Starbucks apologizes after 2 sheriff’s deputies say servers ignored them

Starbucks apologizes after 2 sheriff’s deputies say servers ignored them

iStock/Thinkstock(LOS ANGELES) — Starbucks is in the spotlight again for alleged mistreatment of law enforcement officers.

The Riverside County, California, sheriff’s department claims that two of its deputies were refused service at a Starbucks location on Thursday night.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco tweeted late Friday, “The anti police culture repeatedly displayed by Starbucks employees must end.”

The incident comes two weeks after an Oklahoma police officer’s Starbucks order had the name “Pig” printed on one of the cups. Starbucks fired the worker it says put the offensive word on the cup, and apologized to law enforcement.

“This language is offensive to all law enforcement and is not representative of the deep appreciation we have for police officers who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe,” the company said in a statement following the incident.

When contacted about Thursday night’s incident in Riverside County, a Starbucks representative told ABC News that the two California deputies were in uniform when they visited the Starbucks at around 11 p.m., and were ignored by workers for about five minutes.

“There is simply no excuse for how the two deputies were ignored,” said Starbucks spokesperson Reggie Borges. “We’re deeply sorry for that.”

The company contends the deputies were not refused service, but that employees were simply not attentive. Starbucks is launching an investigation into the incident to better understand if the deputies were intentionally ignored by the employees.

While the investigation is underway, the employees who were on duty are not being scheduled to work. Starbucks leadership will travel to the location to fully understand what unfolded, company representatives said.

Starbucks officials also said they have reached out to Sheriff Bianco to apologize.

“We really want to connect with the two deputies, apologize directly, and hear their stories,” explained Borges. “We take full responsibility for any intentional or unintentional disrespect to law enforcement.”

Starbucks says it is a violation of policy to not serve a customer for such a long period of time.

Copyright © 2019, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.