SEATTLE — There were protests Wednesday night at Caffe Vita on Seattle's Capitol Hill after two employees were apparently fired for giving handouts to the homeless.
Other workers at the coffee shop's flagship store on East Pike Street walked out as a show of solidarity. They demonstrated with fliers and chalk messages calling for a boycott.
The backlash began with an email to employees this month, which told them to stop giving away older pastries and coffee because it increased, enabled and promoted homelessness.
A warehouse manager for Caffe Vita said he thinks the response to the email was blown out of proportion.
"I think a couple of people got fired maybe because they weren't doing a great job. And what's unfortunate, I think they've pressured a lot of other people into quitting through social peer pressure and it's too bad," David Guttman, the warehouse manager said. "I dont' see a problem with a business owner trying to tighten up his business and his inventory."
KIRO 7 reached out to Caffe Vita for a response and have not heard back.
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