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by\u00a0Roselyn Romero<\/a><\/strong> April 9, 2026 (Oaklandside.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"LGBTQ+](\"https:\/\/oaklandside.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Philz-Lakeshore-Edit.jpg\" "\\"LGBTQ+")
A day after the CEO of Oakland-headquartered Philz Coffee demanded that Pride flags be removed from all of the chain\u2019s stores, the Oakland and San Francisco LGBTQ+ cultural districts are speaking out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an open letter sent Thursday afternoon, the Oakland Lakeshore<\/a> and San Francisco Castro<\/a> LGBTQ+ cultural districts told CEO Mahesh Sadarangani that his announcement was \u201can extreme disappointment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both districts represent neighborhoods with deep histories intertwined with LGBTQ+ communities. And both are hosts to Philz Coffee cafes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen Philz came to our neighborhoods, it did so knowing it would be serving our communities,\u201d the district representatives wrote. \u201cThese recent actions, however, suggest that you do not prioritize us or the diversity of the LGBTQ community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Philz Coffee did not immediately respond to questions from The Oaklandside about the letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Sadarangani previously said the decision, which will take down all types of flags, was intended to create a \u201cmore inclusive experience\u201d at Philz stores. \u201cThis is a change in how our stores look, not in who we are,\u201d he wrote in a statement sent to multiple<\/a> media outlets<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both LGBTQ+ cultural districts pushed back on Sadarangani\u2019s comments, saying the move does the exact opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet us be clear: there is no community more inclusive of all backgrounds, creeds, races, genders, religions, immigration statuses, or classes than the LGBTQ community,\u201d the districts\u2019 letter read. \u201cWe encompass every community across the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The letter, which both districts also posted on social media<\/a>, called for Philz to reverse the decision and reaffirm its commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. It also urged community members to sign a Change.org<\/a> petition, launched by Philz Coffee baristas<\/a>, demanding that company leadership reinstate Pride flags at all locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe stand with Philz baristas and workers who have spoken out about the importance of maintaining Pride flags in their stores and who have organized a public petition calling for their reinstatement,\u201d the district leaders wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Philz\u2019s Lakeshore Avenue location<\/a> opened in June 2024, nine years after its College Avenue store<\/a> opened. The Castro cafe opened<\/a> in 2015. The company was founded in 2003<\/a> in San Francisco\u2019s Mission District and moved its headquarters<\/a> from San Francisco to its Oakland roasting facility in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Philz was\u00a0purchased<\/a>\u00a0by the private equity group Freeman Spogli last year for $145 million. A controversial part of the deal was the\u00a0cancellation of stocks<\/a>\u00a0owned by 10 former employees. An\u00a0FAQ<\/a>\u00a0published on Philz Coffee\u2019s website after the sale said Freeman Spogli intended \u201cto preserve and build upon Philz Coffee\u2019s rich history, maintaining the unique, authentic coffee experience that has made the brand so special for over two decades.\u201dSend a note to the Oaklandside newsroom.*<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n roselyn@oaklandside.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Roselyn Romero covers public safety for The Oaklandside. She was previously The Oaklandside\u2019s small business reporter as a 2023-24 Poynter-Koch Media & Journalism Fellow. Before joining the team, she was an investigative intern at NBC Bay Area and the inaugural intern for the Global Investigations team of The Associated Press through a partnership with the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting. She graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2022 with a bachelor\u2019s in journalism and minors in Spanish, ethnic studies, and women\u2019s & gender studies. She is a proud daughter of Filipino immigrants and was born and raised in Oxnard, California.More by Roselyn Romero<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The open letter, co-signed by Oakland\u2019s Lakeshore and San Francisco\u2019s Castro LGBTQ+ cultural districts, calls on the coffee chain to reverse its controversial move. by\u00a0Roselyn Romero April 9, 2026 (Oaklandside.org) A day after the CEO of Oakland-headquartered Philz Coffee demanded that Pride flags be removed from all of the chain\u2019s… Continue reading Roselyn Romero<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n