Some were disappointed that they couldn't get their afternoon caffeine fix.

The coffee giant decided to shut down all 8,000 stores nationwide on Tuesday afternoon for mandatory anti-bias training. It was an attempt to restore its reputation after the arrest of two black men in a Philadelphia store in April.

"We're here to make Starbucks a place where everyone, everyone feels welcome," CEO Kevin Johnson says in a corporate video previewing the training.

Tens of thousands of Starbucks employees heard prerecorded remarks from the company's executives as well as rapper and activist Common. Then they broke into small groups to discuss how bias may play into the workplace.

But just how much will the closure impact the company? Analysts say afternoons are the slowest time for Starbucks, amounting to 15 to 20 percent of the business, which roughly $7 million in sales. The company's total revenue in the fiscal year 2018 is expected to be more than $24 billion.

Coffee drinkers Fox 5 spoke to said it is less about the money and more about the message.

Later Tuesday night, Starbucks posted the curriculum publicly on its website for anyone to view.