Starbucks closed its corporate office and 8,000 stores the afternoon of May 29 to hold anti-racial bias training for its 180,000 employees, costing the company about $12 million, according to USA Today.
The training came as a response to an April 11 incident at a Philadelphia Starbucks, where two black men were arrested for trespassing as they waited for a friend. Workers were paid to attend the training program, during which they watched videos exploring issues of race and conducted discussions.
Starbucks said it considers the program's curriculum a starting point for more training initiatives. Though one black employee said she was at first skeptical of how helpful the training would be, she left feeling positive about the company's efforts, according to Time.
"I'm a black woman; I've already known all of this," the anonymous woman told Time. "But the fact that it was a video all employees had to watch, it really warmed me."
Not all employees considered the training sessions helpful..Several Starbucks workers told Time that they wished the curriculum included more discussions.
"While this may be the most cost-efficient way to handle the situation, I don't feel like it will change much of anything," the anonymous Arkansas employee told Time. "Just driving an hour down the road takes you to towns where racism is alive and well."