NEW YORK — Starbucks is using its coffee cups to jump into the political fray in Washington.
The world’s biggest coffee chain is asking employees at cafes in the Washington, D.C. area to scribble the words “Come Together” on cups for drink orders. Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz says the words are intended as a message to lawmakers about the damage being caused by the divisive negotiations over the “fiscal cliff.”
It’s the first time employees at Starbucks cafes are being asked to write anything other than customers’ names on cups.
This isn’t the first time the coffee chain is using its platform to send a political message. In the summer of 2011, Schultz also asked other CEOs and the public to stop making campaign contributions until politicians found a way to deal with a crisis over the debt ceiling that led to a downgrade in the country’s credit rating.
For the latest push, Starbucks is taking out an ad in the Washington Post on Thursday showing a cup with the words “Come Together” on it.
The “fiscal cliff” refers to the steep tax increases and spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1, unless the White House and Congress reach an agreement to avoid them.