Politics

Romney Held Dem Donor Meeting For Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz And It Didn’t Go Well

REUTERS/David Ryder

Mike Brest Reporter
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Former presidential nominee Mitt Romney recently hosted a donor meeting for former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz who has been reportedly considering a run for president as a Democrat in 2020.

Politico’s Ben Schrekinger said the event did not go well and that many left uninspired by the potential nominee.

“Will there be some segment of the customer base that decides, ‘I’m not going to go to Starbucks anymore should he become a candidate,” Mark Kalinowski, president of Kalinowski Equity Research, asked Politico. “You have to think about the employees. You have to think about the shareholders, everybody who might be affected by the decision to run.”

Both Wall Street analysts and Starbucks leadership are concerned about how a potential campaign would impact the coffee company, according to Politico. They’re worried about potentially losing customers from the other side of the political aisle.

“You’re putting a lot at risk. You’re putting your peace of mind at risk. You better really understand what you’re getting into. I’ve said that to him,” said former Starbucks president Howard Behar.

Starbucks has had multiple scandals over the last couple of months. Two black men were arrested in a Starbucks in Philadelphia, which then prompted the company to close for a day to conduct racial sensitivity training. (RELATED: Starbucks Chairman Blames Trump For ‘Racist Behavior’ Before Closing Stores For Racial Bias Training)