Popular coffee chain Starbucks on Wednesday apologized for what it described as “erroneous” signage that limited seniors and people with disabilities from getting their 20 percent discount In a House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means hearing on gaps in the implementation of discounts, privileges, and other benefits for senior citizens, PWDs, and solo parents, Starbucks Philippines Operations Manager Angela Cole said the company took full responsibility for its mistake.

“We are very grateful for this opportunity to help us obviously with better implementation. As noted, we fully acknowledge the error in the signage in question,” Cole told the lawmakers.

“We remain steadfast in extending privileges as intended. Allow me to assure everyone here that Starbucks has always and will continue to extend full discount privileges to our honored and valued senior citizens and PWD customers,” she added.

Cole admitted that the signage displayed at one of their stores that went viral on social media was “not properly worded.”

“We are taking full accountability and acknowledge the mistake. We are really disappointed with the confusion that we caused because of the erroneous signage,” she said.

The signage stated that seniors and PWDs could only have one drink and one food item discounted per day starting 15 January 2024.

Cole said the signage has been removed, adding that it “was never followed.”

Sorry not enough

For his part, Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, who chairs the committee, requested Rustan’s Coffee Corp., the Starbucks licensee in the country, to address its mistake “substantially by making a buy-one-take-one offer to senior citizens and PWDs, like buy one croissant, take one beverage.”

“You violated the law; saying sorry is not enough. We will consider initiating prosecution,” he told Cole, who promised to communicate the former’s request to the company.

Salceda said he received a similar complaint against bakeshop chain Goldilocks, which allegedly limits the 20-percent discount “to one slice for every cake.”

“We will look into this as well,” he said.