Tennessee has committed $30 million to a corporation who seeks to hold the monopoly on all coffee production in the world, all while purposefully promoting an agenda that promotes values contrary to what the majority of Tennesseans want in our state. Here’s how it happened.
Tennessee’s State Funding Board is made up of 5 members: Governor Bill Lee, Comptroller Jason Mumpower, Secretary of State Tre Hargett, State Treasurer David Lillard Jr., and Commissioner of Finance and Administration Jim Bryson.
On May 20th, three members, Comptroller Jason Mumpower, who participated by phone, Treasurer David Lillard Jr. and Commissioner Jim Bryson, met to discuss and approve two FastTrack grants.
Stuart McWharter, Commissioner of Department of Economic and Community Development and his team presented the two FastTrack grant applications, one for the Starbucks Corporation and another for LEV Manufacturing, Inc, a production company for Rad Power Bikes in Putnam County.
During the State Funding Board meeting, Stuart McWharter presented the following request:
“Starbucks coffee company is the world’s premier purveyor of specialty coffee. Today, Starbucks has a global footprint of more than 41,000 company operated and licensed coffee houses and a growing presence in consumer packaged goods. The Starbucks Southeast corporate office will offer a variety of corporate related positions from finance, supply chain, human resource management, technology, operations and general management. These jobs create career ladders for Tennesseans and help retain college graduates in Nashville and in the Middle Tennessee region.
Starbucks Corporation has committed to create 2,000 net new jobs and make $100 million capital investment within five years. The Corporation will have an average wage of $125,000 per year per employee compared to the Davidson County Nashville’s average compensation annual wage of $48,500 per year, which by the way, $125,000 per year per employee for 2000 employees equates to about $250 million in annual payroll per year.
In addition, this project uniquely helps attract more professional services, vendors, suppliers, restaurants, real estate activity and innovation to the region.
The FastTrack Economic Development Grant funds will specifically help offset expenses such as building expansion, building retrofit, building improvements for a total of $30 million.”
After the presentation, Comptroller Mumford responds with, “I’m glad to see that both of these companies are drawn to Tennessee’s economy, to Tennessee’s values and Tennessee’s economic atmosphere.”
Discussion surrounding the project included an assurance that the two corporations would be held accountable if they did not produce the intended results.
Comptroller Mumford closed with, “When somebody doesn’t live up to the deal, we make sure and claw back our incentives.”
The roll was called, and all three board members approved the distribution of $30 million dollars to the Starbucks Corporation.
A quorum of three voted to invest $30 million tax dollars into the Starbucks Corporation. In reality, this was a decision made before the meeting ever started. This is why who we elect for Governor is one of the most important election decisions we have this year.
Before the meeting was over, it was noted that Tennessee pulls back their incentives when FastTrack grants are offered to corporations and their terms are not honored.
When Oracle declared their world headquarters would be moved to Nashville in 2021, after receiving a $65 million FastTrack grant to do so, they fell behind their 5-year commitment to create 5,989 jobs in Tennessee.
When the announcement was made that Oracle would be relocating, it was shrouded in promises like “Oracle will position Nashville as a hub of AI innovation”. Employees living in California were offered bonuses of tens of thousands of dollars to move.
Unfortunately, only around 800 workers were re-assigned to Nashville, and only 7 native-Tennesseans have been hired, according to a January, 2026 report. They have now reported that they moved their employment goal from 2026 to 2031, claiming they will create 8,500 jobs in Nashville, with a proposed salary of $110,000.
As of today, the World Headquarters has still not been relocated to Tennessee, as their own website still lists it as being in Austin, Texas.
In 2015, Pure Foods Inc. was given a FastTrack grant of $1.2 million and promised 273 jobs in return. Within that first year, Pure Foods Inc. declared bankruptcy after only employing 73 people in the town of Kingsport, TN. As of today, they have not paid back their grant.
