Mideast Starbucks franchisee is firing staff after being targeted in Israel-Hamas war boycott

Published March 5, 2024 7:26 AM

By JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Middle East franchisee of Starbucks has begun firing staff at its coffee shops across the region after the brand found itself targeted by activists during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. The Kuwait-based Alshaya Group issued a statement Tuesday acknowledging the firings. It is a private family firm holding franchise rights for a variety of Western companies including The Cheesecake Factory, H&M and Shake Shack. Alshaya declined to answer questions about how many employees it was firing. It runs about 1,900 Starbucks branches and had employed over 19,000 staff.

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