‘They are an evil company’: Former Texas customer has altercation with flagship Austin coffee company. Then he takes matters into his own hands  

A popular Austin coffee chain called Summer Moon is receiving flak on TikTok for how much it allegedly pays its employees. And according to some former customers, it's bringing up a sea of other issues Texans allegedly have with the company.

Aaron Hug (@theaaronhug), a Texas-based content creator, posted a video that received more than 9,000 views. In it, he calls out the chain and says it doesn't pay its employees more than “$8 to $10 an hour.”

“They are a massive company … operating out of many states, and [they pay] $8 to $10 an hour. I was making $9.50 an hour as a barista back in … 2000,” he says.

Hug describes Summer Moon: ‘I'm campaigning against them'

Hug starts his video by saying he has a major issue with the company, despite being a former customer.

“I was a loyal, loyal customer [for] four years,” he says. “[I] didn't know anything about them. … About three of those years I went every week, once a week, sometimes twice a week. Never really went to any other coffee shops.”

Then, he says that he had a negative experience with an owner that made him stop visiting. After that, Hug says that he didn't keep up with the chain. Recently, though, he decided to look up how much the franchise pays its employees. He says he found out they pay $8 to $10 an hour.

“I was making the same amount as these people, plus tips. That is insane,” he says. “They are mistreating … their employees. They're mistreating their customers.”

How much do coffee shop workers make, on average?

While multiple viewers agreed that the pay seemed low, others questioned the estimate he provided in his video. According to some, Summer Moon pays just as much as other coffee shops in Texas.

“How much do you think other coffee shops pay? Not defending them, but all companies are like this,” one commenter asked.

Another commenter said, “The wages in all coffee shops look the same. 8-10 for baristas and $16 an hour for managers.”

Subplot News was not able to confirm that the company as a whole pays its staff members “$8 to $10 an hour,” per Hug's video. Additionally, it's likely that individual franchise owners set base pay, and that pay varies from location to location.

Baristas in the Lone Star State, however, reportedly make around $13.41 per hour, which is higher than Hug's estimate. The average across the United States is $16.32 per hour.

Summer Moon's history

It's unclear based on Hug's video what exactly stopped him from visiting Summer Moon Coffee. However, the company has been criticized for its political affiliations in the past, which Hug referenced in his post.

In 2013, the coffee shop came under fire after NARAL Pro-Choice Texas (now called Avow) asked the chain for a donation. An owner allegedly replied to the organization in an email and compared getting an abortion to the Holocaust.

“Did you know that [Summer Moon] Coffee Bar is an anti-choice coffee shop in South Austin … We all might want to think twice before walking into this place,” a representative said on Facebook.

Subsequently, some Austinites stopped visiting Summer Moon altogether. And while the company has since franchised and Avow's criticism may no longer reflect the company's broader values, many customers haven't returned.

@theaaronhug

Subplot News reached out to Hug via TikTok direct message and Summer Moon Coffee via email for comment.

The post ‘They are an evil company': Former Texas customer has altercation with flagship Austin coffee company. Then he takes matters into his own hands   appeared first on Subplot News.