In 2013, Made in America Seating was given a FastTrack grant of $4 million in Clinton,TN, with a promise of providing 510 jobs. Around 55 jobs were actually created and the corporation still owes the state over $3.5 million.
It appears Tennessee is still owed around $22.5 million in claw back funds from contracts given to corporations who did not live up to their end of the commitment.
Tax payers do not have any say in which companies are incentivized to come to Tennessee. These FastTrack grants are awarded to the individual counties, and the county then disperses it to the business. With Starbucks coming to Nashville, Mayor Freddie O’Connell will have the responsibility of navigating the response from local restaurant owners, who with 300 strong, oppose this move to their city. In Nashville alone, there are roughly 75 independently owned coffee shops whose business will be impacted by a coffee-giant moving in.
As conservatives, we want small government and we want capitalism to thrive. Corporate welfare stamps out the ability for entrepreneurs to build a financial legacy for themselves and their families, while out-of-state corporation owners grow wealthier by the day.
Of great concern to conservatives across the state, is the seemingly overwhelming support for the $30 million tax-payer funded grant offered to one of the world’s largest financial supporters to the LGBTQ agenda by some in our state leadership.
Starbucks was one of the first companies to offer financial assistance to anyone seeking to surgically change their gender. They also provide reimbursements to same-sex couples who adopt children. The Starbucks Corporation contributes thousands of dollars to fund non-profits who promote the LGBTQ agenda.
It seems their potential economic impact is far more important than the values that will come with it, and the continued funding of an agenda that is not welcome in Tennessee.
For your own reading, here is a link to the list of all corporations Tennessee has financially incentivized, with our tax dollars, to come here.
https://www.tn.gov/ecd/resources/openecd/fasttrack-project-database.html
Here is a list of all the pending contracts still waiting for approval by the Board.
https://www.tn.gov/ecd/resources/openecd/fasttrack-projects-pending-contract.html
Corporate Welfare in Tennessee: Is Potential Financial Growth More Important Than Protecting Tennessee’s Values?
Tennessee has committed $30 million to a corporation who seeks to hold the monopoly on all coffee production in the world, all while purposefully promoting an agenda that promotes values contrary to what the majority of Tennesseans want in our state. Here’s how it happened.
Tennessee’s State Funding Board is made up of 5 members: Governor Bill Lee, Comptroller Jason Mumpower, Secretary of State Tre Hargett, State Treasurer David Lillard Jr., and Commissioner of Finance and Administration Jim Bryson.
On May 20th, three members, Comptroller Jason Mumpower, who participated by phone, Treasurer David Lillard Jr. and Commissioner Jim Bryson, met to discuss and approve two FastTrack grants.
Stuart McWharter, Commissioner of Department of Economic and Community Development and his team presented the two FastTrack grant applications, one for the Starbucks Corporation and another for LEV Manufacturing, Inc, a production company for Rad Power Bikes in Putnam County.
During the State Funding Board meeting, Stuart McWharter presented the following request:
“Starbucks coffee company is the world’s premier purveyor of specialty coffee. Today, Starbucks has a global footprint of more than 41,000 company operated and licensed coffee houses and a growing presence in consumer packaged goods. The Starbucks Southeast corporate office will offer a variety of corporate related positions from finance, supply chain, human resource management, technology, operations and general management. These jobs create career ladders for Tennesseans and help retain college graduates in Nashville and in the Middle Tennessee region.
Starbucks Corporation has committed to create 2,000 net new jobs and make $100 million capital investment within five years. The Corporation will have an average wage of $125,000 per year per employee compared to the Davidson County Nashville’s average compensation annual wage of $48,500 per year, which by the way, $125,000 per year per employee for 2000 employees equates to about $250 million in annual payroll per year.
In addition, this project uniquely helps attract more professional services, vendors, suppliers, restaurants, real estate activity and innovation to the region.
The FastTrack Economic Development Grant funds will specifically help offset expenses such as building expansion, building retrofit, building improvements for a total of $30 million.”
