LAKEWOOD — Popular Lakewood coffee shop, Rising Star Coffee, is facing backlash after recently closing its shop several hours early, and employees claim their concerns for health and safety have been overlooked.
Workers at the shop said it happened abruptly.
According to the coffee shop's social media, the Lakewood location would be closed several hours early Friday through Sunday.
"Very short notice and with no warning, and, you know, against our better interests, obviously people lost shifts, lost hours and like wouldn't even tell our managers why they did it," said Clay Reid, an employee at the coffee shop.
About 200 people protested to bring attention to the closings, calling it a "Sip in."
"We came to the conclusion that if we invited a ton of people to come to Rising Star today, at like 12:30-12:45 p.m., packed out the place, made the line go around the block, you know what I mean, which it was, they couldn't shut the door," Reid said.
However, the business still closed early, and as the crowd size grew, Lakewood Police arrived, stating that those inside the business after closure were trespassing.
The group is not only frustrated with the early store closing; employees also claimed that safety and health concerns are being swept under the rug by the owners.
"We're just asking you to care about us and for you to let us feel safe and protected, which is not something that you should have to ask for," said Caleb Reese, also an employee at the shop.
There was allegedly a carbon monoxide leak in the cafe recently that forced two employees to seek medical attention. There were also claims that a loose electrical wire near a frequently used door caught fire.
"They're not listening to us. They're not returning our texts, they're not returning our calls," Reese said.
As employee concerns persist, the idea of unionizing has been gaining traction.
"To get safety, we have to unionize, have our voices heard, and that's not going to happen without a union," Reese said.
Rising Star Cafe posted a response to the protests in an Instagram post, saying they "previously decided to close the cafe at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Saturday" and that "closing the cafe at 1 p.m. had nothing to do with a union."
The establishment added that they did not want to disclose the reasoning for closing early, but "misleading" posts on social media and a "mob" of people at the store led them to share their side.
The shop said they "are actively investigating claims of harassment by employees."
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