Philz Coffee, a San Francisco-born coffee chain, will remove Pride flags from all of its locations, the company said Wednesday, confirming the policy after an online petition criticizing the move spread rapidly on social media. On Sunday, a group calling itself Philz Coffee Baristas decried in a Change.org petition what it described as “Philz Coffee’s recent decision to remove pride flags from their stores” and asked the company to reverse it. In an emailed statement to the Chronicle, CEO Mahesh Sadarangani said that Philz “was working toward creating a more consistent, inclusive experience across all our stores, including removing a variety of flags and other decor.”