Starbucks is facing a lawsuit from a California family that claims the company served them a barista’s blood. (AP)
Starbucks, which made waves last Halloween with its drippy red Zombie Frappuccino, is facing a lawsuit from a California family that claims the company served them a barista’s actual blood.
Amanda and Luis Vice say that they didn’t notice the problems with the drinks, which they purchased at a San Bernardino Starbucks in February 2016, and brought home to a 2-year-old girl, until it was too late.
"Once we drank it, then we could see on the inside of the rim that there was blood," Amanda Vice told KTLA. "She was licking the whipped cream where it had been sitting on top."
Two of the cups had a visible red stain, and one emitted a “strong metallic smell,” KTLA reported, citing the family’s lawsuit.
“My wife and my baby just drank someone’s blood,” Louis Vice said, describing the panicked aftermath of the incident. “It was bad.”
The family’s lawsuit claims that Starbucks knew that an employee had been bleeding, but did not adequately keep the worker away from customers’ drinks.
Starbucks, meanwhile, is prepared to defend against the allegations. “We are aware of this claim, that allegedly took place in 2016, and are prepared to present our case in court," a spokesperson said in a statement obtained by Fox News.
Preliminary blood tests indicated that no diseases were transmitted, the family’s lawyers say, although final tests will be conducted in several months.
Starbucks, which reportedly offered each family member $1,000 after the episode and promised free drinks for a week, faces a variety of legal claims.
The family is alleging several torts, including negligence, fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress, battery, and assault.
"We felt sick to our stomachs, we shouldn’t have to worry about going to get something to drink and there being blood in our drink where we could get sick," Vice told KTLA. "It’s very stressful."
