Starbucks Offers Free Coffee to All Front-Line Workers Fighting COVID

By Yehudit Garmaise

  As weary healthcare workers struggle to keep up with yet another influx of patients with COVID-19, Starbucks is offering free tall coffees for all front-line health care providers and first responders.

   "Little deposits in morale can really go a long way, just so that they feel the support from our community,” said Virginia Tenpenny, who is the vice president of global social impact for Starbucks. "Our hope with this is to reignite the movement of gratitude and to show those on the front line how much they are appreciated.

   "For us, we believe that one way we can do this is by offering a free cup of coffee."

   Tenpenny explained that those eligible for the free order of tall coffee: hot or cold, are: doctors, nurses, public health workers, pharmacists, dispatchers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, dentists and dental hygienists, mental health workers, hospital staff such as janitors, housekeeping, security, and active-duty military.

    "Hopefully other brands will join us in thinking about how can they use their platform to again show support," Tenpenny said.

   Back in March, Starbucks was one of the first companies to offer free treats to those on the front line who were taking care of others. Between March and the end of May, the coffee giant said it served more than 2 million free cups of coffee to tired health care workers.