The company confirmed the policy change in a statement saying, “Every Pride flag that is up stays up, and any Pride flag that was previously removed can be put back up.” CEO Mahesh Sadarangani ( saa-daa-run-gaa-nee) also issued a public apology.
The controversy began earlier this month after the company announced plans to remove Pride displays. The baristas of the cafe started a petition opposing the move, which gained more than 14,000 supporters, plus a protest was held in San Francisco’s Castro district. As pressure mounted both online and in stores, the company reversed course.
