Starbucks at Center of Controversy Within Mormon Church Following Plans for Opening First Location in Provo

Starbucks is finding itself amid controversy as they set up their first location on a Mormon campus. Brigham Young University is prepared to open up a Starbucks but not before some skeptics in the community have their say. Mormons have a few strict guidelines when it comes to what they can consume.

Delish.com explained the Mormon faith from a statement made by the Church of Latter Day Saints. Alcoholic drinks are prohibited, smoking and chewing tobacco are as well.

Then there’s caffeinated drinks, specifically “hot drinks.” Coffee and tea are not present in the Mormon faith. Delish.com tracked down a youth magazine from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints where it goes over how a person of faith should handle being in a coffee shop.

“The word coffee isn’t always in the name of the coffee drinks,” the magazine said, noting that followers must double check before ordering or do some beforehand research.

The passage goes on: “So, before you try what you think is just some milkshake flavor, here are a couple of rules of thumb: one, if you’re in a coffee shop (or any other shop that’s well-known for its coffee), the drink you’re ordering probably has coffee in it, so either never buy drinks at coffee shops or always ask if there’s coffee in it.”

When the news first broke earlier this year, plenty of social media users voiced their thoughts on what this situation could like down the road.

This certainly will put a damper on the new location’s pumpkin spice latte sales. Starbucks recently announced that their fall favorite will be hitting the market earlier than ever.

The Guardian conducted a poll in 2016 asking Mormons about their caffeine use. Despite the rules that go with its consumption, four out of 10 active followers under the age of 51 said they had a cup of coffee in the past six months.

Maybe all hope isn’t lost for the college campus’ new Starbucks.