My Letter To Howard Schultz, CEO Of Starbucks

Upon reading his article in Time Magazine

Owning an independent business can be very stressful, so to decompress every Sunday, I would see a film at our neighborhood cinema and then have dinner at Thali 2 for vegetarian Indian food—a ritual I loved.

I would go alone, bringing a journal, sketchpad, or something to read until my meal arrived. It was my happy place. I enjoy going out with friends but love going alone, too. It felt like I was sitting with my best friend.

On the way to dinner one evening, I found a copy of Time Magazine on a bench with a picture of Howard Schultz on the cover. I took it with me to read what he had to say.

I was surprised to read that he cared about the issue of race in our country, which gave me an idea.

I called my friend Jack and told him about my plan. He laughed and said, “Lu, that’s brilliant, but it will be intercepted before he sees it, but write it anyway.”

I began composing a letter while at dinner. Later that night, I sent Jack a copy. He called me, laughing. “Lu, I love the letter but think you should remove the first paragraph about Starbucks’ sleazy marketing strategy of putting all independent coffee venues out of business to increase their profits.” I reluctantly removed my favorite paragraph.

Here is the letter I sent Howard Schultz:

Howard Schultz,

CEO Starbucks Coffee Company

2401 Utah Avenue South

Seattle, WA 98134-1436 USA

Dear Howard,                                       

As a former independent coffeehouse owner, I never thought I'd be writing a letter to the CEO of Starbucks. Still, after reading your article in Time Magazine, I was intrigued by your willingness to tackle critical issues facing our country today. I applaud you for trying to contribute something positive. I, too, care about these issues, especially the one you mentioned regarding civil rights. I want to share an approach you may want to consider.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Louise deCarrone; my nickname is Lulu.

For the past 24 years, I've owned and operated an independent coffeehouse in New Haven known playfully as "The Yale Grad School Ghetto" or East Rock. My shop was called Lulu, a 300-square-foot space with enough room to attract scholars, grad students, attorneys, neighbors, old and young, construction workers, and our neighborhood cop, all gathering daily for spontaneous discussions and great coffee.

When laptops entered the coffeehouse scene, I realized something felt wrong. The space became quiet, like a library or study hall. So, I banned them.

What started as a bold and scary move awarded me over seven articles and started a trend across the county. The store returned to being what I loved: a hub of conversation for local and international issues. Many articles were written that have gone national.

Conversation and sharing food are two of the most powerful means of connecting people and helping dissolve prejudices.

I don't think Starbucks should banish laptops; quite the contrary. Starbucks clearly serves an important need, but I would like to share with you three ideas that work off each other at a minimal cost to Starbucks. A simple solution that would allow people to talk with each other and connect.

You already have the infrastructure in place to move on these ideas quickly. We can discuss these ideas over Skype or in person, and if you feel as I do, I would love to work with you and help implement this plan.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Sincerely,

Lulu deCarrone

I hope you smiled as you read this. I never heard from Starbucks, which is no surprise, but I enjoyed writing the letter. Thank you for reading and for your support.

Years later, I read that Starbucks’s idea of dealing with Race was to have baristas write “Race Together” on their cups. I guess that’s the corporate idea of how to improve Race relations in this country.