After every employee but one walks out, Kansas City coffee shop closes temporarily
Second Best Coffee in Waldo was closed Thursday, after the majority of the employees walked out in protest of what they described as “an escalation of toxic behavior in our work place.”
The specific reasons for their mass exodus remain vague. Posts on the Instagram account and a GoFundMe page started by the former employees allude only in general terms to a “hostile” environment and a need to “prioritize our own well-being and mental health.”
“We’re just making sure all our bases are covered before we completely release our stories,” Jacob Kingsley, one of the employees, told The Star in an Instagram message.
Kingsley said every employee except for the general manager had quit.
The shop’s owners, Nathan and Leia Anderson, did not respond to requests for comment.
On Thursday afternoon, a sign on the door said Second Best was “closed for staff issues.” A man inside the shop who declined to identify himself said that the owners would likely not be commenting on the walkout but that he expected Second Best would be back open Friday.
Second Best opened at 328 W. 85th St. in 2014.
