A Facebook post from a fired Elk Grove Starbucks barista is going viral.
Since Christian Brown posted his rant on Nov. 27, his photos and confessions have been shared 3,400 times, with the post receiving 1,600 comments.
“I’ve worked a shift or two at other Starbucks, and I’ve never seen anything this bad,” Brown explained.
In the post, Brown's pictures show trash and food littering the floor behind the counter, a fly trap covered in flies and a dirty milk steamer that had turned brown. Brown made other claims about the cleanliness at the Bond Rd. location in Elk Grove, adding that the standards had taken a turn for the worse since new management had taken over.
“For five bucks for a cup of coffee, you deserve more than this,” Starbucks customer Luis Espinoza said, after seeing the pictures.
Brown said the photos were taken roughly three months ago, when he was about to start cleaning the facility during his shift.
“The problem is with them being that dirty,” Brown said, adding that a little bit of clutter is to be expected.
The Bond Rd. Starbucks passed state health inspections as recently as Oct. 26, 2016. Starbucks spokesman Reggie Borges said the company was aware of Brown’s claims but had done a thorough investigation of the store.
“We’re disappointed that this former partner was interested in portraying this store in a bad light. We’ve made several visits and are confident this is not a regular issue,” Borges added.
The Facebook post has led many commenters to say they’ll be quitting Starbucks for good. But Brown said from what he’s seen, most Starbucks are run well.
“It was really when new management went in that things started being bad,” he said.