A Starbucks Employee In Florida Wrote “Diabetes, Here I Come” On A Customer’s Cup

Starbucks is a popular coffee chain across the world that has made a name for itself for its premium coffee and range of customisations offered to customers. Indeed, many people find a tall glass of Starbucks coffee with their own individual customisations necessary to start their day on the right foot. However, a customer’s morning pick-me-up from a Florida outlet of the chain recently had the opposite effect, thanks to a message that a barista printed on his cup.

Diabetes, Here I Come

Yes, that was the message. While a Starbucks cup typically has the name of a customer printed on it (one of the charms of the chain), one barista decided to make a moral judgement and print ‘Diabetes, Here I Come’ on a customer’s grand white mocha.

Local man tells me he's disappointed that a @Starbucks employee that it was okay to write this message on his cup. pic.twitter.com/7z9Tj0CvRY

— Kaitlyn Chana, MBA, MHA (@KaitlynChana) April 9, 2016

The Grand White Mocha contains 470 calories – arguably on the sweeter side.

The Aftermath

However, the man who received the coffee, several news organisations that reported the story and Starbucks itself in a statement agreed that it was highly inappropriate for the barista to write such a message.

Additionally, the man reportedly has two sisters who suffer from Type 1 diabetes, making the comment that much worse. In response, he wrote ‘2 of my sisters are diabetic, so…not funny’ on the same cup and left it for the barista. The customer says that he is not looking for an apology, but an assurance that such an incidence will not occur again.

The customer wrote a note on the same cup and left a message for the @Starbucks baristas. @ActionNewsJax #Starbucks pic.twitter.com/Y8VvkSurjX

— Kaitlyn Chana, MBA, MHA (@KaitlynChana) April 9, 2016

Nevertheless, Starbucks has issued a statement saying “We strive to provide an inclusive and positive experience for our customers, and we’re disappointed to learn of this incident. We are working directly with the customer to apologize for his experience, and with our partners (employees) to ensure this does not happen again.”

We certainly hope it won’t; nobody needs a side of judgement with their coffee the first thing in the morning.