Barista Sacked After Chocolate ‘Swastika’ Appeared On Jewish Customer’s Coffee

A 19‑year‑old trainee barista at a café in London was sacked on Sunday after a Jewish customer sat with his family received a cappuccino with cocoa powder shaped in what appeared to be a swastika.

The customer, who wishes to remain anonymous, was served this cup of coffee at iconic The Coffee Cup on Hampstead High Street, north London:

Yup, that looks like a swastika alright.

The 45-year-old father complained to manager Bekim Haradinim, who immediately investigated, photographed it, and fired 19-year-old trainee barista Mesut, despite the teen claiming it was an “accident” and that he had no idea what a swastika was.

Manager Bekim told Metro: ‘The family came in, a couple and their two children. They are a Jewish family, absolutely lovely people. 

‘They ordered and seemed to be having a nice time, laughing and joking. But the father told me his wife’s coffee had something like a Swastika in the foam. He said he wasn’t angry but he was just bringing it to my attention. 

‘I was so shocked and upset I told the barista to go home. The barista said he did not do it on purpose and it was just chance that the pattern had formed in the foam.

‘However, with everything that is going on on the world we have to protect our customers.’ 

The manager said the barista was known to draw intricate patterns in his coffees and for working at speed. Would he really be insane enough to draw a chocolate swastika, serve it to Jewish customers, and think he would keep his job afterwards?

The 45-year old man, who made the complaint, told the Jewish News: ‘My wife ordered a cappuccino, and when it landed, I saw that and said, ‘Surely that is a swastika?’ 

The father-of-two said he then told manager: “‘Listen, we’re Jewish, maybe visibly, so to me, that looks like a very obvious symbol, and we’re not okay with it.’” Fair to him, he was mortified.’

The complainant said he did not believe the cafe was in any way antisemitic and he would come back, so that’s nice. At least he’s not being a total victim about it. Then again, it has wound up in the papers and on the internet, so that’s too bad for the Coffee Cup.

The manager added: ‘The man [who complained] was very reasonable. He talked about how the symbol was offensive and everyone needed to be aware. When I confronted the barista and told him to go home he was very upset. He still claims he has done nothing wrong and was not even aware of the symbol.

‘He is a very quick barista and drew many shapes in the coffees but never anything like this.’

Who knows – maybe it genuinely wasn’t deliberate? Looking at the picture, it clearly is a swastika though, intended or not. Given that the customer was satisfied with an apology, and there’s no indication that it was done maliciously, firing the lad does seem like a bit of an overreaction?

Maybe he can rehire him and put up a sign with the list of symbols he can’t be drawing in people’s coffees. Sounds like he makes a mean cup of a coffee when he’s on his game.

For the transgender Starbucks manager who was sacked after yelling at a customer in a ‘misgendering’ row, click HERE.