Durham black-owned coffee shop sees boost in business after Starbucks boycott

Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Durham black-owned coffee shop sees boost in business after Starbucks boycott
A Durham coffee shop is seeing a boost in sales after a Starbuck boycott.

DURHAM, N.C. -- While a viral video showing two black men being arrested inside of a Philadelphia Starbucks is having negative effects on the company's sales, it's actually boosting sales for a Durham coffee shop.

Beyu Cafe said they have seen an increase in business after the start of a nationwide social media campaign to boycott Starbucks and support local, black-owned shops, Spectrum News reports.

The trending campaign started after several customers said they felt the arrests showed racial discrimination against black people.

READ MORE: Starbucks CEO met with 2 men arrested in Philly store, Spokeswoman says

General Manager David Best said Beyu was just one of 47 cafes mentioned in a list of black-owned coffee shops, that are "great alternatives to Starbucks," trending online.

"It's not just known because of the dollar signs behind it," Best told Spectrum News. "It's known because of the character and culture it has created, as well as that it's black-owned. It's important that people realized that you can be black-owned and be prosperous and make an impact in the community."