Starbucks worker fired after cup targets Charlie Kirk; Kroger says policy in place as memorial highlights political tensions

A Middletown, Ohio Starbucks inside a Kroger store fired a barista after a cup ordered in Charlie Kirk's honor carried the message “racist's fav drink.” Autumn Perkins, who ordered a mint majesty drink with two honeys — Charlie Kirk's preferred order — on Sunday evening, said she was stunned to find the words written on her cup. Perkins told Fox News that she believes Kirk stood for respect, noting that people can disagree without disrespect and urging an end to the provocative behavior.

The incident prompted the store’s management to take action. The employee who wrote the message reportedly admitted the act, and Perkins said the staffer was fired shortly after the encounter. The store’s handling of the situation drew attention to the tension around symbolic requests tied to Kirk, who was assassinated earlier this month.

A Starbucks spokesperson called the cup message unacceptable and cited clear policies intended to preserve a welcoming environment. The location is licensed and operated by Kroger, and a Kroger spokesperson said the message does not reflect the company’s values. Both companies emphasized that the incident was addressed quickly, with the barista disciplined and the customer offered an apology, though Perkins said she no longer plans to spend at Starbucks and hopes others reconsider as well.

The episode unfolds as Charlie Kirk’s death continues to reverberate across political and cultural spheres. Kirk, a conservative activist, was killed on September 10, and hundreds of thousands of mourners tuned in to his public memorial in Arizona, where President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Kirk’s wife Erika paid tribute to the activist. In the wake of his passing, fans and customers sought to honor him by ordering his signature drink in his name, a practice that has prompted debate inside Starbucks.

Initially, some Starbucks staff refused to write Kirk’s name on cups, citing policy and concerns about political messaging. Since then, the company has issued guidance reflecting a nuanced approach to naming on orders. A widely circulated TikTok video from a California store showed a barista declining to write Kirk’s name, prompting Starbucks to reiterate that, in many cases, customers may use a name on their order, while staff should avoid promoting political slogans or offensive language. A Starbucks statement acknowledged past attempts to abuse the system by using non-names or political phrases with the aim of prompting a loud or public reaction.

Over the years, Starbucks noted, there have been instances where customers provided something that isn’t a name at all or attempted to co-opt the naming process for political messaging. The company said it aims to be a community coffeehouse where everyone feels welcome, and it has provided guidance to partners to ask customers to use a different name when political slogans or phrases are used in place of a name. The company said it is clarifying with its team that names, on their own, can be used by customers on their café order, as they wish.

Perkins said she would not return to the Middletown Starbucks and encouraged others to reconsider their patronage. “People should be fired if they’re doing something like this,” she said, adding that Kirk stood for respect even amid disagreement. The rekindled conversation around naming on orders comes as Starbucks navigates its ongoing policy updates in response to consumer-led expressions tied to political figures and public moments of national significance.

The incident underscores the broader intersection of politics and everyday commerce in the United States, where social media-driven moments can prompt swift disciplinary actions and prompt questions about the boundaries of political expression in service spaces. As Kirk’s memorial drew attention to his legacy, the episode at a Kroger-owned Starbucks in Ohio highlighted how consumer branding, political sentiment and corporate policy collide in real time.