California coffee chain faces backlash after pledge to remove Pride flags
Petition with 4,000 signatures decries ‘slap in the face’, saying Philz made fortune off LGBTQ+ community
Philz, a popular coffee chain with locations across California, is facing growing criticism after news broke that the San Francisco-based company planned to remove Pride flags from its stores.
The move is part of an effort to “[create] a more consistent, inclusive experience across all our stores, including removing a variety of flags and other decor”, Mahesh Sadarangani, the company’s CEO, said in a statement to the Guardian.
Source: Theguardian.com
Original source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/10/california-coffee-shops-pride-flags-philz