Can be hung again: The Pride flag in Philz coffee houses.Image: Archive Photos
A well-known coffee chain was in danger of losing its image as an LGBTQIA+-friendly company after a change of ownership. But the resistance from the staff and fans was too great.
April 21, 2026, 10:14 p.mApril 21, 2026, 10:14 p.m
Rainbow flags are a sign of tolerance and that they are welcome for people from the so-called LGBTQIA+ community. The acronym refers to people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. The colorful confession has gained importance in the United States since Donald Trump’s political rise. Because the US President has stirred up a lot of hatred with his fight against “woke” – and caused great uncertainty and sometimes fear among minorities.
The Californian coffee chain Philz Coffee has always been considered an LGBTQIA+ friendly company. Pride flags in rainbow colors hung in all stores of the Starbucks competitor, which was founded in the Bay Area in 2003. Because of this – and because of unusual coffee flavor creations – Philz had many fans.
Philz Coffee is known for its innovative coffee creations.Image: www.imago-images.de
But last summer, Philz was sold to a private equity firm called Freeman Spogli & Co. The new owners, who shelled out $145 million for the approximately 80 stores in California and Chicago, wanted to expand the chain significantly.
Successful online petition
Even then, there were concerns about whether Philz would be able to maintain his ideals. And this spring the skeptics saw themselves confirmed. At the beginning of April, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Philz was removing all Pride flags in stores. The aim is to create a more uniform, inclusive experience for customers, said Philz boss Mahesh Sadarangani. “This is a change in the look and feel of our stores, not who we are.” Support for the LGBTQIA+ community remains unchanged.
But Sadarangani’s message did not catch on. There was a huge outcry among regular customers and staff. Employees launched an online petition that was quickly signed by several thousand people. In it they called for a departure from this new strategy. The Pride flag stands for welcome, it said on the website. Removing these sends the opposite message. In the comment columns there was talk of calls for a boycott and a slap in the face towards the baristas. Some businesses even actively resisted the management motto and left their flag hanging.
A rainbow flag also flies at the Stonewall monument again.Image: keystone
The resistance worked. After numerous media reports on the internal dispute, the Philz management gave in and reversed their decision. I made a mistake and I am very sorry, says Sadarangani in a media release. “The Pride flag is a symbol of security and belonging for people who don’t always find that in the world – and I don’t want to take that away from anyone who enters a Philz.” In Switzerland, for example, the vegan bakery chain Bakery Bakery is known for displaying the Pride flag in its stores.
The LGBTQIA+ community has celebrated another victory in recent days. In New York, a Pride flag will also be raised again at the Stonewall monument. This comes after the Trump administration removed them earlier this year. A lawsuit by interest groups followed, which has now been settled.
The national monument sits across the street from the Stonewall Inn, a historic gay bar where a police raid in 1969 helped spark the LGBT civil rights movement. The rainbow flag was installed under the aegis of former President Joe Biden.
Swiss companies do the kipper
In the spring of 2025, numerous US companies canceled their diversity measures under pressure from Trump, including Google and Microsoft. And large Swiss companies like UBS and Roche, which proudly emphasized their diversity programs before Trump’s election, suddenly gave up – for fear of political and economic consequences. They slashed or removed terms from their corporate language that could rub Trump the wrong way.
With Trump’s second term in office, the wind has changed.Image: www.imago-images.de
Again “Tages-Anzeiger” reported that even a year later, one searches in vain for keywords such as equality and diversity. They have been replaced by weaker terms such as “equal opportunities” or “belonging”.