Once upon a time I believed that craft coffee was also a special place - a better industry. I believed that the culture of artisan coffee attracted better people. I loved coffee and the people who worked in the coffee industry because I felt we stood for something - something real and humane.
So I keep waiting for someone in coffee to talk about the problems the industry has around harassment, discrimination and abuse. And I keep waiting for someone to decide to lead.
But the silence deafens.
And today I walked by Four Barrel Coffee.
In the San Francisco I once loved, these doors would be permanently closed. Because nobody would be going to a business founded by a serial sexual predator and now owned and run by his friends and fellow owners. Nobody would support a business whose (new) owners - the ones who had enabled and covered up the founder's criminal abuse - promised to turn over ownership to the employees - which turned out to be a lie. In the San Francisco I once loved, none of the people in this photo would have been willing to be associated with such a toxic business.
And in the coffee industry I once dreamed existed companies would be calling this company out, companies would be publicly distancing themselves, companies would be refusing to do business with them.
Instead, the store is busy - crowded with people who could give a fuck about ethics and morals and values.
Instead, the coffee industry remains silent - demonstrating that those within it also could give a fuck about ethics and morals and values.
I'd love to say this is a call to action.
I'd love to say that I believe this post will result in a company or two taking a public stance against both the abuse that started this shit-show and the utter ethical failure of the current owners.
I'd love to believe that this post will result in a single SF coffee buyer deciding to go somewhere else for their latte.
But I know better.
It's too late for SF.
It's too late for coffee.
With your silence, you give tacit support.
I'm embarrassed. By all of you.
