Starbucks denies barista wrote “loser :)” on Charlie Kirk memorial drink, says footage shows it was added after pickup

Last week, a viral photo suggested that a Starbucks barista wrote “loser :)” on a drink order placed to allegedly honor the late activist Charlie Kirk.

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However, store surveillance video later showed the word was not on the cup when it left the shop.

The Starbucks, located in the Norwood Park neighborhood of Chicago, has pushed back against claims that one of its employees mocked the conservative customer who placed the order.

A Starbucks spokesperson said that the time-stamped video from the store at 6332 N. Northwest Highway did not show any workers writing the insult. Instead, the company noted that the message was “added after the beverage was handed off, likely by someone else,” according to a statement to Block Club Chicago.

The story first appeared online when Jacqueline Garretson (@jacgarretson) shared photos on X on Sept. 16, 2025. She is the Illinois director of The Conservative Caucus, according to her profile on X.

Garretson claimed the image came from a relative and showed a cup of what was apparently Kirk’s favorite Starbucks order. The drink in question was a Mint Majesty tea with two pumps of honey. Someone wrote “loser :)” across the cup in black marker, the same kind of marker employees use for affirmations and names.

Garretson’s social media accounts frequently make claims of anti-conservative bias. In prior posts, she has criticized local school districts, politicians, and public officials.

She continued to post about the incident over the next days, sharing more photos and videos using the hashtag #LoserGate. Garretson pressed the company for more information.

“I have not been contacted by a store manager or district manager. I have not been contacted by corporate,” she tweeted on Friday. Garretson also requested “the full, uninterrupted video footage of the incident in question be provided without delay.”

As her posts spread, the Norwood Park Starbucks temporarily closed its doors. In a statement on Tuesday, Starbucks explained, “Most customers use their own name. And when a customer wants to use a different name—including the name Charlie Kirk—when ordering their drink in our café, we aim to respect their preference.”

The statement added that the markers used on Starbucks cups aren’t exclusive to the company. It added, “the markers we use to write on cups are accessible to anyone. And therefore, notes can be easily added to a cup by others after the drink has been handed off by our baristas.”

Online backlash and ongoing dispute

Though Starbucks has not identified who wrote the insult, many online observers suspected the message was added outside the store. Some folks on social media accused Garretson of attempting to create a viral controversy by marking the cup herself.

Echoing many people’s thoughts, one person wrote, “Insane that some ppl unironically think that a random Starbucks employee knew what Charlie Kirk’s favorite slop juice was.”

“Conservatives need to stop making Charlie Kirk’s death funny because this is getting ridiculous are you trying to make this man’s death a meme?” tweeted another on X.

@SCJGaminggg added, “This being fake quite literally encapsulates the republican and far right party. They want outrage and are willing to fake it to get it. And they don’t care about whether or not it hurts someone.”