Black man videotapes Starbucks' refusal to let him use restroom

Eli Blumenthal | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Starbucks boycott boils over despite CEO's apology Starbucks customers around the country are boycotting the coffee chain after two black men were arrested in a Philadelphia store after an employee called police on them.

Starbucks' racial problems Monday weren't confined to Philadelphia.

As the coffee chain reels from the videotaped arrest two black men at a Philadelphia, another video emerged showing an African-American man being denied access to a restroom at a Starbucks location in southern California.

More: 'Starbucks coffee is anti-black' say chanting protesters at Philadelphia Starbucks where 2 black men were arrested

The video, posted to Twitter by activist Shaun King, purports to show an African-American man identified as Brandon Ward in a Torrance, Calif., store asking why he was denied access to the store's restroom when a white customer was granted access.

Here we go again.



Meet Brandon Ward. He was @Starbucks - about to make a purchase - and needed to use the restroom.



They denied him the code.



He then finds a white man, Weston, who came out of the restroom.



He had not made a purchase but they gave HIM the code.



RACISM. pic.twitter.com/2UGZ20aOtF — Shaun King (@ShaunKing) April 16, 2018

KABC-TV in Los Angeles, which was able to reach Ward, said the incident occurred in January. Ward, 26, could not be reached for comment, but had posted the video on his Facebook page. There has been from Starbucks. The video had received more than 230,000 views as of early Monday afternoon.

It came as Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson offered apologies after employees in one of the company's Philadelphia stores called the police to report two well-dressed black men were trespassing Thursday by refusing to leave when they hadn't ordered drinks or food. One had asked to use a restroom and was denied, saying it was only for paying customers. The pair explained they were waiting for their friend, who is seen arriving and protesting the arrest before the pair are led away in handcuffs.

Starbucks confirmed the manager who made the call to police has since left the company.

"Starbucks was built as a company that creates a warm, welcoming environment for all customers. That didn't happen in this case," Johnson told Good Morning America on Monday. "I've been very focused on understanding what guidelines and what training ever let this happen. What happened was wrong and we will fix it."

The latest video has renewed social media calls for a boycott of Starbucks, with users flocking to Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #BoycottStarbucks.

Racism is a systemic issue at Starbucks. Just because a company seems liberal and progressive, it does not mean they are immune from being flagrantly racist. #BoycottStarbucks pic.twitter.com/YTMhJpykZ9 — Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) April 16, 2018

Trying to use the bathroom while black. And he made a purchase before requesting the code. Weston had not made a purchase and got the code. Where is this Starbucks? Boycott their racist asses! @Starbucks shame on you! https://t.co/rmbohFJPSC — shelley duchesne (@sduches) April 16, 2018

Follow Eli Blumenthal on Twitter @eliblumenthal