Starbucks is offering free coffee to all front-line responders helping with the recent increase in COVID-19 cases as a way to say thank you for everything these individuals are doing to help communities worldwide. Through Dec. 31, participating locations of the coffee chain in the United States will give a free tall brewed coffee – hot or iced – to any customer who identifies as a first responder or front-line worker supporting the healthcare system. This includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, firefighters, dispatchers, paramedics, public health workers, police officers, dentists, dental hygienists, mental health workers, active-duty military, and hospital staff such as janitors, housekeepers, or security workers.
“It has been an extraordinarily difficult year, especially for the front-line responders who are serving our communities,” Virginia Tenpenny, a Starbucks rep, said in a press release. “We want to show our deep gratitude for those who support and protect us every day with a small gesture of kindness and a cup of coffee.”
Since the start of the pandemic, Starbucks has provided more than two million free cups of coffee to front-line responders. As a reminder, the chain currently requires facial coverings and social distancing for all customers visiting its stores, and all employees are following advanced sanitizing protocols to keep all surfaces and equipment clean throughout the day.