After the presentation, Comptroller Mumford responds with, “I’m glad to see that both of these companies are drawn to Tennessee’s economy, to Tennessee’s values and Tennessee’s economic atmosphere.”
Discussion surrounding the project included an assurance that the two corporations would be held accountable if they did not produce the intended results.
Comptroller Mumford closed with, “When somebody doesn’t live up to the deal, we make sure and claw back our incentives.”
The roll was called, and all three board members approved the distribution of $30 million dollars to the Starbucks Corporation.
A quorum of three voted to invest $30 million tax dollars into the Starbucks Corporation. In reality, this was a decision made before the meeting ever started. This is why who we elect for Governor is one of the most important election decisions we have this year.
Before the meeting was over, it was noted that Tennessee pulls back their incentives when FastTrack grants are offered to corporations and their terms are not honored.
When Oracle declared their world headquarters would be moved to Nashville in 2021, after receiving a $65 million FastTrack grant to do so, they fell behind their 5-year commitment to create 5,989 jobs in Tennessee.
When the announcement was made that Oracle would be relocating, it was shrouded in promises like “Oracle will position Nashville as a hub of AI innovation”. Employees living in California were offered bonuses of tens of thousands of dollars to move.
Unfortunately, only around 800 workers were re-assigned to Nashville, and only 7 native-Tennesseans have been hired, according to a January, 2026 report. They have now reported that they moved their employment goal from 2026 to 2031, claiming they will create 8,500 jobs in Nashville, with a proposed salary of $110,000.
As of today, the World Headquarters has still not been relocated to Tennessee, as their own website still lists it as being in Austin, Texas.
In 2015, Pure Foods Inc. was given a FastTrack grant of $1.2 million and promised 273 jobs in return. Within that first year, Pure Foods Inc. declared bankruptcy after only employing 73 people in the town of Kingsport, TN. As of today, they have not paid back their grant.
In 2013, Made in America Seating was given a FastTrack grant of $4 million in Clinton,TN, with a promise of providing 510 jobs. Around 55 jobs were actually created and the corporation still owes the state over $3.5 million.
It appears Tennessee is still owed around $22.5 million in claw back funds from contracts given to corporations who did not live up to their end of the commitment.
Tax payers do not have any say in which companies are incentivized to come to Tennessee. These FastTrack grants are awarded to the individual counties, and the county then disperses it to the business. With Starbucks coming to Nashville, Mayor Freddie O’Connell will have the responsibility of navigating the response from local restaurant owners, who with 300 strong, oppose this move to their city. In Nashville alone, there are roughly 75 independently owned coffee shops whose business will be impacted by a coffee-giant moving in.
As conservatives, we want small government and we want capitalism to thrive. Corporate welfare stamps out the ability for entrepreneurs to build a financial legacy for themselves and their families, while out-of-state corporation owners grow wealthier by the day.
Of great concern to conservatives across the state, is the seemingly overwhelming support for the $30 million tax-payer funded grant offered to one of the world’s largest financial supporters to the LGBTQ agenda by some in our state leadership.
Starbucks was one of the first companies to offer financial assistance to anyone seeking to surgically change their gender. They also provide reimbursements to same-sex couples who adopt children. The Starbucks Corporation contributes thousands of dollars to fund non-profits who promote the LGBTQ agenda.
It seems their potential economic impact is far more important than the values that will come with it, and the continued funding of an agenda that is not welcome in Tennessee.
For your own reading, here is a link to the list of all corporations Tennessee has financially incentivized, with our tax dollars, to come here.
https://www.tn.gov/ecd/resources/openecd/fasttrack-project-database.html
Here is a list of all the pending contracts still waiting for approval by the Board.
https://www.tn.gov/ecd/resources/openecd/fasttrack-projects-pending-contract.html
Like this article?
Anne Lowery
Anne Lowery