An Ohio woman was stunned Sunday evening when she received a Starbucks order with a derogatory message written on her cup.
Autumn Perkins, a resident of Middletown, Ohio, visited a Starbucks kiosk inside a Kroger grocery store to order a mint majesty tea with two honeys.
When she picked up her order, she discovered the phrase “racist’s fav drink” written on the side of the cup.
Perkins told Fox News Digital that she was taken aback by the message and immediately reported it to the store manager.
After reviewing the incident, the manager informed Perkins that the employee responsible for the note admitted to writing it.
The worker was subsequently fired.
“It’s time for people to stop this nonsense,” Perkins said in her interview.
She added that she believed firing the employee was the appropriate response.
“I would agree that people should be fired if they’re doing something like this,” she explained.
Perkins said the message targeted her because she ordered the same drink that Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk regularly orders.
She noted that Kirk has emphasized treating others with respect, regardless of differences.
“I feel like Charlie stood for respect — we don’t have to agree on everything. We can disagree on a lot of things, but we respect each other,” Perkins said.
“We can’t communicate and grow if we’re disrespecting each other,” she added.
In response to the incident, Starbucks provided a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Writing this on a cup is unacceptable, and we have clear policies that prohibit negative messages to help preserve a welcoming environment,” the statement read.
“This Starbucks location is licensed and operated by Kroger. We understand that this associate was terminated by Kroger.”
Kroger also addressed the situation in an email to Fox News Digital, confirming the employee’s termination.
“This behavior does not reflect Kroger’s values,” a Kroger representative said in the statement.
Perkins said she has been a frequent customer of Starbucks, especially when traveling, because of its convenience and accessibility. However, she now plans to boycott the coffee chain after the incident.
“I don’t intend to spend another penny at Starbucks — and as far as I’m concerned, neither will my children or anybody else in my family who will listen to me,” she said.
The firing of the employee closed the immediate matter, but Perkins said the incident reflects broader concerns about respect in daily interactions.
She reiterated her belief that Americans can disagree on political or cultural issues while still treating each other with civility.
Resist the Mainstream reported Monday that an Ohio Democratic Party booth was abruptly removed from the Ashland County Fair last week after officials said it displayed politically charged buttons deemed inappropriate for a family-friendly event.
Fair organizers stated they acted after noticing buttons targeting President Donald Trump.
One showed a red baseball cap labeled “felon” with the question, “Is he dead yet?”
Another read, “One day we will wake up to his obituary.”
Officials stressed on Facebook: “We are a family friendly fair and do not condone this from any vendor/merchant. We apologize for those who saw the display.”
