The Seattle Mayor who last year urged residents to boycott Starbucks, acknowledged that she recently purchased a latte from the company but declined to say whether she still believes others should shun the coffee giant.
"I had the pleasure of visiting the Pike Place Market Starbucks a little while ago, and I ordered, I think it was a blueberry muffin latte that was like a staff creation," Mayor Katie Wilson said during an interview published recently with FOX 13 Seattle co-anchor Hana Kim, who had asked Wilson if she still supports a boycott of Starbucks.
"I guess I broke my boycott," Wilson added. "And yeah, but I, you know, I don't know. What do you want me to say about that?"
However, when pressed further by Kim further, Wilson said, "I absolutely support unions."
Kim then said that she had seen that question come up from the crowd but that they would move on from it.
Last year, Wilson declared a boycott of Starbucks at a barista picket line, saying "I am not buying Starbucks, and you should not either," according to The Seattle Times.
In a recent interview, however, Wilson admitted that her comments "caused more harm than good" as criticism continues to mount over Seattle's business climate.
Starbucks has appeared to lessen its Seattle presence, confirming in March that it will be closing five additional stores in the city. That follows several closures in 2025, including the Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Capitol Hill.
In a recent op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz blasted Seattle's leadership, accusing Wilson of pushing "socialist rhetoric" that vilifies businesses.
"Seattle's mayor, Katie Wilson, has chosen to cast business as a foil rather than a partner," Schultz wrote in his op-ed. "Her socialist rhetoric vilifies employers, even while she continues to rely on them for revenue. She has encouraged residents who disagree with her policies to leave."