Black people dont drink coffee ~ Shaq

[Elle Driver]

I love coffee I slowed down to two cups max. Black people definitely drink coffee, it's even grown in Ethiopia. But I'm too bougie for chains. I go to hole in the wall cafes.

 

[William F. Russell]

Shaq is surely HURTING from not investing in Stabucks...

 

[Dr. Acula]

Not sure he was wrong. Of course Black folks drink coffee. But a Starbucks in a Black neighborhood? That's a gamble.

I lived in a black neighborhood and there was a starbucks. It wasn't a very low income or rundown area though.

I've always personally thought about opening a coffee shop in a predominately black area myself. Like a local coffee shop spot.

Hell, the hipsters do it in black neighborhoods so why cant black people do it

 

[Easy-E]

Shaq Missed Out on Making Millions of Dollars With Starbucks Because He Didn't Think Black People Drank Coffee

Shaq Missed Out on Making Millions of Dollars With Starbucks Because He Didn't Think Black People Drank Coffee



Shaquille O'Neal made almost $300 million playing in the NBA. He also made millions and millions of dollars in endorsement deals during his time in the league and continues to make money today as a result of various business transactions. However, Shaq could have made so much more, if not for one big business blunder that he made.

Once upon a time, Shaq had a meeting with Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. Schultz was interested in opening up a string of Starbucks franchises in African-American communities, and he wanted Shaq to play a big part in it. But Shaq turned him down and told him he thought it was a bad idea. On the season premiere of In Depth With Graham Bensinger, which airs this weekend, Shaq talks about it.

"So Howard comes and says, 'Shaq, I wanna give you the opportunity to go in with me and open up these Starbucks franchises in African American communities,'" Shaq says during his interview with Bensinger. "And I'm always the guy that, if I don't believe in it, I can't do it. Will never do it. No amount of money can make me endorse something that I'm not 100 percent behind. So I looked in the great Howard Schultz's face and said, 'Black people don't drink coffee, sir. I don't think it's gonna work.' You should have seen his face. He was like…alright. We're still good friends today, but that was one of my worst business decisions."

Shaq has actually told this story before. In his 2011 book, Shaq Uncut, he talked about how he told Schultz that he didn't drink coffee during their meeting and that it ultimately cost him the chance to work with Starbucks.

"The truth was," he wrote, "I'd never seen black people drink coffee. I thought it was a white person's drink."

Can you imagine how much money Shaq lost because of this? Fortunately, we think he's going to be just fine financially. But still, he could have made so many millions of dollars with Starbucks. That has to hurt.

You can check out a preview of Shaq's interview with Bensinger here:

Yep, I read his book. He just didn't grow up around ppl drinking it

 

[Dr. Acula]

but...ethiopians....

Coffee was first brewed in Ethiopia and East Africa. Only if these dudes knew.

Coffee is as african as you can get...

 

[Brofato]

I thought coffee was magic the way people talked about it while I was growing up. My grandparents would drink it and so would my aunt. People constantly talking about how you shouldn't talk to them before they've had their morning coffee.

And then I tried it. All it does is make me sleepy if I brew it myself.

My sister worked at Dunkin' Donuts for a while though and I got free iced coffees and those motherfukkers kept me up for days at a time. Even though I drank those fairly regularly coffee still gets no love from me. It's just not as exciting as it was built up to be and I was drinking it to see the hype.

All that being said, Dunkin' Donuts and 7/11 seem to have that market on lock in most black communities I've seen. For people who'd rather not pay Starbucks prices and just want a simple coffee.

Black folk do in fact drink at Starbucks though. My aunt is one of those people who prefer it.

 

[The_King_of_Everything]

but...ethiopians....

 

[StickStickly]

I'm drinking an iced coffee as I read this

Shaq lost for that one

On my 4th cup of coffee today

 

[Why-Fi]

its one of the most traded commodities in the world...

 

[Mandizi]

Never been a coffee drinker.

 

[KingJamesXXIII]

Ive never had coffee.

 

[Regine Hunter]

But black people use gold bond products, huh?

 

[sanityovar8ted]

he needs to slap the shyt out of himself seriously, but on the brightside im kinda glad he didnt , just think if they opened up starbucks all over the hood, already broke mf's woulda been trynna break they necks to buy that overpriced coffee.... my local gas station cappuccinos are $1 n they FIYA

 

[Lucky_Lefty]

Whatever. He invested in Google in the beginning so he won regardless

 

[606onit]

Small cup of Coffee at Starbucks is 2 dollars. Even if I did have coffee every weekday from Starbucks it would only be 10 bucks a week. That not hurting most people who have full time jobs.

Who really orders a small cup of joe? Starbucks is all about the upgrade. Why would u waltz into a shop, wait in line and fork over $2 for 10oz of joe when u can brew it or race in a dunkin and get it for a buck??? No one orders a small.....even if it's $15/week what's the point???? Status, I tell you.

I don't even consider Starbucks a coffee shop more than an adult candy store.