Brewer Has No Regrets for Closing Starbucks Stores for DEI Training

Summary

Rosalind Brewer discusses her decision to close all Starbucks stores in 2018 for diversity training and whether a major company would make that call today. She says most major companies would not take that risk in 2026 because of negative public attention, calling the shift shameful. The conversation focuses on corporate DEI leadership and reputational risk rather than an explicit market trade.

• Brewer reflects on shutting all Starbucks stores for an afternoon of diversity training after the 2018 Philadelphia incident.
• She says the training program still continues today.
• Brewer doubts a major company would make the same decision in 2026 due to negative public attention.
• She says Starbucks ran reputational risk in 2018 but leadership felt the move was necessary.
• She calls the current corporate reluctance shameful and says bold moves are still needed.
• The interview is with Bloomberg's Romaine Bostick at the Bloomberg New Voices event.