Protestors urge Starbucks to hire locally and invest in Little Village community

CHICAGO – A small group of protestors rallied Tuesday outside the first Starbucks to open in Little Village.

The Starbucks opened its doors last week in the Discount Mall Plaza, the same mall where longtime vendors lost their court fight to stop their evictions last year. Protestors fear the arrival of Starbucks will displace businesses that have been there for decades and spur gentrification., while undermining Little Village’s identity.

Here’s what protestors are calling for:

• A contract that Starbucks will not take flavors relating to our culture.
• Hire staff from the Little Village community with a livable wage $20-$25 an hour.
• Make the Little Village location a Non-Profit restaurant.

“This is not just about coffee, it’s about preserving our community’s character and supporting local entrepreneurs,” said Victor Garcia, a local business owner. “We believe that the presence of a corporation like Starbucks will overshadow our unique Latino businesses and dilute our cultural identity.”

WGN News reached out to Starbucks Tuesday, but has not yet heard back.

The protest comes less than two weeks after the Little Village Community Council led a demonstration near 25th and Kedzie regarding the Starbucks moving in .

“We have seen that money buys power here, and we have people power which is more stronger than money, because the community doesn’t need these type of businesses because we already have great coffee shops here in Little Village,” said Little Village Community Councilmember Baltazar Enriquez.

“We have started a campaign called ‘Not One Drop’ and there will be not one drop of Starbucks consumed by the community until they agree to meet with the community and agree to the demands of the community,” Little Village Community Councilmember Graciela Garcia added.

The Little Village Chamber of Commerce said it advocated for a local business to occupy the space now occupied by Starbucks.

“Moving forward, our focus is on fostering a positive relationship between Starbucks and the neighborhood, encouraging them to engage responsibly, support local initiatives, and contribute to the overall well-being of the area,” they said in a statement.

At the time of the protest at 25th and Kedzie, Starbucks sent WGN News the following statement:

“We’re incredibly proud to open a community store in the Little Village community, and we will continue to work closely with community members as this store and our partners connect with their neighbors, build partnerships with local organizations, and support community events.”

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