Overview

• A TikTok from a Yucaipa, California store showed a barista refusing to write “Charlie Kirk,” calling it a political name, after a customer ordered Kirk’s preferred Mint Majesty tea with two honeys; Kirk was fatally shot on Sept. 10 in a killing authorities describe as politically motivated.
• Starbucks stated there are no restrictions on using Charlie Kirk’s name and said it is following up with the store team.
• The company reiterated guidance for staff to discourage political slogans or offensive phrases presented as “names,” while confirming that ordinary names are permitted.
• Starbucks said its review of timestamped in‑store video found that critical comments shown on some cups in recent posts were not written by partners and appeared to be added after handoff.
• Baristas interviewed by Business Insider reported confusion about the policy prior to the clarification, as the clip drew heavy online reaction including negative Yelp reviews of the Yucaipa location.