'We didn't expect this': Man accuses Vacaville Starbucks of racist order name "I just asked, 'Is this some kind of joke?'"

Johncarl Festejo and his daughter Milan. Johncarl Festejo and his daughter Milan. Photo: KCRA Photo: KCRA Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close 'We didn't expect this': Man accuses Vacaville Starbucks of racist order name 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

VACAVILLE, Calif. (KCRA) — A Vacaville man and his daughter were left in disbelief after a Starbucks barista changed the name on their order based on their appearance.

Johncarl Festejo, an 18-year Air Force veteran who retired last year, stopped at the Elmira Road Starbucks with his 12-year-old daughter, Milan, before dropping her off at school Monday morning because he was feeling under the weather.

He figured a hot cocoa would make him feel a bit better, so, he placed an order, which also included a banana nut bread and a chocolate frappuccino for Milan.

When the barista asked for his name, Festejo said, "I said, 'My name is John.'"

His full name, Johncarl, was also clearly displayed on the app he used to pay for his order.

However, the barista chose a different name for him.

"A few minutes later, I was just waiting in that area, and next thing I know, I hear, 'Is there a Chang here? Is there a Chang? We got a hot cocoa,'" he recalled. "I figured, no big deal. It was probably someone else."

Then, he heard the name Chang twice more.

"Then, I hear again, 'Banana nut bread for Chang.' I'm like, OK, probably the same order. Then, followed by that was the chocolate frap," Festejo said.

Festejo, understanding that this was in fact his order, approached the counter to understand why his name wasn't the one being called out by the employee behind the counter.

"I said, 'Ma'am, is this my order? Because my name is not Chang.' She responded that could it have been my name on the app," he said. "So, I double checked my Starbucks app. It says my name. I just asked, 'Is this some kind of joke? For real? Like, come on now.'"

Festejo said the employee turned to the person who took his order and asked the barista why it was changed to Chang.

"I saw her just slightly snicker," Festejo said.

As his frustration mounted, his daughter asked that they leave. The coffee shop was busy, he said, and he had to get Milan to school.

"When I went to school, I started to think about it. How could they get John and Chang messed up?" Milan wondered. "I think it was really mean, because I never went to a place where they called me something else."

After dropping his daughter off at school, Festejo called the corporate office at Starbucks to voice his concerns with the way he was treated. He got an apology and also received a call from a district manager, who also apologized.

"At Starbucks, we take great pride in providing a warm and welcoming environment for everyone who enters our stores and expect our partners to uphold our values and follow through on our commitment. We have a zero-tolerance stance on discrimination of any kind, and the experience in question was not reflective of our mission and values," a spokesperson for Starbucks said. "We have reached out to the customer and shared our deep regret for their experience, are conducting an investigation into the matter and will take the appropriate actions."

The employee is currently not assigned any shifts pending the outcome of the investigation.

"We didn't expect this, especially this day in age," Festejo said. "Especially what just occurred recently in Starbucks, I didn't expect this would happen."

In May, Starbucks closed thousands of stores for racial bias education training following the arrest of two black men who were just sitting inside a Philadelphia store.

Festejo said he's using what happened Monday as a teaching moment for his daughter.

"All I can advise her is just not to -- to move forward, learn from this and press on," he said.

A statement from the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs regarding the Vacaville incident reads in part:

"While we don't have all of the facts regarding the alleged incident, we find the story disturbing if it was true. APAPA believes in the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and will strongly condemn any instances of racial bias and stereotyping.

We suggest that Starbucks conducts a thorough investigation regarding this particular incident. If this event was in fact true, Starbucks should make an immediate public apology to the individual, and continue to develop its trainings to address such instances of racial discrimination."