When Americans think of rebel companies, they’re unlikely to think of Starbucks, the largest chain of coffee shops on the planet. Nonetheless, Starbucks is leading the rebellion against government overreach. On Monday, Starbucks announced that it would ignore all restrictions against sugary drink size, stating it was exempt. “Because customers can make so many choices in their beverages,” explained Starbucks spokeswoman Linda Mills, “we feel that most of the beverages fall outside of the ban.”
Milkshakes, said Mills, do not apply. No drink, in fact, with over half milk falls under the ban.
Starbucks hasn’t just ignored Nanny State Bloomberg’s injunctions. In January, fans of Starbucks rewarded the chain with their business thanks to Starbucks’ willingness to allow open carry of firearms within the scope of the local law. “We don’t think Starbucks customers or the public in general should have to deal with people who are obviously not uniformed police officers carrying loaded, open-carry guns in public,” Brian Malte of the Brady Campaign said at the time. But Starbucks thinks differently, and earns business thanks to it.
Ben Shapiro is Editor-At-Large of Breitbart News and author of the book “Bullies: How the Left’s Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences America” (Threshold Editions, January 8, 2013).