It may be too late for Philz Coffee.

A belated announcement by the specialty coffee shop’s CEO on Wednesday explained that the San Francisco-born retailer will remove Pride flags and other LGBTQ+ ephemera from all of its locations, following the company’s sale last August to a private equity firm.

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The company didn’t respond to inquiries about the new policy.

Phil Jaber and his son Jacob founded Philz Coffee in Jaber’s former corner store on 24th Street in the Mission District in San Francisco in 2003. 

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The owners’ “one cup at a time” philosophy and the store’s groovy ambiance — posters, tapestries, and painted clouds on the walls brewed hippie nostalgia — caught on with the artisanal crowd in the Bay Area and made Philz a coffee spot phenomenon. 75 locations now operate across California and the Chicago area.

The Silicon Valley darling catered the coffee at Mark Zuckerberg’s 2012 wedding to Priscilla Chan, fortifying guests with caffeine and their not-so-secret ingredients of cardamom and manufacturing cream.

The Jabers and their investors earned $145M with the company’s sale last summer to LA-based private equity firm Freeman Spogli.

CEO Mahesh Sadarangani’s explanation on Wednesday about stripping the stores of Pride flags and “other decor” to create “a more consistent, inclusive experience” was forced by the publication of a Change.org petition from an unnamed group of Philz employees denouncing the new policy.

“The Pride flags within the stores hold deep meaning and value to both staff and visitors, symbolizing that these locations are safe and welcoming spaces for all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity,” the petition reads. “Removing these flags risks alienating a core group of team members and loyal customers who see Philz not just as a coffee shop, but as a place where they are embraced and celebrated for who they are.” 

“Philz has made their branding and fortune off of supporting the LGBTQ community,” said one former barista in response. “This is a slap in the face to all of your employees.”

“Make this right!” they added.

It may be too late for that.

The corporatization of Philz has been underway for a long time, say several staffers, past and present, as the owners met the demands of expansion and other investors throughout the coffee company’s 22-year history. The original poster-laden location closed in 2023.

“It hasn’t been Philz for years now,” one purported employee shared on Reddit just ahead of the company’s sale in August. “They are getting ready for a big Starbucks-style change.” 

Even the petition itself holds clues to the corporatization of OG Philz’ cardamon-infused culture: “team members,” “core values,” “a customer-focused experience,” and “welcoming spaces” are likely not terms that came up between baristas and customers over their custom-made coffees next to a pencil jar holding a Pride flag in 2003.

By the time a company is asked to “reaffirm its commitment to diversity and inclusion, aligning its values with the community it serves,” it’s likely already lost the thread.

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