Wasn't Philz the only Pro-Palestine coffee chain. That's too bad.
It sounds like you don't agree.
so, it's not really well-defined to ask whether or not a coffee shop "should" be taking sides, it will take one in all situations. it is a (slightly) more tractable question to ask "how should a coffee shop take a side?" Given how difficult this question is to answer still, I like to answer it with, "doing good is generally aligned with the long-term profit-motive."
this is also why boycotts are actually useful! though collective action, you can align the profit-motive with "good" clearly. this makes it easier for a coffee shop to move in-line.
Coffee production by itself is already mired in geopolitics.
And as a customer, where we spend our money matters. It’s often the only voice we have.
Take a look at Black Rifle Coffee Company. Their brand attracts a certain type of customer. It’s a market differentiator.
> At the end of 2023, five employees were sent home from the Gilman Street location for wearing Pro-Palestine pins. Despite asking for a written statement from management about why the pins were not allowed, the employees never received any information from management. The employees were sent home and the entire staff unionized.
While I think that your choice in coffee shop has little to no effect on the actual Palestinian country or people, you can always try going local instead of supporting these multi million dollar chains.